Fishers Island: Museum, Nature Trails and Island History

Museum Exhibits and Programs

The Charles B. Ferguson Archaeology Gallery at the Henry L. Ferguson Museum presents current knowledge about the Indigenous peoples of Fishers Island. The Natural History Gallery takes a different approach: four marine dioramas depict seagrass meadows, rocky shores, sandy areas and salt marshes. Other exhibits in this gallery focus on oyster farming, sport fishing, commercial fishing and geology. The distinction is clear for a thematic comparison: the Archaeology Gallery focuses on Indigenous peoples, while the Natural History Gallery connects coastal environments with fishing and geology.

The Henry L. Ferguson Museum offers annual exhibitions, lectures, children's programs and nature trails. Individual offerings may change; if you would like to plan a particular program into your visit, check what is being offered at the time of your visit. For trip planning, it therefore makes sense to distinguish between permanent gallery themes and individual offerings that vary over time.

Nature Trails and Walks

The Henry L. Ferguson Museum's land trust nature trails are open to members of the Fishers Island community and visitors. They are for people who want to take nature walks and learn more about the island's diverse flora and fauna. The museum trails run continuously from the south side to the north side of Fishers Island and can be explored on foot.

The museum also offers nature walks focused on birds and wild plants on Fishers Island. They are led by Terry McNamara and guest naturalists. The guided walks focus on two specific topics, while the land trust trails offer a broader focus on the island's flora and fauna.

Two named trails provide additional points of reference. Brickyard Pond Trail is located on a 15.5-acre site that was once home to one of the largest brickyards in the entire northeastern United States. A walk along the trail offers a chance to experience the history of Fishers Island. Clay Pit Trail passes the clay pits and leads to a large oak bench, which offers an unobstructed view over the pits toward Block Island Sound in the distance. Comparing the two destinations, Brickyard Pond Trail foregrounds the history of the former brickyard, while the clay pits and the view are the defining features of Clay Pit Trail.

A Separate Recreational Path for Pedestrians and Cyclists

A separate route is the 4.2-mile recreational path built by the Fishers Island Recreational Path Foundation. It is open exclusively to pedestrians, strollers and bicycles; electric bicycles are not permitted. For planning purposes, you can distinguish this route from the museum trails by the types of transportation explicitly allowed. When choosing a route, you can therefore compare two aspects: the user groups explicitly permitted on the recreational path and the nature or history associated with the museum trails. Since access rules may change, check the current regulations before using the path.

Discover more destinations: Hampton Bays, Peconic, Medford, Cold Spring Harbor, Southold, Brentwood, Smithtown, Mattituck

For the broader travel overview: Suffolk.