Long Island 250

Join us in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with special events, programs, and exhibitions at Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, NY. Our collections, historic home, and programs tell the story of how Long Islanders played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. This page will be continually updated as we add events and announcements regarding the 250th.

The Suffolk County 250th “Passport Book” is now available online through Barnes and Noble Online (not the retail locations), Amazon, Lulu.com, and as a free download. This book was published through the collective efforts of the Suffolk County 250th Commemorative Planning Committee.

Visit www.suffolk250.org for more information.

Exhibitions

Road to Revolution
October 22, 2025 – March 1, 2026

Businessman, father, public servant, revolutionary, and enslaver, Samuel Townsend was a complex individual whose life experiences made him adaptable to the tumultuous time in which he lived. From his beginnings as a successful entrepreneur and merchant to having his home occupied by the enemy during the American Revolution, this is the story of Samuel Townsend’s Road to Revolution.

American Revolution Experience 
March 27 – April 4, 2026

The Oyster Bay Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust are excited to feature the American Revolution Experience at Raynham. The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.

We the People 
April 23 – August 30, 2026

It’s Raynham Hall Museum’s second Call for Artists Exhibition! We invite artists from Long Island and New York City to submit entries for our upcoming exhibition, We the People. A jury panel will select the artworks included in the show, and the opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026. 

“We the People.” The three opening words of the Constitution place the power of the United States not in a monarch, nor even in individual states, but in its citizens. The original promise of those words was eloquent and evocative — yet from the start, that promise was only partly true. Women and people of color would have been disenfranchised from the political process, and those included among “the people” has expanded only through struggle and hard-won legal change. The story of the United States is one of continual redefinition, as people of many backgrounds have claimed their place and pushed the nation toward its ideals of a more just and equitable society. Shifts in our population continue to fuel ongoing debate over who may be recognized as a citizen. We invite artists to respond to these tensions and possibilities, and to explore through their work what “We the People” means today.

For more information on entering your artwork, please read the following document: We the People Call for Artists. Entries are due by Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Please fill out the following form: We the People Entry Form.

Events & Programs

The American Revolution Experience: An Introduction & Tour
Saturday, March 28, 1:00 pm

Join us for a short introductory presentation, followed by a guided tour of the American Revolution Experience exhibition in our historic home.

Presented by the American Battlefield Trust in collaboration with the Daughters of the American Revolution, this innovative pop-up exhibition is part of the nationwide commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial. It explores how the American Revolution shaped the everyday lives of ordinary people. The exhibition includes illustrated panels, interactive digital kiosks, and artifacts paired with firsthand accounts, focusing on the people and places that witnessed a revolution. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for members, and museum admission is included.

Under Cover: 250 Years of Spying in America: Misinformation in the Age of AI
Monday, April 27, 6:00 pm

Join us for our next Under Cover: 250 Years of Spying in America on Monday, April 27, at 6:00 p.m!
At a place like Raynham Hall — home of a wartime intelligence agent for George Washington — it feels fitting to ask: What happens when the tools for spreading false information become more powerful than ever? Misinformation is nothing new, but social media and artificial intelligence have introduced an entirely new frontier, making it easier than ever to create and share text, images, and video that are increasingly indistinguishable from the real thing. This talk traces how we got here, explores what’s at stake in our current moment, and offers a window into the promising work researchers, journalists, and technologists are doing to help us navigate a world where seeing — and reading — may no longer be believing.

Scott Lowenstein is the Director of Product for AI at The New York Times, where he focuses on bringing responsible uses of AI into the reader experience. As part of the Times’ R&D group, he led the News Provenance Project and worked with publishers and tech companies to create a cryptographic standard for verifying digital media authenticity. Before that, he worked on misinformation detection and prevention at Twitter and as a pollster for political campaigns. He holds an MBA from Stanford and a degree in applied mathematics and economics from Brown University. Tickets are $25 for nonmembers, $20 for members, and $10 for students.