After being closed to the public for renovations since August 2010 and then having due Nassau County’s budget woes, a date has been set for the official reopening of in Seaford.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced Friday that the wildlife center on 225 Washington Avenue along the Seaford-Massapequa border will reopen to the public on April 21 at noon. The 3,000 square-foot museum, which includes displays about the ecology of Long Island as well as animal exhibits and shows, will be open from Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The newly renovated museum also includes an innovative Hands-On Discovery Center with reptiles, birds of prey, owls and squirrels, along with crafts and guided nature tours.
“I am pleased to announce that the historic Tackapausha Museum and Preserve is once again open to the public,” Mangano said in a statement. “Restoring the Tackapausha Museum and Preserve was important to our community as it showcases the ecology and animals that are native to Long Island in a fun and exciting atmosphere.”
Mangano said that in addition to serving the public and local school groups, Tackapausha Museum & Preserve will now also be available for scout programs and birthday parties. The $300,000 renovation project to the 65-year old museum included upgrades to the electrical system, plumbing and asbestos removal as well the installation of new exhibit cases. The preserve located behind the museum also underwent improvements last year including new pathways, lighting, benches, and plantings.
Lorraine Bondi-Goldsmith, founder and president of the newly formed Friends of Tackapausha Committee, could not immediately be reached for comment on the museum’s April 21 reopening.
Friends of Tackapausha, which recently applied to form as a 501(c charity, has been pressing to get a full-time person in charge of the educational center after the museum’s director Wendy Albin was one of more than 200 county workers laid off in late December. The group in front of the museum on 2225 Washington Ave. on Feb. 17 where Eileen Krieb, a community service representative for Nassau County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, said a newly hired director of county museums will likely oversee Tackapausha.
Once reopened, admission to the Tackapausha Museum will be $3 for adults and $2 for children older than five and senior citizens. For further information , call 516-571-7443.
