Looking to spend a day enjoying beautiful art and exploring acres of amazing landscape? Well, the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, Long Island fits the bill perfectly. Just 20 miles east of New York City, one can experience one of the largest and most important suburban art museums in the country.
Located on the 145 acre William Cullen Bryant preserve, the museum property offers visitors a total immersion into the art and history of Long Island’s fabled Gold Coast. Explore art displayed in its 3-story Georgian mansion. Then wander around its extensive outside sculpture collection.
The property and grounds of this museum have a long history starting in the mid 19th century.
So let’s step back in time and learn more about this amazing place.
HISTORY
Most of the museum’s property belonged to William Cullen Bryant, best known as the long time editor of the New York Post. Bryant was also a patron of the arts, lawyer, conservationist and political activist. Settling in Roslyn in 1843, his home, Cedarmere, lies adjacent (but is a short drive away) to the museum property. His home became the cultural center for many of the great minds of the 19th century. In 1862, Bryant added a cottage on the property for his friend Jerusha Dewey.
In 1900, Lloyd Stephens Bryce purchased Bryant’s “Upland Farm.” On this property, he built the three story Georgian mansion that currently houses the Nassau County Museum of Art. During this time, many dignitaries, including Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, stayed at the Dewey cottage.
Then, in 1919, Henry Clay Frick, cofounder of the US Steel Corporation purchased the home as a gift for his son, Henry Childs Frick and his wife.
Childs Frick was a devoted naturalist and vertebrate paleontologist. He is well known for his vast contribution of over 250,000 mammal fossils to the Museum of Natural History in NYC. The famous Hall of Mammals in this museum was planned and financed by none other than Childs Frick.
In 1969, following the deaths of both Mr. & Mrs. Frick, the property was sold to Nassau County. It was renamed the William Cullen Bryant Nature Preserve and ultimately converted to the art museum we see today.
In 1989, the NCMA become a private not for profit institution.
To this day, all its income is derived directly through admissions, memberships, special events as well as federal and state grants.
TIP: It’s free for visitors to explore the museum grounds! There is only admission to enter the formal museum building. For more details about this museum, its hours and more, click here: https://nassaumuseum.org/
So now that you’ve get some of its history under your belt, let’s start exploring the property. First stop is the…
ARNOLD AND JOAN SALTZMAN FINE ART BUILDING
This three story mansion is the centerpiece of the property, exemplifying the Gold Coast architecture of the late 19th century. It is here that visitors can experience rotating exhibitions, many of which are original to the museum.
Its permanent collection consists of more than 500 American and European art pieces spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Here, you can immerse yourself in the collections of an array of artists including Rodin, Braque, Vuillard, Bonnard, Lichtenstein, Rivers, Rauschenberg, Chaim Gross, Moses Soyer, Frank Stella, and Alex Katz among many others.
On your drive into the property, you will pass the Manes Art and Education Center which is a short walk from the main building. NCMA is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents as a museum and educational institution. Extensive programming for children, adults and family groups are conducted here.
Once you’ve taken in all the art “inside,” it is now time to experience it “outside.” Let’s explore the..
OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GARDEN
But before you start, make sure to pick up a sculpture garden map in the museum’s main building. It provides helpful information about each and every sculpture.
Started over 100 years ago, this museum’s outdoor sculpture garden is woven throughout the property. Its collections includes 38 pieces by 24 different sculptors. Below is just a small sampling of what you’ll see.
The beautiful thing about wandering through this extensive sculpture garden is how its art interacts with nature.
After enjoying the magnificent sculpture garden, make sure you explore its…
GARDENS & NATURE TRAILS
Wandering around the extensive property, visitors can immerse themselves in the manicured formal gardens originally designed by architect, Marian Cruger Coffin. Most recently, these gardens have been restored to their original design.
About eight nature trails, no more than 1.5 miles each, can also be explored. And for the bird lover, be on the lookout for the great horned owl and red tailed hawks.
Whatever you choose to do here, just take it all in and enjoy!
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Interested in more places to visit on Long Island and in New York? Visit “My Postcards from New York” series by clicking here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=3093