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11th Annual Culper Spy (WEEKEND!) on September 6th and 7th, 2025
FREE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY! (Charges apply to select attractions)

Mark your calendars for the 11th annual Culper Spy Day on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, followed by the second annual
Culper Spy Day 5k on Sunday, September 7th, 2025.


Culper Spy Day is a highlight for history enthusiasts, drawing the community together from Manhattan to The Hamptons to celebrate our Revolutionary War heritage. The Three Village area, steeped in hidden intrigue, played a crucial role in America’s fight for independence. It was here that the nation’s first spy ring operated in secrecy, providing General George Washington with critical information that helped turn the tide of the American Revolution.


On Culper Spy Day, immerse yourself in the rich history of this pivotal era. Explore the very sites where these covert operations took place and engage with local groups dedicated to preserving the memory of the brave patriots who risked everything for their country. This event is a collaborative effort among local historical and cultural organizations, each contributing unique events and activities that bring the story of the Culper Spy Ring to life.


Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to delve into America's Revolutionary past and honor the legacy of the heroes who shaped our nation. Join us for a day of education, exploration, and celebration at the 11th annual Culper Spy Day!​

Sponsored by: Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay, Long Island Grants for the Arts, Three Village Rotary Club, Rob and Jane Taylor

​​

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DIGITAL MAP

TVHS SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 6 | 10 AM - 4PM
93 N. Country Road, Setauket

TVHS Activities
  • 10:00 a.m. Flag raising with General George Washington to kick off festivities

  • 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Tours of the acclaimed SPIES! Exhibit every 15 minutes ($5 General Admission / FREE for Members & Children 9 and under) - Purchase tickets here: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/5v915p ($10 cash at the door)

  • 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. FREE! Characiture portraits by Marty Macalusco

  • 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. "Build" a timber frame house with Abraham Woodhull

  • 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Children's story hour on the lawn

  • 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 18th century concerts by Michael Goudket and Emily Bader

  • Calligraphy name writing, signing the oath of allegiance, and wax sealing with Abraham Woodhull

  • Natural Clothes Dyeing and Clothespin Dolls with 4 Harbors Audubon Society

  • Taste authentic colonial food with Stirring Up History by Diane Schnwindt

  • Hands on activities for kids

  • Revolutionary War encampment and musket firing drills with the 23rd Regiment of Foot, Royal Welch Fusiliers in America and The Huntington Militia

  • General George Washington's Oval Field Office

  • Augmented Reality demonstrations transporting you back to 18th century Long Island by 360xr

  • Long Island History Hunt stop (with prizes!)

  • Invisible Ink Demonstrations

  • 18th Century Craft Making with TVHS, Gallery North, and Lynn Hewitt

  • Culper gift shop with new merch

  • View and learn about Anna Smith Strong’s famed clothesline

  • Colonial toy making and children's revolutionary era crafts with the Anna Smith Strong Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution

  • Guest authors and historians at Authors Row include Kristina Raevsky, Peggy Wirgau, Robert Skead, Richard Welch, Sarah Beth Durst, Joanne Grasso, Bill O’Byrne, Dana Lynn Zotter and Selene Castrovilla.

  • Visiting Organizations include Davis Town Meeting House, Yaphank Historical Society, Raynham Hall Museum, Gallery North, Smithtown Historical Society, Four Harbors Audubon Society, Gallery North, Daughters of the American Revolution Anna Smith Strong Chapter 

HOP ON - HOP OFF TROLLEY TOUR | 10 AM - 2PM

4 TROLLEY STOPS - 8 HISTORIC SITES
FREE for all. Space is limited. First come, first served.

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TROLLEY
  • TROLLEY STOP: Three Village Historical Society, c. 1800 (93 North Country Road, E. Setauket)

  • TROLLEY STOP: Setauket Neighborhood House, c. 1790 (95 Main Street, E. Setauket)

  • WALK TO: Patriots Rock (Adjacent 97 Main Street, E. Setauket)

  • WALK TO: Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket, c. 1729 (1 Dyke Road, Setauket)

  • WALK TO: Setauket Presbyterian Church, c. 1812 (5 Caroline Ave., Setauket)

  • TROLLEY STOP: Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, c. 1892 (120 Main Street, E. Setauket)

  • WALK TO: Setauket Elementary School (134 Main Street, E. Setauket)

  • TROLLEY STOP: Brewster House, c. 1665 (25 Brewster Ln, Setauket)

AROUND TOWN
See history come to life with this SELF-GUIDED tour
spanning the Three Villages and beyond!

  • Setauket Neighborhood House, c. 1790
    95 Main Street, Setauket / 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    Historic house tours. Restrooms & complimentary cold water available. Food Truck on site.

  • Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, c. 1892
    120 Main Street, Setauket / 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

    • ​Learn about the Library’s Culper Spy Ring website (spyring.emmaclark.org)

    • Information tent adjacent to the front entrance of the Library

    • Pop up exhibit by Bob Winowitch at display inside lobby

    • 12 - 2 pm: Tunes of the Revolution with Linda Russell - live music on the Library lawn

    • 12 - 4 pm: Children's Games & A "Spy-Themed" Craft on the Library lawn

    • Free popcorn on the lawn

    • Library tours with Jeff at 2:30 & 3:30 pm

    • Take a break for lunch or a snack at the new Level Up Kitchen Library Café, located inside Emma Clark Library. The café is open from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and offers sandwiches, wraps, salad, desserts, coffee and tea (hot or iced), cold drinks and more. There's ice cream too!
       

  • Sherwood-Jayne Farm, c.1730
    55 Old Post Road, Setauket / 11 a.m . - 3 p.m.
    Preservation Long Island is proud to announce the return of Big Bill the Tory! During the American Revolution, almost 30% of Long Islanders identified as Loyalists. William Jayne III proudly represents this position and defends the noble intentions and virtuosities of King George III. Drop by the Sherwood-Jayne Farm to hear the other side of the story about George Washington’s pesky band of renegade spies! $5/person. 
     

  • Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum, c.1755
    141 West Broadway, Port Jefferson / 11 am - 4 pm
    Free admission Saturday & Sunday with your Culper Spy Day SELFIE with a re-enactor. ​Privateers: Pirates with Permission, at the Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum. Events will include guided tours, privateers re-enacting the plundering of the Roe family and colonial-themed storytelling for children. Flax spinning demonstrations on the front lawn. Daughters of the American Revolution on site.
     

  • Patriots Rock
    Adjacent 97 Main Street, Setauket / 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
    In August 1777, Colonial and Loyalist forces clashed at Patriots Rock in the Battle of Setauket. Today, this historic landmark serves as an important reminder of the strength and endurance that is the foundation of our country’s past, present and future. The Three Village Community Trust offers history lectures on the hour. Setalcott Village highlighting the significance of the Native American people. Blacksmith demonstrations and a Boy Scouts "did you know" station at the Rock.
     

  • Long Island Museum
    1200 NY-25A, Stony Brook / 12 - 5 pm
    Free admission on Saturday and Sunday with your Culper Spy Day SELFIE with a re-enactor! Take this limited opportunity to see the recently discovered Culper Spy letter on display. The handwritten letter dated November 8, 1779, from Benjamin Tallmadge (using his alias, John Bolton) to Robert Townsend (alias, Samuel Culper Jr.) is the only known surviving letter between the two. Also spend time with our world famous carriage collection, and take part in the carriage museum scavenger hunt to find period relevant vehicles. Food Truck on site.
     

  • Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket, c. 1729
    1 Dyke Road, Setauket / 11 am - 3 pm
    History Center will be open for self-guided tours, with a docent present for questions. The cemetery can be visited at any time. 
     

  • Setauket Presbyterian Church, c. 1812
    5 Caroline Ave, Setauket / 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
    The interior of the church will be open with docents. Cemetery open for walking tours, including the grave of Abraham Woodhull. Special tours with Art Biladello. Open Door Exchange on the Village Green. Food Truck on the Village Green.

 

  • Setauket Village Green
    Site of the first settlement in the Town of Brookhaven April 14, 1655. Battle of Setauket took place here August 22, 1777. Located by the Setauket Presbyterian and Caroline Episcopal Churches. 2nd Light Continental Dragoons Encampment and Thomas Jefferson, a total immersion experience for people to meet this Founding Father, “Father of the Constitution”, Federalist Essay author, “Author of the Bill of Rights,” Sec of State, two term President and husband to Dolley Madison.

 

  • Setauket Elementary School
    134 Main Street, East Setauket / 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
    Free admission, free parking in the parking lot
    View the Vance Locke Murals depicting the founding of Brookhaven. Docent will be available for Q & A
     

  • Stony Brook University, Melville Library, Level 2, Special Collections
    GPS: 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook / 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    free parking in the Administration garage
    Spies do exist in the archive! Visit Special Collections to view an original 1779 letter from George Washington to Benjamin Tallmadge about the Culper Spy Ring.
     

  • Mount Sinai–Miller Place Historical Society (NEW!)
    75 N Country Rd, Miller Place / 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    Featuring the history of the 1781 Raid on Miller Place. Commemorative coins & portraits on display.

FREE TOURS - but pre-registration is encouraged at https://mpmshs.org/  

SPECIAL ice cream menu right next door at McNulty's!  Secrets, Sundaes and Sabotage. Choose your dessert allegiance.

  • Rocky Point Historical Society (NEW!)
    172 Hallock Landing Road, Rocky Point
     

  • Merritt Hawkins Historic Homestead (NEW!)
    512 Pond Path, Setauket - East Setauket / 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    It is part of one of the earliest farms in Setauket. Suffolk County records show that it originally belonged to the Hawkins family with the first house being built there in 1774.
     

