SUMMER CHILDREN’S THEATER PROGRAM

The Shelter Island History Museum’s Summer Children’s Theater Program, directed and facilitated by the Brooklyn Acting Lab and made possible by the Elizabeth Pedersen Fund, is back! This year, the program has expanded from two to three weeks, and will take place July 28 to August 15 from 9am to Noon.

Children ages 6 to 12 are invited to explore the rich and vibrant history of Shelter Island through a playful and immersive theater workshop. Guided by the Brooklyn Acting Lab's professional theater artists, participants will bring stories to life using text, music, dance, and visual art.

The program culminates in a celebratory performance on August 15 at 2pm for family, friends, and the community to celebrate and share what the children have created.

This marks the fourth year for the workshop.

Past themes for the shows have been:
2022: The Water Protectors
2023: Children's Stories of Shelter Island
2024: The Magic of Neverland on Shelter Island

The 2025 theme is a Land of Oz-inspired tale. Beginning with the massive hurricane of 1938 that battered Shelter Island, children will journey to a magical world where they meet zany and fantastical characters linked to the stories of our beloved “rock”.
​
The program is limited to 25 participants only. The cost is $1300 per child. A 10 percent discount is available for a second child in the same household. Please contact SIHM directly about information on discounts for additional children in the same household.
​

HERE'S THE LINK TO REGISTER:
https://shelterislandhistorical.networkforgood.com/events/81763-2025-summer-children-s-theater-program

Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 Shelter Island House Tour!
​

Click here to purchase

Your History, Your Museum – Your Help!

On Tuesday, May 20, Shelter Islanders will get the chance to vote on four propositions on the school ballot. Proposition 4 asks: “Shall the Board of Education of the Shelter Island Union Free School District, Suffolk County, New York, authorize an annual appropriation of $275,000 for operational and maintenance expenses of the Shelter Island History Museum for the fiscal year 2025-2026 and to levy the necessary tax, therefore?” We are asking you to vote YES on the proposition. 
 
There are many reasons why the SIHM is seeking taxpayer support. First, we cannot fulfill our mission – to “welcome and connect our community by exploring our shared history through exhibits, research, educational programs and performances” – without sustainable, reliable funding. Second, we are so grateful for the generosity of our friends and patrons, however the amounts raised through donations are unpredictable and often not enough to cover basic expenses for heat, electricity, insurance, staff, security and the like, which cost more than $36,000 a month. Third, we also receive grants, however, they are time-sensitive, never a guarantee and are targeted for specific donor-designated projects. Finally, without public funding, the Museum cannot enhance its community services by expanding free programs and exhibits year-round.  
 
The $275,000 requested is 63% of our annual operating budget of $434,000. The Museum tax rate would be $0.0433 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. If your property is assessed at $1,000,000, for example, the total increase on your 2025-26 tax bill would be $43.30. That’s $3.60 a month — about the price of a cup of coffee. Property assessed at $2,000,000 would see an increase of $86.60. Our proposition – Proposition 4 – affects only Museum funding and has no impact on the school budget.
 
Voting takes place May 20, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Shelter Island School Gymnasium. All registered voters who reside in the Shelter Island School District are eligible to cast their ballots. Anyone wishing to register can do so from 2 to 6 p.m. on May 8 in the school lobby. Absentee ballots can be requested from the school district beginning April 20; they must be received by the School District Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on May 20 for your vote to count.

For further information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions, 2024 Profit and Loss statement and 2025 Operating Budget. 
 
Your Museum thanks you in advance for your support! Help us make history! 

---

---

​FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

​Why is the Shelter Island History Museum seeking taxpayer support? ​

• Public funding would provide a stable foundation to ensure the Museum remains open with free access to all.  

The History Museum cannot fulfill its mission to “welcome and connect our community by exploring our shared history through exhibits, research, educational programs and performances” without sustainable, reliable funding. Having public funding would give us the ability to expand activities and programs for adults, children and families. It would ensure that our archives and collections continue to grow so we can better understand how Shelter Islanders — generations of our families, friends and neighbors — lived and worked and how their legacy relates to the broader history of the East End.

​How much money is the History Museum requesting?

• We are asking for $275,000, which is 63% of our annual operating budget of $434,000 for 2025-26 and annually thereafter.

The funding request will appear on the same ballot as the Shelter Island Union Free School District budget as Proposition 4. Your vote on Proposition 4 is for Museum funding only. It has no effect on the school budget.

​How would it affect my taxes?

• The Museum tax rate would be $0.0433 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation.

If your property is assessed at $1,000,000 it would be $43.30, or $3.60 a month — that translates to 12 cents a day.  

​How would the History Museum use the money?

• The money raised would help cover the cost of the History Museum’s general operations as well as regular maintenance and necessary repairs to our building, including the 282-year-old Havens House.​

In turn, the Museum will be able to expand education and community programs, the Living History Project, lecture series and workshops for residents and visitors of all ages, year-round, free of charge. We will increase our capacity as a research center by growing our archives of historic documents and oral histories, and improve public access and interaction with our collections of artwork, farm and seafaring tools, clothing, furniture and household items. Be assured that all of our treasures will be maintained safely and without concern of deterioration for future generations.

