2 LI museums announce plans to coordinate programs, marketing and more

Two Long Island museums are taking their relationship to the next level. The Cradle of Aviation museum in Garden City and the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage have announced a move to coordinate their programs, marketing and visitor experiences. 

The cooperative effort between the museums, titled "Destination: History," was spearheaded by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and will operate with guidance from the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.

“ 'Destination: History' will include complementary exhibits in each museum that showcase the other institution,  website and social media links that market each other’s events to their respective visitor base, joint programs that examine Long Island’s military heritage, profiles in their museum publications and participation in paid advertising," Curran said in a news release. 

Nassau County's parks department will also highlight joint efforts on its social media platforms and print publications while working with Discover Long Island, the region's official tourism agency, to promote visitors’ “dual experience” at both museums. 

"In a tourism market with global, national and regional competition, these kinds of alliances can be the tipping point in attracting new visitors who will spend time and dollars on Long Island," said Kristen Jarnagin, CEO of Discover Long Island. 

Gary Lewi, marketing spokesman for the Museum of American Armor, said both museums feature compelling attractions and share complementary missions, telling the important story of history and drawing new and larger crowds. 

The Museum of American Armor receives about 12,000 to 13,000 visitors a year. According to the Cradle of Aviation's executive director, Jennifer Baxmeyer, "In the past year, almost 350,000 people visited the museum, including over 75,000 students. Moreover, the museum served 30,000 persons through its special events and 45,000 persons through outreach services, making the museum’s total impact over 425,000 individuals per year."