The websites listed on this page deal with the history of the eighteen villages comprising the modern-day Town of Oyster Bay, and with its many tourist attractions. Although we have tried to be inclusive, there are still important places and groups which are not yet "on the web". To find their addresses and phone numbers, browse the websites in our first section below -- "Background, lists and statistics".Websites especially useful to tourists are listed in italics. Those offering online information nourishing to students of history are listed in bold type.
We have not listed otherwise relevant websites that fall into two categories:
- Websites relating to tourist accommodations (hotels, restaurants, and shops) and websites of a commercial nature can be found for Oyster Bay in particular through the Oyster Bay, Long Island website, and for Long Island in general through L.I. Leisure.com, Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, and 516web.
- Websites dealing with local genealogy can be found by starting with the Nassau and Suffolk sites of the NYGenWeb Project, the New York part of the USGenWeb Project. The maintainer of these sites, LaRae Halsey-Brooks, is extraordinarily diligent and meticulous; the resources she provides are all you're ever likely to need!
If you have just posted a website -- or know of a site -- which belongs on our list, please contact us by Email.
Things to Do in Oyster Bay:
- Passport to Historic Oyster Bay
An inclusive, although not entirely comprehensive Calendar of Events sponsored by Oyster Bay area tourist attractions, including Raynham Hall Museum, our own Oyster Bay Historical Society, the National Park Services' Planting Fields Arboretum and Sagamore Hill Historic Sites, Friends of the Arts, and the Waterfront Center.
Background, lists and statistics:
- Oyster Bay Township Historical Sites and Preserves
Kudos to Jim Fordyce whose individual efforts maintain this comprehensive list of Oyster Bay's historical sites.- Places of Interest in Oyster Bay Township
Places to visit from Bayville to Tackapausha with addresses, phone numbers.- Long Island Our Story
An online, multimedia history of Long Island produced by Newsday, including some interesting chapters about Oyster Bay folks, such as A Man Hated and Hailed about John Underhill (d. 1672) and The Sisterhood of Friends about the spunky seventeenth-century Wright sisters.
Theodore Roosevelt, home and family:
- A biography of Theodore Roosevelt
Courtesy of Grolier Online, from their series, The American Presidency.- Theodore Roosevelt Association
Authoritative information on the life and ideals of Theodore Roosevelt.- Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt
From the White House, a glimpse at the second wife of the President from Oyster Bay.- Matinecock Masonic Historical Society
The Masonic Lodge of Matinecock, Teddy Roosevelt's home lodge, includes historical details relating to T.R. and the Town of Oyster Bay.- Sagamore Hill Background about Teddy Roosevelt, his family, and his Sagamore Hill home.
- T.R. Memorial Bird Sanctuary The Audubon Society operates this bird sanctuary, which surrounds T.R.'s grave, and includes a full-scale summer camp for children.
Our Other First Families:
- The Wright Family
Genealogy of the descendants of Peter Wright, called the "Father of the Town of Oyster Bay".- The Townsend Society of America
Headquartered in Oyster Bay, this Society preserves and collects artifacts about the Townsend family, one of Oyster Bay's and America's "first families".- The Underhill Society of America
The archives and library of this Society, dedicated to Captain John Underhill and his descendants, are located in the Townsend Society headquarters.- The Seaman Family
This amateur but useful site rehearses the genealogy of Captain John Seaman, who with Underhill settled first in Connecticut and later on Long Island.
Museums and restorations:
- Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum Take in exhibits on whaling history and visit a 19th century whaleboat at Cold Spring Harbor's Whaling Museum. Conservationists and scrimshaw collectors take note.
- Garvies Point Museum and Preserve Featuring local geology, archaeology, and prehistoric Native American culture.
- Hicksville Gregory Museum Housed in the historic Heitz Place Courthouse in nearby Hicksville, this museum is replete with a preserved jail cell and features an extraordinary mineral collection.
- The Historical Society of the Massapequas
The website of The Historical Society of the Massapequas includes a local history section, photos of historical markers placed by the society, and a calendar of events. For more on the history of Massapequa Park (one of the Massapequas; the others are North Massapequa, Massapequa, and East Massapequa), see the history page produced by The Village of Massapequa.- Northport Historical Society and Museum
This museum, occupying a former Carnegie Library, has exhibits on American Indian lore, shipbuilding, historic houses, antique dolls as well as rotating exhibits about Asharoken, Eaton's Neck, Fort Salonga and of course Northport. Call to arrange a Northport Village walking tour.- Old Bethpage Restoration Village Visit 19th century homes, shops, gardens and a working farm, guided by costumed interpreters.
- Raynham Hall Museum
- Our sister museum in Oyster Bay. Located in the historic Townsend home which was a center of Revolutionary War activity, Raynham Hall is located within easy walking distance of our downtown Oyster Bay headquarters. If you're planning to visit us, make sure to include Raynham Hall on your itinerary too.
Other local attractions:
- The Bailey Arboretum
A tourist guide to the estate and its grounds dubbed Munnysunk by its former owners, the Baileys.- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory The CSHL is one of the most prestigious institutes of research and learning in the world. Designated a Basic Cancer Research Center, it is famous for research on neurobiology and plant genetics.
- Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium The NY State Hatchery that has become a fun-to-visit educational facility.
- Muttontown Preserve Over 500 acres of fields, woodlands, and estate grounds, including several marked trails make up this preserve, a favorite of bird-watchers.
- Planting Fields Arboretum Information and events about the former Gold Coast estate of the Coe family.
- St. Sergius of Radonezh Chapel
The first church in Oyster Bay to host a website, and a one that's nicely-done at that.
