You’d be forgiven if you thought the East End Seaport Museum & Marine Foundation (100 Third St., Greenport, 631-477-2100) was a train or ferry station, sitting kitty corner to North Ferry and about 100 feet from the Greenport train platform. When the brick structure was built in 1894, it was indeed the depot for the new-at-the-time Long Island Rail Road. But today, the welcoming, admission-free spot is the longstanding keeper of the village’s maritime history. In a way, it’s the place where all roads and docks to Greenport begin and end.
Founded in 1989 to raise funds for the resurrection of the burned-down Long Beach Bar Lighthouse, also known as “Bug Light” due to its resemblance to a water bug, the East End Seaport Museum & Marine Foundation has consistently expanded its role in the community. Open year-round, the museum attracts around 10,000 annual visitors with its detailed exhibits revealing the many facets of Greenport’s marine ecosystem and seafaring heritage.
“We have, in the high season, 300 to 400 people a day through our doors. It’s pretty amazing,” shares Tracey Orlando, who, after a brief stint as the museum’s interim director, became its first full-time executive director in 2022.
The museum’s recent exhibitions include one that focuses on Frank Mundus, who inspired the character Quint in “Jaws.”
One of the museum’s most popular attractions among younger visitors is a 1,000-gallon, self-circulating aquarium filled exclusively with fish from local waters, such as sea bass, oyster toadfish, porgy, sea robin and pufferfish, along with a sand shark. An informational slideshow about the showcased creatures enhances the learning experience, though Orlando and her team are always eager to share additional insights with guests about each species and the unique personality quirks of the aquarium’s residents.
Best known for their annual Maritime Festival street fair, the East End Seaport Museum hosts numerous events and programs throughout the year, including the Greenport Chowder Fest, tours of the Village Blacksmith Shop and Marine Exploration Summer Camps for children and adults. During the warmer months, there are Summer Social Fridays and guided cruises to Bug Light, and in the off-season, there’s the Winter Lecture Series.
As a nonprofit organization, the East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation provides programming to the community through donations, memberships, gift shop purchases and fundraising events like the Land & Sea Gala, which kicks off the Maritime Festival in September. Financial support also allows the foundation to make vital repairs to Bug Light, to maintain and improve the aquarium and to provide scholarships to 65 local students for gratis summer-camp tuition and lifeguard training.
“We’re very lucky because we’re building a community in our membership, but our [Greenport] community has grown also … and they’ve become part of our fabric,” says Orlando. “Our board is really laser focused … [We’re] looking to the future and reimagining how the community expects us to be.”
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., through October, and by appointment in the winter. Visit eastendseaport.org or call 631-477-2100 for more.
