Brookhaven Notebook: Town Launches New Tourism Website

Last week the Town of Brookhaven launched its new tourism website, VisitBrookhaven.com.

“The Town of Brookhaven has so much to offer to vacationers and day-trippers who are looking for everything from beaches to boating, museums, shopping in our vibrant downtowns, and more,” Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko said. “VisitBrookhaven.com also highlights eco-tourism in the Town, which includes many places to hike, bike, and camp, and historic Brookhaven, which provides information on how to explore Brookhaven’s rich history.”

Lesko also said the site will help to grow the town’s tourism business and help the local economy by attracting people who may not have considered Brookhaven as a vacation destination in the past.

“Once people sample everything to do in Brookhaven, I believe that they will come back again and again,” he said.

The website includes a number of categories of attractions and destinations with click-through navigation to pages of listings, descriptions, photos, and maps. The site also includes information on EcoTourism, Historic Brookhaven, and AgriTourism.

The EcoTourism page provides a list of campgrounds, hiking and bike trails and nature preserves, while Historic Brookhaven provides information about the town’s history dating back to the early 1600’s.

According to the town, other features include:

• Fun Centers and Rides: Provides information on various indoor and outdoor amusement and action parks.
• Performing Arts and Live Entertainment: Highlights some of the most popular venues in Brookhaven including the Staller Center, the Gateway Playhouse, the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts, Theatre Three, and the Town’s own Brookhaven Amphitheater at Bald Hill. It also includes links to the many art galleries and museums that offer a wide range of works by renowned local and international artists.
• Art Galleries, Museums and Exhibits: From the Long Island Museum of Art, to the Stony Brook Grist Mill and the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, this provides a comprehensive listing of museums and exhibits.
• History and Heritage: Information about various historic sites and tours.
• Shopping and Dining: Highlights Brookhaven’s biggest shopping destinations and the booming downtowns that offer a variety of shopping and dining.
• Beaches, Parks and Preserves: From sound to sea, this section lists the many beautiful beaches and parks.
• Nature Trails: This shows where to find thousands of acres of natural beauty in the Town.
• Campgrounds: There are a number of campgrounds in the Town, including Cathedral Pines County Park, Smith Point County Park, Southaven County Park, and Watch Hill at Fire Island National Seashore.
• Boating and Fishing: Brookhaven boasts a number of marinas and boat launches.
• Trail Biking: Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (C.L.I.M.B.) assisted the Town with a comprehensive listing of mountain bike trails and maps.
• Horseback Riding: Provides information on various Town locations that offer private or group horseback riding lessons.
• Sports and Recreation: Brookhaven has many outdoor sporting opportunities for both spectators and participants, from golf, to miniature golf, to batting cages, baseball fields, inline skating, and skateboarding.
• Wildlife and Ecology: Visitors can experience wildlife in Brookhaven at the Holtstville Ecology Center, the Long Island Game Farm, the Suffolk County Farm, and the Animal Farm Petting Zoo.