Join us for a study day with exclusive access to historic sites, exhibitions, and gardens
RAYNHAM HALL ⋅ PLANTING FIELDS ⋅ PRESERVATION LONG ISLAND
Saturday, October 3, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost to be determined
including admission fees, transportation between sites, lunch, and a drinks reception
Tickets On Sale September 1
Delve into the art, architecture, and history of Long Island’s North Shore and its iconic Gold Coast with visits to three spectacular museums: the Revolutionary-era historic house museum Raynham Hall; the 19th-century estate Planting Fields, celebrated for its Olmstead-designed gardens; and Preservation Long Island’s exhibition Water and Wood: Furniture on Long Island, 1660-1860.
Guests will enjoy expert tours led by alumni at all three museums, transit between sites, a catered lunch, and farewell drinks. We hope you will join us!
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Our program begins at 10:00 a.m. at Raynham Hall with welcome remarks by Executive Director Harriet Gerald Clark. At 10:15, we will split into groups to explore the collections, architecture, and landscape of this 18th-century farm, the home of Robert Townsend who was a member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. Dr. Justine Lake-Jedzinark, Director of Education and Public Programs, and Katie Cynkar, the Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Curatorial Fellow, will guide guests through the first and second floor historic interiors, as well as the temporary exhibition, Revolutionary Oyster Bay. Drawn from the museum’s rich collections, the show is accompanied by the institution’s first scholarly publication, written by Cynkar. Outside, others will consider the estate’s architectural history and the colonial and Victorian-era landscape with horticulturalist and professor emeritus Dr. Richard Iversen ’89, museum Trustee, and Jessica Pearl, Director of Collections and Exhibitions.
We depart before noon by private coach for a brief journey westward to Planting Fields for our delicious catered lunch and a warm welcome from Attingham alumnae Executive Director Dr. Gina Wouters ’15 and Director of Collections and Research Marie Penny ’25. Wouters and Penny will lead our behind-the-ropes tour of the main house, Coe Hall, before we venture outdoors to contemplate old and new landscape favorites, including the Blue Pool and the brand new Piet Oudolf garden. Our visit concludes with tour of the newly designed archives in the Haybarn building, featuring over 500 linear feet of material. Guests will also enjoy time at their leisure to explore the beautiful gardens and gift shop before we depart at 3:00 p.m.
Our final stop is on the eastern side of Oyster Bay, in the town of Cold Spring Harbor, Suffolk County, at the headquarters of Preservation Long Island. After a warm welcome and introduction from Executive Director Jackie Powers, Chief Curator and Director of Collections Lauren Brincat ’19, SC ’25 will share stories, insights, and takeaways from her exhibition, Water and Wood: Furniture on Long Island, 1660-1860, followed by a sparkling toast and light reception. Our study day finishes at 5:00 p.m. when guests are dropped off at the nearby Cold Spring Harbor Long Island Railroad (LIRR) station for westbound trains back to Manhattan.
REGISTER
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CAPACITY Our group is limited to 25 people and we expect this program to sell out. If you would like to be added to a wait-list, please email .
REGISTRATION Registration via Eventbrite is preferred and prioritized above registration by phone or email. Registration opens September 1. If you are unable to complete your payment via Eventbrite, please purchase your ticket using the AFA website (click HERE). We fully expect this program to sell out, but will gladly add your name to a waitlist should a place become available.
ATTIRE & ACCESSIBILITY Please wear comfortable shoes, as the tour requires physical stamina and the ability to stand and walk for a prolonged period. Please note that some of the properties are not wheel-chair accessible. Photography is encouraged!
If you have an accessibility considerations or concerns, please let us know when you register. Ultimately, AFA relies on your assessment of your own ability to participate as fully as possible.
WEATHER POLICY The tour will proceed rain or shine. If AFA must cancel the tour, AFA will notify all participants via an Eventbrite email no later than 8:00 a.m. the day of the tour.
TRANSPORTATION Transportation to our first stop at Raynham Hall (30 W Main St, Oyster Bay) will be on your own. An executive, mini-coach will transport guests between our three destinations in the Oyster Bay area until the final drop-off at the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) Cold Spring Harbor Station, located at the intersection of Harbor and Woodbury Roads, serviced by LIRR Port Jefferson Branch.
BY TRAIN VIA LONG ISLAND RAILROAD (LIRR) Enjoy scenic views aboard the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), with affordable service provided by the Oyster Bay Branch, which departs from New York Penn Station and arrives about 1-hour and 30-minutes later at its final stop, Oyster Bay Station. Check the LIRR departure schedule to buy tickets in advance (click link HERE). From the Oyster Bay LIRR Train Station, a short 5-minutes walk (or 03.-mile) south brings guests to Main Street and to Raynham Hall, located on Main Street between Spring Street and South Street.
- AFA recommends taking LIRR Oyster Bay Branch Line, departing Penn Station at 8:17 a.m., to arrive at Oyster Bay at 9:43 a.m.
- AFA recommends taking LIRR Port Jefferson Branch Line, departing Cold Spring Harbor Station at 5:42 p.m., to arrive at Penn Station at 6:44 p.m.
BY CAR Guests travelling to the North Shore by car will find parking at all three sites. Please consult the Planting Fields Driving Directions webpage (click HERE) for specific instructions to the region. If traveling via the Long Island Expressway (Interstate-495), take Exit 41 North. If traveling via the Northern State Parkway, use Exit 35 North. From both the Expressway and Parkway, proceed north on Route 106 towards Oyster Bay. Traffic on the Expressway and Parkway is frequently congested on weekends, so please plan accordingly and allow ample time from points westbound.
- If you plan to use your own vehicle, please let AFA know so that we may update our coach reservation.
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Want to bring your family? There is plenty for families to see and do in the towns of Oyster Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, and nearby Huntington while you spend the day with Attingham! In Oyster Bay, the staff at Raynham Hall recommend the Southdown Coffee (49 Audrey Avenue) and Theodore’s Books (17 Audrey Avenue), with both children and adult reading areas. Best of all, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park (63 Larrabee Avenue) is only a ten-minute walk from the Raynham Hall. This popular destination features a beach, two playgrounds, public restrooms, picnic areas, boat-launch, gazebo, kayaking, and a seasonal snack bar. Discover Long Island has some great recommendations for families to eat and play in Huntington, for example.
