Free Event Admission (NO RSVP REQUIRED)

Families (All Ages) | Walk

This free event will take place at Field 10 of Jones Beach. Drop in anytime between 10am - 2pm to talk with an educator and go looking for seals swimming along in the bay. This hike is 1.5 miles out-and-back. Our educators will have a scope to help patrons spot any seals. Bring your family and friends!

Wear boots, bring binoculars, and dress in layers, with scarves, hats, and gloves.

We're excited to see you!

In the event of inclement weather, please refer back to this page to know of any cancellations or delays.

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Celebrate the new year in the outdoors with a First Day Hike at one of the many events across the state and nation.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invite New Yorkers to kick off 2025 by participating in one of the many hikes being held at state parks, historic sites, wildlife areas, trails, and public lands across the Empire State.

This event is OUTDOORS. Dress appropriately.

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 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 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

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+) | Walk

Come down to Jones Beach each week to visit diverse habitats to look for waterfowl, shorebirds, and elusive owls. We will learn about birds’ winter adaptations that keep them warm during the coldest parts of the year and look for special visitors that that only frequent Jones Beach when temperatures drop. Bring your hat, gloves, and a warm drink! Binoculars provided.

Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: a mile or so on sand and pavement

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 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.

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.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

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.

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 & Families (Ages 6+) | Walk + Activity

While the beach may be known to be the hot spot in the summers, winters at Jones Beach are just as wonderful! Join an educator to learn about identifying the animal tracks from our winter critters and explore how to harvest seeds from the dormant plants. This is a leisurely walk throughout the paved sidewalks of the Pollinator Garden, and a short walk on the sand to see any wild animal tracks.

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

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: less than a mile

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: Owls

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.

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

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

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.

Families (All Ages) | Activity

Join us for a fun seasonal craft! Create your very own custom wreath using our provided foraged materials.

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+) | 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: Wreath Making

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+) | 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

Free Programming

All Ages | Activities, Crafts, and More

It’s winter time, and you know what that means…our favorite marine mammals are back in town! Celebrate all of the seal species that visit Long Island, and learn more about all different kinds of marine mammals in the world, like whales, dolphins, porpoises, otters, and more.

Crafts:

11:00am-11:45am, & 12:00pm-12:45pm Build your own seal! (All Ages, Recommmended 3+)

• Glue, paint, and googly eyes—craft a adorable carboard seal to decorate your home.

11:00am-3:00pm Otter Paper-Bag Puppets (All Ages)

Glue, paint, and googly eyes—craft a adorable carboard seal to decorate your home.

Activities:

11:00am-1:00pm Whale Sound Studio (Recommended Ages 7+)

• Do you think you know how to talk like a whale? Try our spectrogram and match your voice to a marine mammal.

1:00pm-3:00pm Touch Tank

• Join an educator to meet the hermit crabs, spider crabs, and snails in our touch tank.

2:00pm-3:00pm Marine Mammal Mysteries with Educator Doug

• What are your number one animal questions? Educator Doug knows it all! Learn about our local whales, seals, and more in a chat with Doug. Explore our marine mammal bone collection.

Games:

11:00am-3:00pm Solve the Riddle!

• Grab a riddle sheet from our front desk and look through our exhibits and special tables for answers—if you solve our riddle, you can earn a prize.

11:00am-3:00pm Bean Bag Otters & Pin the Fin on the Dolphin

• Pass by our craft room to try your hand at our otter corn-hole game or see if you can get a fin onto a dolphin!

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors.

Weather: In the case of inclement weather, all activities will be indoors.

RSVP: RSVP recommended to reserve your space for crafts.

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: Birdseed Balls

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.

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: Polar Bears

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.

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.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

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.

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 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.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+)

Think of all the things of your life that makes you feel gratitude. Now, let's write them down and put them away for safekeeping! This wellness craft is the perfect way to celebrate the season.

Practicing gratitude can enhance mental, emotional, and physical well-being

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors and Outdoors.

RSVP: RSVP required