Shining sun, blue skies and summer vibes! I am so happy that summer is in full effect! There are so many fun, interesting things to do in my favorite place, Stony Brook Village…But there is one in particular which I have found particularly exciting – the Walking Through Time…Walking Tours!
I did some digging around the Village to find out any tidbits I could about this elaborate, moving performance…Here is what I found out:
This adventure through Stony Brook history includes tour guides that are dressed in period costumes and speak in the 1st person. As each group is led to different location, they will get to meet three extremely interesting and important women that played a role in the history of the village that we all love so dearly – Mrs. Emmet, Mrs. Smith and Miss Louise.
The tours will be taking place on Saturday July 20th (rain date Sunday July 21st), Wednesday July 31st (rain date Thursday August 1st), Saturday August 10th (rain date Sunday August 11th), Wednesday August 21st (rain date Thursday August 22nd) and Saturday September 14th (rain date Sunday September 15th). There will be two sessions on each of those dates – the first tour begins at 1:00pm and the last tour begins at 3:00pm. Regular tickets are $15, Premium tickets are $20 and include the Journey Through Time Summer Exhibit at the Educational and Cultural Center. Reservations can be made by calling 631-751-2244. I found the poster here!
The tour starts at the historic Grist Mill with Mrs. Alida Emmet. Mrs. Emmet brings life to the Grist Mill and its adjacent Mill Pond’s incredible history (which may or may not have been the location of the very first vineyard on Long Island!). She leads the group down the street to the
All Soul’s Church explaining the creative architecture and history of the building. In her last role, Mrs. Emmet leads the group to the Hercules Pavilion to meet Mrs. Jonas Smith.
Mrs. Smith elaborates on the nautical history – including the romantic myth – of the Hercules Pavilion 
and its relationship with the “perfect” American made vessel, the U.S.S. Ohio! As she walks the tour over to the Three Village Inn, she explains the unimaginable wealth of her husband, Jonas Smith. With Mrs. Smith, the revolutionary history of the Inn, also known as “the Old Homestead” is explored.
This is where Mrs. Smith leaves the tour group to Miss Louise – Mrs. Melville’s go-to woman. Miss Louise explains the dedication of the Melville family to the Stony Brook area, as well as the creation and development of our home away from home, Stony Brook Village! The tour will end outside of the Stony Brook Post Office – but I heard that with the purchase of a premium ticket you get to go to one last destination
– the summer exhibit at the Educational and Cultural Center – Journey Through Time. This exhibit is a collection of how our lives have changed since 1939, the perfect way to finish our walking tour!
