Sylvester Manor: Shakespeare / Summer Youth / Sculpture & Heritage Tours / Concert & Updates ….

Shakespeare at the Manor Returns This Summer

Robin Aren Productions presents Shakespeare’s most musical play, As You Like It. The cast is comprised of local and NYC actors and is directed by Bay Street’s Allen O’Reilly. Bring the family and a picnic and enjoy a magical evening of outdoor theater right here at Sylvester Manor.

As You Like It
July 27 & 28
6:00pm
Manor Grounds
$30 per person; children 10 and under are free

Summer Youth Program

We are in the second week of our Summer Youth Program and everyone is having tons of fun! We still have a few spots open in the upcoming weeks. Sign up now to have your child join us.

Traditional Youth Program (ages 3-7)
Fig & Forest Culinary (ages 8-10)
Forest Theatre (ages 7-14)
STEM (ages 8-14)
OWLS (Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills) (ages 8-13)

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor, an outdoor exhibition of sculptures, installations and artistic expressions is now open to everyone. Curated by Tom Cugliani, the exhibition engages a diverse spectrum of artists local to the East End of Long Island. Stop by the Manor Grounds this summer to explore the exhibition at your own pace using our Sylvester Manor Walking Tour App or sign up for a guided tour.

Guided Tours
July 14 & August 11
10:30am – 12:00pm
Manor Grounds
Free to Attend; Preregistration is Required

Upcoming History & Heritage Tours

We are offering a variety of tours this year. Join a tour to learn about recent historical discoveries and new insights on the interpretation of our unique multicultural landscape, updates on our programs, and concepts for the future of the site-wide campus. Or, walk through history as you learn about the early history of Sylvester Manor and stories of the individuals from the three cultures that came together at the time of the establishment of Shelter Island in 1651.

July 11 & 20
August 15 & 29
Times and pricing vary based on date

Wilderness Wanderings

Do you need a date night out? Drop off your kid(s) at Sylvester Manor for an evening of Wilderness Wanderings! Focusing on a nature-based theme, kids will explore subjects that usually aren’t observed during daylight hours. Led by educators Julie Fanelli and Mark Mobius, the group will wander to a secret location on the grounds of Sylvester Manor, noticing and talking about the evening’s topic.

Kids will enjoy an activity, cook dinner (hot dogs/s’mores), read a story and observe the natural environment.

July 11: Fireflies
July 30: Spiders
August 8: Herptiles (Turtles, Frogs, Reptiles, Salamanders)
August 20: Sounds of Nature

6:00 – 8:30pm
Manor Grounds
5-8 years old
$100/child

Meditation Workshop (4 class series)Sylvester Manor invites you to quiet your mind, expand your heart, and raise your energy in a four-week meditation series, led by Jean-Sébastien Brettes.

You will gradually learn mindfulness meditation fundamentals that will allow you to foster a long-term personal practice. These mental development tools are key to understanding, accepting, and overcoming one’s challenges and, by doing so, promote a pathway to greater harmony and peace of mind.

July 6, 13, 20, 27
9:00 – 10:15am
Manor Grounds
$200 for the 4 classes

Creekside Concert: Louisiana Legends the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

We have sold over 270 tickets to the Creekside Concert featuring the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas. We anticipate that tickets will sell out for this concert in July, so we encourage everyone to purchase their tickets early.

Mardi Gras Mambo featuring
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
August 24
5-7:30pm
Manor Grounds
$50 per person; children under 12 are free

Farm Update

We’re pleased to report that the farm is exploding with vegetables and fruit right now! The weather gods have been on our side and we are swimming in summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, kale and swiss chard. Tomatoes (lots of them!) will be coming in very soon and our summer raspberry crop has started. Our 300 laying hens are trying to keep up with demand though the summer heat tends to slow them down some. In other wonderful livestock news, our 40 ducks are starting to lay eggs (!!) which will be for sale at the Farmstand. Thank you to all our CSA members for participating in the 2024 season…and if you’re not a member this year, be sure to visit our Farmstand!

Farmstand Update

The Farmstand is now open 7 days a week. We have our own farm fresh produce, including lettuces, carrots, zucchini, basil, kale and beets. Of course, we continue to stock up from our local vendors like Ali Katz Kitchen, NoFo Pot Pies, Milk Pail, The Lettuce Lady, Blue Duck Bakery, 1610 Sourdough, Terry’s Pizza, Catapano Dairy and more. We now also have meats from Acabonac Farms ready for your next bar-b-que! And don’t forget to pick up some of our eggs, frozen pork and beautiful flowers to round out your next meal!

Stop by on Fridays from 5-7pm for Foodie Fridays with Stars Cafe Food Truck! The menu of tacos, burgers, burritos and more is the perfect way to start your weekend.

Farmstand Hours
Open 7 days a week
9am-5pm (until 7pm on Fridays)

History & Heritage Update

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Dutch Settlement of New Amsterdam, what we now call Manhattan and the Native Lenape people called Manahatta, “the place for gathering the (wood to make) bows.” Thirty years after that settlement, the Dutch born Sylvester brothers, Nathaniel and Constant, purchased Shelter Island to provision their sugar plantations in Barbados. The Sylvester family were ethnically English but had immigrated to The Netherlands for religious and business reasons in the early 17th century.

This year, the History & Heritage Department of Sylvester Manor has devoted much of our research to uncovering the history of the Sylvester family and their lives in the Netherlands. Their merchant ventures in the Atlantic World took them from the Netherlands to Europe, the West Coast of Africa and the Caribbean. Our discoveries have shown us that the Sylvesters were culturally Dutch and that the life they enjoyed in Amsterdam mirrored the images of Rembrant and Vermeer paintings of the same time period.

More of this history will be highlighted in the tours we give this summer at the Manor.

Manor House Preservation Update

Sylvester Manor welcomes Eden Sherrod to the new position of History & Heritage Assistant. Eden, a recent graduate of Brown University with dual majors in Biological Anthropology and Cognitive Science, took part this spring in the basement dig with the crew from the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at UMass Boston. Since June 3, she’s been working with Capital Projects Coordinator Julia Brennan on cataloging items in the Manor House Collection. The treasures she’s carefully packed away range from antiquities like a tin brazier that would’ve served as a foot warmer during long carriage rides to glass apothecary bottles. She’s focused on teacups right now, which, given our annual Tea & Tree celebration, may keep her busy for a while.

Trails Open

The trails and grounds are open for your enjoyment, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Pick up a map highlighting our four walking trails (Creekside, Woodlands, Old Growth Forest and Farm). Paper maps are available at the kiosk at the front entrance to the Manor and also at the Welcome kiosk located by the parking area near the bathrooms. You can always download a digital version by clicking the button below.

Due to storm damage, the Land Bridge is temporarily closed. Please adhere to the posted trail closures.

Leashed dogs are welcome. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. The public restrooms are open to the public.

Download the “Sylvester Manor Walking Tour” from the App Store for a self-guided tour of the grounds. Use the app and learn more about our historic property at your own pace.