#99 - Explore the Levittown Historical Museum

Tucked away in the Levittown Memorial Education Center at 150 Abbey Lane is a time machine back to Levittown's very beginning, filled with friendly volunteer tour guides waiting to educate eager ears of all ages.

Run by the Levittown Historical Society, the Levittown Historical Museum digs back to times long before the post-World War II Levitt & Sons era.

Did you ever wonder how Island Trees got its name? Do you know what country your town's original settlers came from? Did you know you lived on land that was part of the first permanent settlement in what is now Nassau County?

You will see black and white photographs of vast, empty fields, and your jaw may just drop when your guide points out in those pictures the exact spots where your favorite shopping centers and main roads sit today.

You might think you know all there is to know about Levittown's early days as a suburb-- you probably live in a remodeled cape or ranch home afterall.

But if you didn't live through that time, have you ever walked in a 1950s model kitchen or played with Lincoln Logs? And if you did, when was the last time you were able to reminisce in a room that replicates your childhood down to the tiniest detail? We're talking original light fixtures and classic posters that probably hung on your bedroom walls.

You will see photographs of honorable Levittown residents who fought in World War II, and their stories will come to life through the voices of knowledgable local guides whose passion for history, and for Levittown, is obvious in all that they do.

Are you a long-ago graduate of a Levittown school? Preserved yearbooks and athletic uniforms will take you back to the old days. Bring your children or grandchildren and watch them look at you in awe as they realize that's their school logo on that funny looking, old-fashioned baseball cap.

The Levittown Historical Museum preserves your town's unique history better than any textbook can, and it is waiting for a visit right in your own backyard. This activity is great for the whole family, because even kids will appreciate watching the past they have only read about in school become real right before their eyes.

Just ask Elizabeth Regina Manton-- daughter of Levittown Historical Society Vice President Paul Manton. You'll probably find her sitting at an old school desk drawing with a quill pen, or taking a 1950s babydoll on a ride in a rusted red wagon.

Category: Indoors, Museum, Educational, Family Fun

Price: Free

Hours: Wednesdays, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.