Nassau County Museum of Art — Attraction in Town of North Hempstead

This was my second visit to the museum. The first time I visited was for the "Modigliani and the Modern Portrait" exhibit. This time, I was excited to see the "Our Gilded Age" exhibit.

Both times I visited the museum, I was able to purchase tickets on site at the front desk. I highly recommend coming to the museum during tour hours. Exhibition tours are every Tuesday to Sunday at 2:00 pm. The "Our Gilded Age" exhibit tour was pretty popular, and our docent tour guide did an amazing job moving through the exhibits and re-telling the story of the Gilded Age. The pace was great, and the guide made the tour very engaging. There are multiple docents on site during tour hours, which is nice because you could come back to the same exhibit multiple times learning new things from different tour guides.

The space itself is beautiful. Although you must pay for tickets into the museum, the grounds are open to the public. It's a great place to go for a walk, especially with all the outdoor sculptures on view. I highly recommend going into the formal garden - the hedges, stone paths, and fountain in the middle make you feel transported back in time. There is also a lot of wildlife on the property, I once saw a deer! A great place to possibly do some bird watching as well.

Overall, this museum is worth visiting especially for an exhibit that interests you. I like how there are always new things on display, and even if you find yourself not resonating with the exhibits on view, you should definitely visit to walk the grounds.

Tip: You could also visit Cedarmere Preserve next door during sunset for a nice water view which was owned by the same person who once owned the museum's land...

Very gorgeous grounds and art to view. Front desk and gift shop staff all lovely and welcoming. Security officers need to be trained better as they are on their phones and Pick a few people to make follow the rules. We were unaware that you couldn’t hold a folded jacket and had to wear it or put it on the lobby coat rack. The security guard went out of his way to single us out to tell us this rule. Then after telling us he went on his phone and overlooked 3 people in the same room holding their coats. I pointed out that if he’s going to enforce a rule it should be enforced with all patrons and not just us. He did apologize and told the other people. The front desk never told us this rule and once we were leaving we heard them informing people. The security guard said nothing to children running around who were loud and noisy. This was not even an exhibit that children would enjoy! Lol bc why would you take 5-12 year old kids to see art Decco?? Security should be more concerned about the children who can knock over the display or are creating noise in a quiet art gallery than people holding folded jackets. Not to mention people has large pocket books and strollers. I’d be more concerned about the bags and strollers than coats. Do better with your security staff and if doing a job they should be watching the rooms not looking on their phones. The first floor security guard was picking and choosing who should follow the rules. The second floor security guard was walking around and sitting down and looking on her phone. Maybe phones for staff should be locked up and give them walkie talkies or an emergency phone to use...

The Nassau County Museum Of Art (NCMA) is an amazing art museum and one of the premier attractions of Long Island, New York.

In March of 2023, I brought and treated my wife, Kathy for a visit and self guided tour of the NCMA.

The NCMA’s main building is a Georgian style Mansion that is named in honor of philanthropist, Arnold A. Saltzman and his spouse, Joan.

The Mansion was designed by prominent architect, Ogden Codman, Jr. during the 1890’s. Codman was hired to design the Mansion by former Congressman, Lloyd Bryce. Bryce acquired the estate from the heirs of successful poet, William Cullen Bryant.

Henry Clay Frick, cofounder of US Steel acquired the estate in 1919 for his son, Childs Frick. Childs Frick named his home, “Clayton” and hired architect Sir Charles Carrick Allom to redesign the mansion’s interior and outward facade.

Childs Frick and his family would live on the estate until Frick’s death in 1965. The Mansion and the estate would subsequently get acquired by Nassau County, whom would then convert it to the Museum that it is today.

During our visit, my wife and I toured the main museum building and were deeply captivated by the museum’s extensive collections, exhibits and visually engaging artwork.

In addition to visiting the museum, my wife and I enjoyed sightseeing and taking pictures of the site’s magnificent formal gardens and the well crafted sculptures of Sculpture Park!!!

When visiting Long Island, both Kathy and I highly recommend for everyone to visit and explore this wonderful attraction. We very much enjoyed our time and experience at the Nassau County Museum Of Art and so...