This month-long celebration highlights some of America’s notable African Americans and their accomplishments through informative posters and pictures. New York State Parks invites Long Islanders to visit to learn more about these great Americans and their impact on American history and culture.

2026 serves as an important milestone in black history as the ASALH (The Founders of Black History Month) celebrate “A Century of Black History Commemorations”, highlighting 100 years since the founding of Black History Month.

Long Island State Park locations:

• Hempstead Lake State Park, Environmental Education and Resiliency Center, West Hempstead: Open daily 9am – 3:30pm, for information call 516-766-1029
• Jones Beach State Park, Administration Building, Wantagh: Open daily 7:00am – 4:30pm, for information call 516-785-1600
• LI State Parks Regional Headquarters Lobby, West Babylon: Open Monday through Friday 10am – 4pm, for information call 631-321-3510
• Planting Fields Arboretum Hoffman Conference Center, Oyster Bay: Open daily 10am – 4pm, for information call 516-922-8600
• Nissequogue River State Park – Charles & Helen Reichert Administration Building, Kings Park: Open daily 8am – 4pm, for more information call 631-269-4927 Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center-West End 2, Wantagh: Open daily 9am - 4:30pm, for information call 516-809-8222

The Long Island State Parks Environmental Education department and the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center also hosts special programming at the following parks:

• Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale: Black History Space Explorers – Saturday, February 7th 5:45pm – 8pm
• Nissequogue River State Park, Kings Park: Jean-Michel Basquiat Art Program – Sunday, February 15 10:30am – 12pm Hempstead Lake State Park, Environmental Education & Resiliency Center, West Hempstead: Art in the Park: Alma Thomas – Saturday, February 7 11am – 12:30pm and Art in the Park: Charles McGee – Saturday, February 21 11am – 12:30pm
• Bethpage State Park, The Heritage Club (Lenox Room), Bethpage: Black Experiences in the Revolutionary War with guest speaker Lavada Nahon, Sunday February 22 11am – 12:30pm
• Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center - West End 2, Wantagh: Storytime Corner: Black History Month (Ages 8 and under) – Saturday, February 7th 11am - 12pm and Black History in Exploration (All ages) – Saturday, February 28 2pm – 3pm

Visit here for information on how to sign up for programs