5 spots for early farm fun on Long Island this season
Long Island may not have a massive zoo like the Bronx, but there are a few spots around Nassau and Suffolk that serve as the homes for farm animals and wildlife either brought in as residents or in-house to heal following a rescue. Here are some locations to visit that are already open for the season.
Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
A gargoyle gecko at Tackapausha Museum and Preserve in Seaford on Feb. 25. Credit: Morgan Campbell/Morgan Campbell
Located within a neighborhood and next to a supermarket, this facility and conservancy run by Nassau County is a hidden gem that hosts a Long Island ecology museum and more than 100 live animals indoor and out. Look out for mammals and birds, and there’s also a reptile room — only open to one family group at a time. Watch for presentations featuring animals, some of which may be free or include admission, but visitors can also wander the property’s trails to look for native wildlife like gray squirrels, raccoons, opossums and birds. INFO 2225 Washington Ave., Seaford; 516-571-7443, nassaucountyny.gov; $5, children ages 5 to 12 are $3; open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.
Long Island Game Farm
A mob of emus graze at the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville. Credit: Randee Daddona
One of Long Island's largest opportunities to see unique animals from distant lands, the facility won’t be hosting public hours until weekends starting April 17 (weather-permitting), but people can arrange private VIP tours. Four people can take part in approximately 90-minute visits for $250, during which guests can get an idea how the resident animals arrived at the Farm, and how they eat and manage in the winter. For an even more personal experience, 25-minute meet-and-greets with a wallaby can be arranged for four people for $150. Later this year, ownership says Zephyr the resident zebra may be expecting a striped bundle of joy. INFO 489 Chapman Blvd., Manorville; 631-878-6644, longislandgamefarm.com
Quogue Wildlife Refuge
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge offers a chance to get back to nature. Credit: Randee Daddona
This nonprofit nature preserve may offer more than 300 acres of protected land to explore via seven miles of trails — including a stroller-accessible main trail — but its main mission is to provide a home to animals that have been injured and can no longer survive in the wild. It has an outdoor wildlife complex that currently serves as a respite for hawks, a fox, a groundhog and owls, among other creatures to see. (The nature center is closed at this time.) INFO 3 Old Country Rd., Quogue; 631-653-4771, quoguewildliferefuge.org; open daily sunrise to sunset; admission is free but donations are appreciated.
Suffolk County Farm and Education Center
Visit the lambs at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank. Credit: Newsday/Randee Daddona
The main mission of this nonprofit agricultural hub is to instruct guests in skills and methods relating to farming, animal sciences, STEM, healthy lifestyles and area history. However, it is also a working farm, and through its active event calendar, attendees can get a close look at farm animals like cows, llamas, sheep and chickens. INFO 350 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank; 631-852-4600, ccesuffolk.org; open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Sweetbriar Nature Center
A monarch butterfly and a moth on a flower in the butterfly center at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown. Credit: John Dunn
Located across more than 50 acres of land that features a variety of habitats along the Nissequogue River, this nonprofit preserve has several animals to see in its outdoor enclosures — such as birds of prey (hawks, falcons, an eagle and a vulture) and geese, as well as a red fox, ducks, chickens, squirrels, pigs and a goat, among others. The indoor nature center building is currently closed, but outdoor exhibits are open. INFO 62 Eckernkamp Dr., Smithtown; 631-979-6344, sweetbriarnc.org; select areas and programs require admission.
