Heckscher State Park
| Heckscher State Park | |
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Dunes in Heckscher State Park
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 Location of Heckscher State Park within New York State
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| Type | State park |
| Location | Heckscher Parkway Field 1 East Islip, New York |
| Nearest city | East Islip, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°42′N 73°10′W / 40.70°N 73.16°WCoordinates: 40°42′N 73°10′W / 40.70°N 73.16°W |
| Area | 1,657 acres (6.71 km2) |
| Created | February 1929 |
| Operated by | New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
| Visitors | 982,530 (in 2014) |
| Open | All year |
| Website | Heckscher State Park |
Heckscher State Park is a 1,657-acre (6.71 km2) state park on the shore of the Great South Bay at East Islip in Suffolk County, New York, USA.
The park includes 1,469 acres (5.94 km2) that was once the 19th-century estates of George C. Taylor and J. Neal Plum. Islip's founder, William Nicoll, originally built his estate on this property. Despite opposition from wealthy local residents, the parkland was purchased by New York State with the aid of a donation from August Heckscher, under guidance from urban planner Robert Moses and with the backing of Governor Alfred E. Smith. The park officially opened in February 1929.
Beginning in 1972 and continuing until 2008, the New York Philharmonic played at Heckscher State Park as part of its free "Concerts in the Parks" series. The annual event was held on summer evenings in an open field near the campground and was open to the public. In 2009, the New York Philharmonic chose to cancel the event for the summer of that year due to financial constraints. After one year without a concert at the park, the Long Island Philharmonic was able to put on a successful performance in 2010. The new generation of concerts commenced with a theme of American composers, including George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, John Philip Sousa, John Williams, and Billy Joel.
Heckscher offers a beach, picnic tables with pavilions, a playground and playing fields, recreation programs, hiking and biking, fishing, cross-country skiing, a boat launch, and a food concession. It includes the Heckscher Forest, a dedicated disc golf course established in the summer of 2014. The park formerly offered a campground with tent and trailer sites, as well as an Olympic-sized swimming pool, which were closed due to budget cuts.
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