Sylvester Manor offers tours this summer that allow visitors to learn about Shelter Island’s history and heritage, farming, and the nonprofit’s future.
Past, Present, and Future of Sylvester Manor
Join staff Planner Sara Gordon for a mile-long walkabout at Sylvester Manor. This tour begins at the 1737 Manor House and loops by the two onsite burial grounds. Hear recent historical discoveries and new insights on interpreting this unique multicultural landscape. Also, learn about the nonprofit’s programs and concepts for the future of the 240-acre campus.
The tour, recommended for ages 12+, embarks from the Manor House at 10 AM on:
- Saturday, June 4
- Saturday, July 9
- Saturday, September 10
The walk takes 45 minutes and will be on unpaved, dirt trails. Please wear appropriate footwear. Tickets are $25. Follow this link to order tickets for the Past, Present, and Future of Sylvester Manor tour.
Windmill Field
On this tour, you’ll see Sylvester Manor’s expanding farm operations through farm fields and pastures. You’ll learn how the nonprofit grows vegetables, produces compost, and raises livestock. You’ll also go inside the 1810 Dominy Windmill to view the gears, driveshaft, and other internal mechanisms and learn about its construction, how it came to Sylvester Manor and plans to turn it back into a working gristmill.
The tour, recommended for ages 10+, embarks from the Farmstand at 10:30 AM on:
- Saturday, June 11
- Saturday, July 16
- Saturday, August 20
The walk takes 45 minutes and will be on unpaved dirt trails, fields, and inside the windmill, which has steep, ladder-like stairs. Please wear appropriate, closed-toe footwear. Unfortunately, this program is not ADA accessible and is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Tickets are $25. Follow this link to order tickets for the Windmill Field tour.
History and Heritage – Extended
Walk through history with Curator Donnamarie Barnes to learn about Sylvester Manor’s early history and hear stories from the three cultures present at the time of the establishment of Shelter Island in 1651:
- the indigenous Manhansett Tribe, who made the Island their home for a millennium
- Europeans who purchased Shelter Island to provision their Caribbean sugar operations
- enslaved Africans who were brought as the Island’s labor force
And learn about the Free People of Color who continued to live and work at the Manor after Emancipation and are among those anonymously buried here.
The tour, recommended for ages 12+, begins at the North Peninsula Land Bridge:
- Thursday, June 30 at 2 PM
- Thursday, July 14 at 2 PM
- Saturday, July 23 at 11 AM
- Thursday, August 4 at 2 PM
It proceeds to the Manor House, down the forest trail to the Quaker Cemetery Monument, and across to the Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground and the Sylvester Manor Gardens.
The walk takes 90 minutes and traverses approximately 1.5 miles of unpaved dirt paths throughout the Manor grounds and woodlands. Please wear appropriate footwear for walking. Unfortunately, this tour is not ADA accessible.
Tickets are $40. Follow this link to order tickets for the History and Heritage Extended tour.
History and Heritage – Core
This 45-minute version of the extended tour — also with Curator Donnamarie Barnes — traverses about three-quarters of a mile of unpaved dirt paths throughout the Manor grounds. Please wear appropriate footwear for walking. Unfortunately, this tour is not ADA accessible.
- Saturday, August 20 at 11 AM
Tickets are $25. Follow this link to order tickets for the History and Heritage Core tour.
Additional information
Sylvester Manor will follow the latest CDC and Department of Health guidance for all the tours and recommends you apply insect and tick repellent. Please note that ticket prices do not include EventBrite’s service fee.
Sylvester Manor is planning a Creekside Concert for Sunday, July 31 at 5 PM to celebrate the three cultures that came together here so long ago. Called the Across America Roots Concert, the event features the 17-member Jazz Loft Big Band led by Tom Manuel, the Rites of Spring Wind Quintet, and Shinnecock Nation musicians.
Tickets are $65 per person; children under age 16 attend for free but must be accompanied by an adult. Follow this link to the Rites of Spring Music Festival, to purchase your tickets.
