LONG ISLAND STATE PARKS CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is pleased to announce the celebration of Black History Month at Long Island State Parks.

This month-long celebration highlights some of America’s notable African Americans and their accomplishments through informative displays and programs. 2026 serves as an important milestone in black history as the ASALH (The Founders of Black History Month) celebrate “A Century of Black History Commemorations”, highlighting 100 years since the founding of Black History Month. We invite you to visit us to learn more about some notable African Americans and their impact on American history and culture.

Informational Displays throughout the month of February will be at these Long Island State Park locations:

• Hempstead Lake State Park, Environmental Education and Resiliency Center, West Hempstead: Open daily 9am – 3:30pm, for information call 516-766-1029

• Jones Beach State Park, Administration Building, Wantagh: Open daily 7:00am – 4:30pm, for information call 516-785-1600

• LI State Parks Regional Headquarters Lobby, West Babylon: Open Monday through Friday 10am – 4pm, for information call 631-321-3510

• Planting Fields Arboretum Hoffman Conference Center, Oyster Bay: Open daily 10am – 4pm, for information call 516-922-8600

• Nissequogue River State Park – Charles & Helen Reichert Administration Building, Kings Park: Open daily 8am – 4pm, for more information call 631-269-4927

• Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center-West End 2, Wantagh: Open daily 9am - 4:30pm, for information call 516-809-8222

The Long Island State Parks Environmental Education department and the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center will also host special programming at the following parks:

• Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale: Black History Space Explorers – Saturday, February 7^th 5:45pm – 8:00pm

• Nissequogue River State Park, Kings Park: Jean-Michel Basquiat Art Program – Sunday, February 15^th 10:30am – 12:00pm

• Hempstead Lake State Park, Environmental Education & Resiliency Center, West Hempstead: Art in the Park: Alma Thomas – Saturday, February 7^th 11:00am – 12:30pm and Art in the Park: Charles McGee – Saturday, February 21^st 11:00am – 12:30pm

• Bethpage State Park, The Heritage Club (Lenox Room), Bethpage: Black Experiences in the Revolutionary War with guest speaker Lavada Nahon, Sunday February 22^nd 11:00am – 12:30pm

• Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center - West End 2, Wantagh: Storytime Corner: Black History Month (Ages 8 and under) – Saturday, February 7^th 11:00am – 12:00pm and Black History in Exploration (All ages) – Saturday, February 28^th 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Please visit www.jonesbeachenc.org/programs and www.eventbrite.com/o/nys-parks-long-island-environmental-education-33908178297 for information on how to sign up for programs.