The new Long Island Welcome Center is a 15,200-square-foot ode to the island, complete with a starry walk of fame (featuring the names of famous Long Islanders from Theodore Roosevelt to Billy Joel) , a floor-sized map, historical artifacts and photo opportunities in an airy space that evokes the area’s nautical landscape and natural beauty.
The center, at eastbound Exit 51-52 on the Long Island Expressway, opened on Oct. 20 and is expected to welcome nearly 8,000 people a day. It is emblematic of New York State’s unprecedented investment in tourism, which has now reached a record $102 billion in total economic impact.
A key feature of the center is a Taste NY Market, stocked with Long Island-made food and craft beverages, as well as I LOVE NY kiosks to engage and inform travelers about all there is to see in the area. On a recent Saturday, visitors were taking pictures of each other in front of an I LOVE NY photo wall with a backdrop of the Fire Island Lighthouse.
On a practical note, the facility also houses fully operational satellite offices of the New York State Police and Suffolk County Police Department, as well as a (they use these kiosks at events) Department of Motor Vehicles self-serve kiosk where customers can renew vehicle registrations and conduct other DMV transactions without having to visit a DMV office. Additional stations are available for finding the best hiking trails, parks, fishing information and more.
The LEED-certified center has transformed the site of a formerly underused parking area, complete with solar panels and electric car charging stations.
For a taste of the Long Island welcome center, and a test of Long Island trivia, here’s a sampling from the I LOVE NY quiz available on the center’s interactive kiosks:
- Can you name the oldest lighthouse in New York State?
- Montauk Point Lighthouse
- Fire Island Lighthouse
- Horton Point
- Long Beach Bar Lighthouse
Answer: A -The Lighthouse at Montauk was NY's first coastal beacon back in 1796.
- Which famous field did Charles Lindbergh take off from as he embarked on the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic?
- MacArthur Airport
- Roosevelt Field
- Curtiss Field
- Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Answer: B - In 1927, Lindbergh took flight from Roosevelt Field, which is now home to the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center.
- Long Island’s Gold Coast serves as the setting for which classic novel?
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
- Stephen King, The Shining
- E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime
- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Answer: A -The acclaimed Oheka Castle in Long Island served as inspiration for the decadent home of Jay Gatsby’s in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, The Great Gatsby.