Long Island Traditions sponsors “Boating with the Baymen” a boat tour with local baymen and other maritime tradition bearers. This event is a unique educational opportunity to learn about the traditions of local baymen, commercial fishermen, decoy carvers, boat builders, clamshell artists, and other tradition bearers whose families have lived on the water for several […]
For information on our upcoming Bay House Tours, visit our Events page. Since 1992, Long Island Traditions has sponsored a bay house tour in Freeport. Bay houses are small shacks that stand on the marshlands that were originally built in the 1700 and 1800s by fishermen, baymen, and duck hunters for shelter while they harvested […]
On The Bay is a book on the bay houses within the Town of Hempstead. Written by Nancy Solomon, executive director of Long Island Traditions, the book documents the architecture of these unique structures originally built by baymen, fishermen and duck hunters in the early 19th century for shelter while clamming, fishing, harvesting salt hay or […]
Filmmaker Glenn Gebhard and Long Island Traditions produced “Baymen,” a documentary on the south shore baymen of Long Island in 1994. Featured in the film are Flo Sharkey, John Buczak, Tom Kuehas and other crabber, clammers, and killey trappers. This 1-hour video explores the history and contemporary hardships faced by baymen, and their future on Long […]
Long Island Traditions, in collaboration with City Lore and the Village of Freeport, installed Freeport Waters,, a permanent trail of artful signage that highlights the personal stories, histories, and traditions of Woodcleft Canal, also known as the Nautical Mile. Woodcleft Canal is a major historic working waterfront corridor that is the site of various historic buildings including the Freeport […]
Along the Jones Beach bicycle path next to the Wantagh Parkway is the permanent exhibition “Sandy Shores,” curated by Long Island Traditions. The 3-section exhibition explores the history and construction of the Wantagh Parkway, one of the first parkways created by Robert Moses, the history of Jones Beach, Moses’ first state park on Long Island, […]
Long Island’s South Shore is one of the oldest historic regions in the United States, from the pre-contact period when Native Americans harvested shellfish and finfish for survival, to the arrival of European settlers beginning in the 1500s. Over the past 300 years it has grown from a rural economy to a densely populated suburb, […]
“From Shore to Shore: Boat Builders and Boatyards of Long Island,” curated by LI Traditions, is currently available for cultural institutions and libraries. The exhibit is available for rental to area museums, libraries, and cultural institutions. Inquiries about the exhibit should be sent to info@longislandtraditions.org or by calling (516) 767-8803. The full exhibit consists of 36 framed panels […]
The Waterfront Heroes exhibit is now available to local libraries, museums and cultural institutions. The exhibit was curated by LI Traditions, City Lore and folklorists Naomi Sturm and Dan Ward. Ten heroes are profiled, including the South Shore Bay House Owners Association, the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association, the South Shore Waterfowlers, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association, painter Naima […]