1880 Halloween Celebration

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced that Old Bethpage Village Restoration will celebrate a traditional Halloween, as it would have been enjoyed by Long Island families in the late 19th century.

"During the 19th century, Halloween celebrations involved ghost stories and mischief like removing gates and tipping over sheds and outhouses," says OBVR Site Director Jim McKenna. "Borrowing from the Irish and English traditions, Americans also began to dress in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money."

The Halloween program incorporates a broad range of family-friendly activities, including the reading of Irish and American ghost stories and tales from the local "grave digger"; carving jack-o'-lanterns; participating in a 19th-century "monster hunt" in the Village; and touring the "haunted habitats" of the Village during the "ghost walk." In addition, visitors will be able to enjoy a magic lantern show that makes use of a 19th-century lantern and beautiful and humorous hand-painted antique lantern slides.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres. Hours are Wed. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sat. - Sun., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Entrance fees are $7 for children 5 - 12 (those under 5 are free), seniors and volunteer firefighters; and $10 for adults. It is located at 1303 Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage; for more information, call 516-572-8400.

For more information about the Parks Department, visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks or call 516-572-0200.