Exhibits & Events

For full details and to register for any of the Suffolk County Historical Society's upcoming events, please call: (631) 727-2881.

PAUMANOK WEAVERS GUILD EXPO!
WARP, WEFT, SHUTTLE:
Celebrating Our 50 Years of Handweaving on Long Island
A New Exhibit Presented by the Paumanok Weavers Guild!
Saturday, October 18, 2025 – 1:00 - 3:00 pm
In our Gish Gallery, October 18 – December 20, 2025




Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors, Members free. Light refreshments will be served.

Paumanok Weavers Guild was founded in 1975 following a series of workshops sponsored by the East End Arts Council, bringing together a community of individuals interested in the handweaving tradition. Under the guidance of Alice Kappenberg, instruction continued in the Loom Room, located in the basement of a local home, while monthly meetings were held at the Suffolk County Historical Society. Over the decades, the Guild has played a central role in sustaining and advancing the practice of handweaving on Long Island. Through workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and exhibitions, it has sought not only to preserve knowledge of this ancient craft but also to foster its continued relevance in contemporary life. Guild members come from every walk of life–teachers, librarians, medical professionals, civil servants, gardeners, pet lovers, and more. Many were first inspired after seeing woven pieces or looms at a fair or museum and asking the same question: “How do they do that?”

We invite you to enjoy this exhibit of the handcrafted work the Paumanok Weavers Guild has created and - if you find yourself wondering the same, "How do they do that?" - to join us in exploring a craft that is both practical and magical. This exhibit will feature looms, woven textiles, and scheduled demonstrations.

About the Paumanok Weavers Guild: The Paumanok Weavers Guild is a non-profit organization established to inspire, educate, and foster mutual assistance in matters related to handweaving. The group was founded in 1975 by weavers who had attended workshops sponsored by the East End Arts Council. Under the guidance of Alice Kappenberg, the guild grew to a membership of more than sixty by 1977. The Paumanok Weavers Guild still thrives today, holding monthly meetings at the Suffolk County Historical Society. Interested in joining? Visit PaumanokWeaversGuild.com for more information.

13th ANNUAL WOODEN WONDERLAND
HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR!
Saturday, December 6, 2025 – 10:00am - 4:00 pm

Free Admission! Gifts for the whole family!

Join us for our special holiday event, our Annual Wooden Wonderland: Holiday Artisanal Gift Fair! See our historic building and galleries come to life in a magnificent display of holiday arts and crafts. Our hand-selected vendors will offer locally made, artisanal one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted gifts! There will be something for everyone on your holiday list, in an array of budgets and styles! Our artisanal makers fair set against a historic museum backdrop—with live music, live woodworking demonstrations, raffles, and more—is the perfect kick-off to your Holiday Season!

150 YEARS OF JEWISH COMMUNITY ON LONG ISLAND
An exhibit presented by the
Jewish Historical Society of Long Island

The first synagogue on Long Island was incorporated in 1875 in Lindenhurst. Celebrate 150 years of Jewish communal gathering in Nassau and Suffolk counties by visiting this stunning exhibit of historic Torahs, books, documents, and artifacts collected from around Long Island. Featured in the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum's Weathervane Gallery, now extended to December 17, 2025.

A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE:
Man and Nature in Suffolk County's Past

From New York City's wealthy elite to the resident locals making a living here, Long Island has been recognized as a mecca for sportsmen (and sportswomen) for over 150 years, earning its own exhibition at the National Sportsman's Show from 1895 to the 1940s. Illustrating how hunting evolved from necessity to popular sport, eventually leading to the introduction of protective conservation laws, this exhibition will explore how the "sporting life" – through job opportunities, increased rail traffic, hotel and resort development, and eventual wildlife conservation – influenced our way of life on Long Island. Through an amazing assortment of hunting equipment, hand-carved decoys, duck boats, fishing gear, themed toys, clothing, magazines, and more, A Sportsman's Paradise explores all that Suffolk County offered to those who were seeking its natural rewards. Exhibit curated by Jamie Reason. Exhibit design by Joshua Cortez. In our Grand Staas Gallery January – October 2024.

SUFFOLK COUNTY: A TIMELINE EXPERIENCE!
New Permanent Exhibit Opens to the Public
June 3, 2023
Gallery hours: 10:00am to 4:30pm
(excluding holiday weekends)
Designed as the new core of the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum, this new interactive permanent exhibit, “a museum within a museum,” provides a comprehensive timeline of over 200 historically significant moments that shaped Suffolk County into the vibrant community it is today. From the geological formation of Long Island, to the arrival of its indigenous people, moving forward through history to modern times, our greatest residents and achievements figure prominently in this exhibition celebrating our history, our heritage, and our people. Our story is told through over 200 artifacts and documents, photos, digital screens, and interactive digital experiences that will delight every visitor, while walking guests through our history, century by century.

This exhibit is funded in part by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, with additional support from Roberta Cooper in memory of James B. Cooper III and the Cooper Family.

MASTERS OF METAL:
Suffolk County's Early Silversmiths
In our History in the Hall Display Cases
In March 2020, the Suffolk County Historical Society secured a significant acquisition of over 100 pieces of silver crafted by Suffolk County's earliest known silversmiths. With works by Joel, John, and Paul Sayre, Elias Pelletreau, B. Coleman, and Col. David Hedges, this display case exhibit glistens with the handcrafted work of these fine eighteenth-century artisans. The SCHS Board of Trustees is proud to present this notable collection, exhibited for the first time.

Silversmithing was one of the earliest arts practiced in the American colonies. As early as 1638, just eight years after Boston had been settled, fourteen-year-old from Boston named John Hull is documented to have been apprenticed to his half-brother Richard Storer to learn the art of crafting in silver. The increase of silver coins available in the colonies added to the growing importance of silversmiths. Early American silversmiths were influenced by both Dutch and English designs, but eventually there evolved an “American” style – simple and sturdy in design, substantial in weight, and well crafted.

BE A WITNESS TO HISTORY!
The Suffolk County Historical Society invites you to be a witness to our living history. Please consider sharing your COVID-19 experiences for our historic archives. Email your stories to: librarian@schs-museum.org. Be sure to put "COVID-19" in your subject line and to include your location and contact information.

ONGOING

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE!
Please join the Suffolk County Historical Society and support local history preservation. Founded in 1886, SCHS is a non-profit organization that collects and preserves the rich history of Suffolk County. We operate a history museum, an expansive library and archives, and a multitude of events, programs, and educational lectures and workshops. Our unique and ever-growing collection of artifacts reflects more than three centuries of local history. Visit our website or call 631-727-2881 for more information.

SCHS PHOTO OF THE WEEK SERIES!
To subscribe to our popular Photo of the Week Series, send an email to librarian Wendy Polhemus-Annibell: wannibell@schs-museum.org.

OFF-SITE EXHIBITIONS

SUFFOLK COUNTY PINE BARRENS PICTORIAL EXHIBIT
On display at the Suffolk County Water Authority Education Center in Hauppauge. A standing display on loan from the Suffolk County Historical Society provides an overview of the history of the Pine Barrens and the critical role this region plays in the protection of Suffolk County's precious groundwater. The SCWA Education Center is located at 260 Motor Pkwy, Hauppauge, NY.