  • Brewster House, c 1665 (NEW!)
    25 Brewster Ln, Setauket- East Setauket / 12 p.m.  - 4 p.m.
    Built in 1665 and considered the oldest house in the Town of Brookhaven, the Brewster House was home to six generations of Brewsters. The house has transformed over the centuries from the one-room cottage to its present saltbox structure. During the American Revolution, Joseph Brewster operated the house as a tavern and general store, entertaining British troops inside. American Patriot Caleb Brewster, cousin of the Joseph Brewster and presumably a frequent visitor to the house, was a member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War. (Tours every 15 minutes. $5 per person admission.)
     

  • Bayles Boat Shop (NEW!)
    101A East Broadway

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
During the American War for Independence, the Long Island Sound was the scene of many engagements involving armed whaleboats. Re-creating a 1776 whaleboat appropriately named the Caleb Brewster, the armed whaleboat is a replica for what served as the vessel of choice for the Culper Spy Ring courier and his crews. Light, fast, quiet and easy for men to pick up and hide, these roughly 25 to 30 foot crafts were fairly stealthy for their time. While these attributes benefitted Patriot spies, they also assisted Privateers; basically pirates with government commissions. 

AROUND TOWN
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WHERE TO EAT 
in the Three Village area and Beyond...

  • Elaines Restaurant
    316 Main Street, Setauket, NY

       drinks and appetizer specials on the patio from 4:00 p.m.  to 7:00 p.m. 
       (reservations recommended)
       https://www.elaines-setauket.com​​

 

  • Culpers 1778
    212 Main Street, Setauket, NY

       Lunch specials
       (reservations recommended)
​       https://culpers1778.com

 

  • ​Country Corner
    270 Main Street, Setauket, NY 

    Dine at Suffolk County’s oldest continuously running tavern
    Open at 11:00 a.m.

       https://www.countrycornerli.com

  • Three Village Inn/Mirabelle Tavern

       150 Main Street, Stony Brook

       20% off any SPY cocktails between 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. from Sept. 5th - Sept. 7th

       https://www.mirabelleatthreevillageinn.com/

  • McNulty's Ice Cream Parlor

       135 N. Country Road, Miller Place, NY

       Secrets, Sundaes and Sabotage. Choose your dessert allegiance.

       All weekend long.

       https://mcnultysicecream.com/

EAT

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 
The party continues in the Three Village area and Beyond...

  • The 2nd Annual Culper 5K
    93 N. Country Road, Setauket, NY

       Race begins at 9:00 a.m.​

       Register at: www.tvhs.org/5k

  • Timbers, Tankards, and Time: The Story of the Roe Tavern and the Power of Place, a new exhibit on display at TVHS.

       93 N. Country Road, Setauket, NY

       12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

  This immersive display tells the layered story of the Roe Tavern, from its covert role in Revolutionary War spy operations to its    later life as a literary retreat, showing how historic buildings are living witnesses to centuries of community change.


Special Offer: 

Attendees who visit the SPIES! exhibit on Culper Spy Day will enjoy free admission to Timbers, Tankards, and Time when it opens on Sunday, September 7.

  • Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum

141 West Broadway, Port Jefferson

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Free admission Sunday with your Culper Spy Day selfie. ​

Privateers: Pirates with Permission, at the Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum. Events will include guided tours, privateers re-enacting the plundering of the Roe family and colonial-themed storytelling for children. Flax spinning demonstrations on the front lawn. Daughters of the American Revolution on site. 

  • Long Island Museum

1200 NY-25A, Stony Brook

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Free admission on Sunday with your Culper Spy Day selfie! Take this limited opportunity to see the recently discovered Culper Spy letter on display. The handwritten letter dated November 8, 1779, from Benjamin Tallmadge (using his alias, John Bolton) to Robert Townsend (alias, Samuel Culper Jr.) is the only known surviving letter between the two. Also spend time with our world famous carriage collection, and take part in the carriage museum scavenger hunt to find period relevant vehicles. 

  • Davis Town Meeting House Museum

263 Middle Country Road, Coram, NY​

The Davis House will be open for tours from 1:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m. as we participate in the Culper Spy Weekend.

Sunday

10th Annual Culper Spy Day, 2024

Photos Taken By: North Island Photography

9th Annual Culper Spy Day, 2023

Photos Taken By: North Island Photography

5th Annual Culper Spy Day, 2019

Photos Taken By: North Island Photography and Anthony White

4th Annual Culper Spy Day, 2018

Photos Taken By: Anthony White

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EXHIBIT & GIFT SHOP HOURS

Every Friday from 3pm - 7pm

Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 12pm - 4pm

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ADDRESS

 

93 N. Country Road

East Setauket, NY 11733

hello@tvhs.org

Tel: 631-751-3730

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