The mission of Raynham Hall Museum is to enable visitors of the nearly 300-year-old Townsend family home in Oyster Bay to experience what it meant to be prominent merchants and heroic patriots, and to become engaged in the worlds of espionage, domestic life, and the decorative arts.

The Museum achieves its mission through the preservation and interpretation of the Townsend family home; educational programs and changing exhibits; the preservation and interpretation of an exceptional collection of archives and artifacts that provide an in-depth look at the lives and times of the Townsend family since 1738; historic preservation advocacy.

The building and grounds of Raynham Hall are owned by the Town of Oyster Bay, and the site is operated as a museum by the Friends of Raynham Hall, Inc. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1991, the only historic house museum on Long Island to bear that distinction. We are also a local, state, and national landmark, listed at the national level of significance.

We welcome thousands of students every year who come on class field trips to enhance their knowledge of Revolutionary War history, and our costumed educators also offer tours to walk-in visitors. Additionally, we offer group tours on other historic subjects that can be tailored to your needs, and we offer many adult and children’s workshops throughout the year. We partner with other community groups to encourage the revitalization of this vibrant community, and we advocate for historic preservation.

The Friends of Raynham Hall, Inc., is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization incorporated in 1953 which partners with the Town of Oyster Bay to maintain and operate Raynham Hall as a museum.