​Doesn’t the History Museum already have a lot of money?
 It built that new wing after all.

• The project was made possible only through the incredible generosity of Bill and the late Elizabeth Pedersen and 425 individual donors.​

We are proud of the extensive work to preserve and restore Havens House along with the conference room and archival vault. However, the project was not the result of a bountiful cache of funds.

​Why isn’t fundraising enough?

• Like most small not-for-profit organizations, the Museum depends entirely on donations, which can be unpredictable and unreliable.

We struggle every year to raise enough money to keep our doors open and the lights on, so to speak. Nothing about that has changed. Our operating budget is bare bones. Basic expenses for heat, electricity, air conditioning, insurance, staff, security, supplies and general maintenance cost more than $36,000 a month. 

​Don’t you receive grant money?

• Yes, we do apply for grants when appropriate but they do not cover general operating expenses.​

Grants are not guaranteed. Funding is time-limited and targeted for specific donor-designated projects. The availability of federal grants is fast becoming non-existent following executive orders from the White House to freeze all funding. 

​How can the History Museum ask for taxpayer funding anyway?

• Sections 253-256 of the State Education Law allow museums and libraries to seek public funding through ballot propositions.​

The Shelter Island History Museum was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in December 2024. Other East End historical organizations, including Rocky Point, Sag Harbor, Westhampton, East Hampton and Southampton, have transitioned from societies to museums. All have seen their funding propositions pass. Note that the state recognizes only libraries and museums as the only non-profit organizations that are eligible for taxpayer funding.

​Why should I support the Museum’s funding proposition?

• The Shelter Island History Museum is your museum.

Every person who lives on Shelter Island is a part of its history. Every person who owns property on Shelter Island owns a piece of its history. A favorable vote on Proposition 4 means you are willing to invest in our mission to preserve the island’s unique story and be a partner in all of our efforts to share it.

​How does the Museum support the Island’s economy?

•  The museum puts almost $50,000 a year back into the Island’s economy by using many local service providers and by purchasing goods from Island businesses. ​
  

Additionally, one-third of our Farmers’ Market vendors are Shelter Island businesses. We also provide meeting and vendor space for local non-profit organizations free of charge. All of our staff are Shelter Island residents, with the exception of one part-timer who is a college student and summer resident.

​The Museum’s 2025 budget allocates $260,975 for salaries.
Why is that so high?

• We currently employ two full-time staff, two part-time staff and two seasonal staff. Two positions included in the budget amount are for archivist and collections curator. They remain unfilled.

​Will the Museum still fundraise if the proposition is approved?

•  YES!

We will continue to seek private donations and hold fundraising events to fully fund our operations and public programs and to establish an endowment fund to invest in the Museum’s future.

​What happens if the proposition doesn’t pass?

• Without public funding, the Museum will be unable to enhance its community services by expanding free programs and exhibits.​

We would also need to postpone maintenance and needed repairs to the interior and exterior of Havens House. The Museum would have to continue to devote most of its resources to fundraising rather than fulfilling its mission adequately.

​When does voting on Proposition 4 take place?

• Voting takes place from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20 at the school gym.​

Keep in mind that Proposition 4 has no effect on the school budget. It is an independent funding request. It is the last proposition on the ballot. 

​Who can vote?

• All registered voters who reside in the Shelter Island School District, which encompasses all of Shelter Island, are eligible.​

Those who wish to vote but are not yet registered can do so from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 8 in the school lobby. Absentee ballots can be requested by mail from the school district up to May 13, but it’s advisable to apply sooner. Absentee ballots can be request in person up until 3 p.m. May 19. All absentee ballots must be received by the School District Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on May 20, or your vote will not be counted.

NEW EXHIBITS COMING
SOON!

​BEHIND THE SCENES of Moving Day!​

Volunteers came together to help us continue making progress in preparing the Museum for the Spring and Summer season. We could not be happier with the new shelving for our art collection! Thank you to our volunteers and staff for their continued hard work. ​

ANNUAL REPORT

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

​To read the Shelter Island History Museum Annual Report in full, scroll up and down the document. To view it on a mobile device, click the link "here" where it says "click here to download."

​A big THANK YOU to the the New York State Council on the Arts for awarding us one of their 2025 Professional Development Grants for Museums!

And THANK YOU to the North Forker readers for voting us the Best History Center!

OUR MISSION:

​The Shelter Island History Museum collects and preserves the artifacts, records and stories that define the island's unique history.

We welcome and connect our community by exploring our shared history through exhibits, research, educational programs and performances.

---

Hours of Operation

​The Shelter Island History Museum:
Closed until Spring
​
The Havens Store:
Closed until Spring

DONATE NOW

​Physical Address: 16 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY 11964
Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 847, Shelter Island, NY 11964
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 631-749-0025
--------
The Shelter Island History Museum's main floor and lower level are ADA accessible.
 Service Animals are welcome .
Personal photography, without flash, is allowed in the galleries. No photographic equipment (tripods, selfie sticks) is permitted.
When sharing your photos on social media, please tag the Museum! #shelterislandhistorymuseum 
Outside food and drink are not permitted inside.
This is a completely smoke-free location. Smoking and Vaping are not permitted anywhere on the grounds.