Shelter Island History Museum

Shelter Island History Museum The History Museum strives to preserve the Island's heritage for future generations. Only Service Animals are welcome at The Shelter Island History Center.

The Shelter Island Historical Society interprets Shelter Island’s past through historical material and through its people, from the first Native American inhabitants, settlers and town fathers, to those who have made it a caring and unique community through the years. The Society strives to preserve the Island’s heritage for future generations. The Shelter Island History Center's main floor and lower level are ADA accessible. Personal photography, without flash, is allowed in the galleries. No photographic equipment (tripods, selfie sticks) is permitted. When sharing your photos on social media, please tag the Society!
Outside food and drink are not permitted inside The History Center. This is a completely smoke-free location. Smoking and Vaping are not permitted anywhere on the grounds.

Tonight is the first-ever meeting of the Citizen Historian Club at the SIHM! Please join us at 5:30pm to learn about the...
10/14/2026

Tonight is the first-ever meeting of the Citizen Historian Club at the SIHM! Please join us at 5:30pm to learn about the archiving process from archival professionals, and help us preserve local Shelter Island history through cataloging, digitizing, hands-on research, and more! Over snacks and refreshments, we'll tackle a small project and discuss everyone's areas of interest for future projects.

It’s also Wednesday night at the Museum! We will be open til 7:30pm, so come on by!

In celebration of Indigenous People's/Columbus Day, we are showcasing an item from our archive that helps preserve the n...
10/12/2026

In celebration of Indigenous People's/Columbus Day, we are showcasing an item from our archive that helps preserve the names and stories of Native American Shelter Islanders. The island gets its name from our original inhabitants, who called it Manhansack-aqua-quash-awamock, Algonquin for “island sheltered by islands.” Shelter Island became known as the Manhanset territory and its people as the Manhansets. Names of these community members are recorded in archival material like this page of the Havens Store ledger which lists the names of some of the store’s Native American patrons.

For more on the Manhansets, check out this article on our website, https://www.shelterislandhistorical.org/our-nations-250th-anniversary.html, or contact the SIHM at 631-749-0025 to view our archives.

Did you know that October is National American Archives Month? Here at the SIHM, even as Shelter Island moves into the "...
10/10/2026

Did you know that October is National American Archives Month? Here at the SIHM, even as Shelter Island moves into the "off-season" our archives are staying as busy as ever. Led by our dedicated archivist, Justine Karen, our team of local volunteers helps us further our collection through accessioning, digitizing, and research. We are also always thrilled to welcome private researchers for one-on-one research appointments in the archives.

Call 631-749-0025 or email [email protected] for further information.

Winter is on the way, and CAST (the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation) wants to keep North Fork folks warm...
10/09/2026

Winter is on the way, and CAST (the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation) wants to keep North Fork folks warm. Throughout the month of October, they are collecting coats and boots for both children and adults. You can help by donating new or gently used items, which can be dropped off at the SIHM lobby during business hours. Thank you in advance!

Since 1965, CAST has been serving low-income individuals and families on the North Fork of Long Island, helping struggling community members meet their basic needs. SIHM is proud to support their work.

Happy National American Archives Month! "Ask an Archivist" Day is next week, and we invite you to join us for our first-...
10/07/2026

Happy National American Archives Month! "Ask an Archivist" Day is next week, and we invite you to join us for our first-ever meeting of the Citizen Historian Club on October 14 at 5:30pm.

Learn about the archiving process from archival professionals, and help us preserve local Shelter Island history through cataloging, digitizing, hands-on research, and more! At the meeting, we'll tackle a small project and discuss everyone's areas of interest for future projects over snacks and refreshments.

Hope to see you there!

Coming November 7!
10/06/2026

Coming November 7!

What are you doing this Saturday morning, October 3? Come lend a hand if you can!To let us know if you can help out, ple...
10/01/2026

What are you doing this Saturday morning, October 3? Come lend a hand if you can!

To let us know if you can help out, please call 631-739-0025 or email

[email protected]

Thank you!

There are just two more days to complete the Long Island History Hunt! Sponsored by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Found...
09/28/2026

There are just two more days to complete the Long Island History Hunt! Sponsored by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, the Hunt challenges history buffs to visit select Long Island sites, upload a selfie to the History Hunt app, and collect Revolutionary Trading cards. Visit all 26 locations to become a Revolutionary Trailblazer, and enter a drawing for the grand prize of $1776.

The SIHM is open from 10am to 2pm, Tuesday through Friday. Make sure to ask for your James Havens trading card when you stop by! The Hunt runs through September 30. For details, see the History Hunt website at https://app.otocast.com/guide/LIHistoryHunt

Address

16 South Ferry Road, PO Box 847
Shelter Island, NY
11964

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Thursday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm
Saturday 9am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+16317490025

Website

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