Photo: Mike Peel via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Long Island Aquarium — Behind the Scenes Tour
A 90-minute small-group tour with an aquarium biologist. Walk above the shark tank, see the food prep kitchen, meet the rescue sea turtles in rehab. Limited to 12 guests per tour. The 11 AM slot is the quietest; the 2 PM is for kids who just finished general admission. Plan for the tour to bookend a half-day visit, not stand alone.
The aquarium’s behind-the-scenes tour is the kind of experience that turns a fine day-trip into a kid’s favorite memory of the year. 90 minutes, biologist-led, 12 guests max, and you actually see the working side of the aquarium — food prep, turtle rehab, the catwalks above the shark tank.
Booking notes:
- Book at least 2 weeks ahead, especially summer Saturdays
- Includes general admission for the rest of the day (good value)
- Recommended age 7+ (younger kids may get bored on the technical parts)
- The 11 AM tour is the quietest aquarium time; do that first, then lunch, then general admission
Pair with: Lunch at Tweed’s in Riverhead or coffee at North Fork Roasting Co. (5 min away).
This Long Island may earn a small commission when you buy tickets through our links. It never affects what we cover or recommend.
Other Family events
Editor's Pick Old Westbury Gardens — Summer Open Season
Old Westbury Gardens is one of Long Island's most underappreciated cultural treasures — a 200-acre English landscape estate with formal gardens, the Phipps mansion, and weekly summer concerts on the West Pond. Family-friendly, golden-hour-perfect, and the kind of LI experience that makes out-of-state visitors reconsider Long Island.
- When
- Where
- Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury
- Price
- TBD
LI Pride Lions' 5th Annual TEA DANCE: Hawaii Five-0h No She Better Don't!
The LI Pride Lions bring their annual tea dance back to Pine Grove Inn with a Hawaiian theme that's as extra as it sounds. Now in its fifth year, this afternoon party kicks off at 2pm in East Patchogue. Street parking fills up fast on weekends, so get there early or consider carpooling.
- When
- Where
- Pine Grove Inn, East Patchogue
- Price
- TBD
Local Author Talk With Steve Kuhn - My Life as a Clammer on the GSB
Steve Kuhn talks about his book on clamming the Great South Bay—the work, the water, and how the industry has changed over decades. Free event at Patchogue-Medford Library, which has its own lot off East Main Street. Kuhn brings firsthand knowledge of a trade that shaped the South Shore.
- When
- Where
- Patchogue-Medford Library, Patchogue