All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Class 

A basic level yoga class with our yoga instructor that will take place outdoors on our ocean-facing deck. 

Join the NYS Parks Wellness Challenge to win an exclusive sticker! 

Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors, weather allowing—otherwise will be indoors. 

RSVP: RSVP Required.  

Program begins 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend. 

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Gardening

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Gardening

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

If you want to master the outdoors, join our workshop! Our educators will share the tricks, tools, and tips learned from our time in the wilderness.

Theme: Tracking

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with outdoor walk if weather allows.

Distance: If weather allows, up to 1 miles of walking on sand and/or pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Citizen Science

Help us catalog the species that can be found at Jones Beach State Park during the summer! Please have the free “iNaturalist” app pre-downloaded and bring your own smartphone to participate in this program.

We will be walking outdoors on our trails to find different species. Please dress for the weather.

Learn more about iNaturalist here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 1 mile of walking across sand and/or pavement

RSVP: RSVP Required

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

CANCELLED: Inclement Weather

Adults (Ages +12) | Bike Ride

Join us for a leisurely bike ride with rest stops for birding. Learn about the different habitats on Jones Beach and keep your eyes open for shorebirds, ospreys, warblers, tree swallows, and more. No experience required. Binoculars are provided--but bikes and helmets are not.

We will be meeting at the Center, going over a few basics of birding and facts and then participants will follow our educator via bike across the West End.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. Will be cancelled via email in the case of inclement weather.

Distance: Up to 4 miles of biking.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 0-8) | Read-aloud

Drop in to our hour of storytelling. Our educators will make our picture books come alive for your children. Our library of entertaining picture books will keep your kids interested all morning long.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Each picture book takes about 10 minutes to be read aloud.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Craft

Learn a new skill with us and create a craft to decorate your home, gift to a friend, or just to help you unwind and relax.

Theme: Shell Books- Make a mini-book using paper and foraged shells!

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Volunteer

Happy Earth Day! Help beautify our beachfronts by helping us on this cleanup.

1:30pm-1:40pm : Volunteer Check-in and Paperwork

1:40pm-1:45pm: Safety Talk and Introductions

1:45pm- 4:00pm: Beach Cleanup. Distance walked and time of cleanup dependent on amount of trash present.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors.

Distance: Up to 3 miles walking across sand.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

For this day at the beach, we will provide:

• PPE (gloves)

• Garbage bags

• Other equipment needed for the cleanup and survey

However, we ask that you please bring:

• Reusable water bottle

• Sun protection

• Weather appropriate clothing

• Closed toed shoes

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Citizen Science

Help us catalog the species that can be found at Jones Beach State Park during the winter! Please have the free “iNaturalist” app pre-downloaded and bring your own smartphone to participate in this program.

We will be walking outdoors on our trails to find different species. Please dress for the weather.

Learn more about iNaturalist here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 1 mile of walking across sand and/or pavement

RSVP: RSVP Required

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages | Talk + Activity

Join us with our guest, AOSNY, for an evening of night skies! The program will start indoors for a brief talk on the winter sky before heading outside as the sky darkens. On our back deck, we will use multiple telescopes to focus on the various celestial bodies.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors and Outdoors

Weather: In the case of inclement weather, we will notify folks of cancellation via-email, and we will update this webpage morning-of.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Speakers:

Amateur Observers’ Society of New York

Established in 1965, the Amateur Observers’ Society of New York (“AOSNY”) was created as a means for astronomy enthusiasts of all ages to meet together. Amateur Astronomy is about helping others, learning, doing, and having fun!

Their mission is to bring Long Island astronomy to the public and provide astronomy resources to members. This expresses their commitment not only to serve their members, but also to educate and inspire the public.

Website: jonesbeachenc.org

Instagram: @JonesBeachENC

Facebook: Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center @JonesBeachENC

Children (Ages 3-6) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Recycling

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Recycling

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

If you want to master the outdoors, join our workshop! Our educators will share the tricks, tools, and tips learned from our time in the wilderness.

Theme: Birding

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with outdoor walk if weather allows.

Distance: If weather allows, up to 1 miles of walking on sand and/or pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 0-8) | Read-aloud

Drop in to our hour of storytelling. Our educators will make our picture books come alive for your children. Our library of entertaining picture books will keep your kids interested all morning long.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Each picture book takes about 10 minutes to be read aloud.

Children (Ages 0-8) | Read-aloud

Drop in to our hour of storytelling. Our educators will make our picture books come alive for your children. Our library of entertaining picture books will keep your kids interested all morning long.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Each picture book takes about 10 minutes to be read aloud.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Event

To celebrate Autism Awareness Month, we are offering a free day of drop-in activities geared towards adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This day of fun activities includes:

All Day: Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt

• Come to our front desk to get a sensory scavenger hunt! Return with a completed sheet to earn a prize.

10:00am-3:00pm: Collage and Coloring

• Our craft room full of coloring pages, and a collage station, will have you feeling creative and inspired.

10:00am-12:00pm- Touch Tank

• Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

1:00pm-2:00pm - Meet the Turtles

• Learn more about native species of turtles, and meet some of our animal ambassadors.

2:00pm-2:30pm - Meet the Gecko

• Our educator will introduce you to our leopard gecko, Theo!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Activities are both indoors and outdoors.

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Hike

State parks are a great place to explore from behind the lens of a camera! Photographers of all experience levels are invited to hike through the West End. Participants must provide their own camera equipment. Participants are welcome to use their phone cameras.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 2 miles of walking on sand and pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.