Flying cars, the Big Bang, more Long Island museum exhibits

Serious, spooky, historical and artful, this fall's exhibitions explore the area's past, its impact on science and technology, and continue to bring the world-class art we've come to expect to Long Island's magnificent museums. There's something to educate, excite and enlighten for every age and interest.

"The Future is Now," long-term installation, Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City

Living like the Jetsons is the theme of this intriguing look at technology of yesterday, today and tomorrow. We've all gotten used to Dick Tracy's wristwatch telephone becoming a reality, but what about flying cars? The museum has four Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs) on display, along with a look at Mars exploration, a history of air travel and the jaw-dropping Grumman Lunar Module LM-13. There are plenty of interactive moments and inspirations, including the reopened full-dome JetBlue Sky Theater Planetarium and a new monument to America's first woman in space, Sally Ride.

INFO $16, $14 ages 2-12 and 62 and older; 516-572-4111, cradleofaviation.org

"Other Worlds Than This" through Nov. 6, Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor

Artifacts from early civilizations, including Pharaonic Egypt and the Olmecs of Mesoamerica, as well as art being made today, draw on imagination to give voice to things that can't be spoken. From Surrealist painters to Renaissance religious symbols and ancient spiritual beliefs, this wide-ranging exhibition looks at the supernatural in art. Dreams and demons, angels, amulets and alchemy all show up, though their mysteries remain elusive. It's a chance to tap into the unknown through art.

INFO $15, $10 ages 62 and older, $5 students and ages 4-11; 516-484-9338, nassaumuseum.org

"Atoms to Cosmos: The Story of Brookhaven National Laboratory," through Oct. 16, The Long Island Museum, 1200 Rte. 25A, Stony Brook

Learn how Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists have garnered seven Nobel Prizes and have been responsible for history-changing medical discoveries, like pioneering the synthesis of human insulin in the 1960s. Now, at one of the world's top space research facilities, Long Island scientists with their supercollider, particle accelerator and the High Flux Beam Reactor are rewriting the real Big Bang Theory even as they alter the future. See how they do it.

INFO $10, $7 ages 62 and older, $5 students and ages 6-17; 631-751-0066, longislandmuseum.org

"Long Island Biennial," Oct. 1-Jan. 22, Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington

The Heckscher Museum's seventh Long Island Biennial gives Nassau and Suffolk artists a chance to gain recognition while affording visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with the artists around them. Some 250 artists submitted about 700 works made in the past two years. Find out who made the cut, with works expressing reactions to the pandemic, responses to climate change and hopes for social justice, among other themes.

INFO $5 suggested admission, free ages 12 and younger; 631-380-3230, heckscher.org

"Joaquín Sorolla And Esteban Vicente: In The Light of the Garden," through Oct. 16, Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill

Meet two Spanish masters in this exhibition that pairs the work of Joaquín Sorolla and Esteban Vicente. Sorolla's Impressionistic sun-dappled landscapes enchant, even though his name may not ring a bell. For those who know his work, a lovely luminosity lingers in the mind. For those who don't, this is a rare opportunity. Curators take it a step further by juxtaposing them with paintings by Spanish-born East End Abstract Expressionist Vicente. See how light and color evoke similar sensations for two artists decades and continents apart.

INFO $12, free ages 17 and younger; 631-283-2118, parrishart.org

“Preserving Eagle’s Nest,” through Thanksgiving and Natural History Museum (permanent), Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport

In the fall, our thoughts sometimes turn to things that creep and crawl and go bump in the night. The Vanderbilt's extensive natural history collection has that covered. There are larger-than-life insects, smaller-than-life shrunken heads, an Egyptian mummy and taxidermied tigers, bears, fish and fowl. William K. Vanderbilt II explored the world collecting the rare and mysterious, just to bring examples to Long Island and share them with the public. “Preserving Eagle’s Nest” focuses on how these treasures are cared for and presented.

INFO $10, $7 ages 11 and younger; 631-854-5579, vanderbiltmuseum.org

"Nuestro Viaje — Our Journey," Oct. 8-29, Westbury Arts, 255 Schenck Ave., Westbury

Westbury Arts' new gallery space will be filled again with compelling works from local and regional artists. For Hispanic Heritage month, look for paintings, photographs and more, centered around the theme "Nuestro Viaje — Our Journey." November brings a celebration of the village's 90th anniversary, with photographs submitted by the community that bring the old days of Westbury and present life into sharp focus.

INFO Free; 516-400-2787, westburyarts.org