You can do that at a spectacular, historic American estate that is one of the most glamorous and romantic settings on Long Island – the elegant, early twentieth-century mansion of William K. Vanderbilt II, overlooking Northport Bay. 
 

Lance Reinheimer, the museum’s executive director, said, “Many people have used the storybook atmosphere of the Vanderbilt Mansion as a romantic backdrop for first dates. Several people tell us they proposed marriage here. And each year many couples come to the Vanderbilt for their wedding ceremonies. This is a perfect place for a romantic dinner.”

As a guest, your evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer in the Memorial Wing of the mansion, amid Mr. Vanderbilt’s exotic collections of ethnographic artifacts from Africa, Asia and South America.

After a brief tour through his private living quarters, you will dine in the Northport Dining Room Porch, where the Vanderbilts enjoyed many leisurely dinners with their friends and relatives.

The menu, from Northport Caterers: Prime Rib; Salmon Wellington in puff pastry with spinach filling; Chicken Saltimbocca with ricotta, prosciutto and lemon wine sauce; Pasta Palermo (gluten-free pasta with eggplant, green & yellow zucchini, asparagus tips in red sauce); and Grilled Vegetable Lasagna.
 
Dessert follows in the Lancaster Room, with a side trip to the Vanderbilt Library and the Moroccan Court.

The evening is a rare opportunity to enjoy an intimate dining experience with a spouse, partner or special friend and to celebrate in Gold Coast style. Seating at this exclusive event is very limited and sells out quickly. Tickets are $115 per person, $100 for Members, by reservation only. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org (click on Events at top of home page) or by phone: 631-854-5579. 
 

(Museum administrative office hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 to 4:00. Closed weekends and holidays.)
 
Hours – Museum and Mansion
Through April 10, 2017: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 – 4:00. Last mansion tour begins at 4:00. (The Museum and Mansion are closed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.) Planetarium open Friday and Saturday nights.
 
 Hours – Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium
Through April 10, 2017: Daytime shows Tuesday at 2:00, and Saturday and Sunday at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00. Evening shows on Friday and Saturday at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00. (The Planetarium is closed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but is open Friday and Saturday nights.)
 
PLANETARIUM SCHEDULE – Winter 2017
 
January 3 – February 28

Open Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Day)
Open February 20 — February 24 (Winter Vacation)

Tuesday Afternoons
2:00 – Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe
 
Friday Nights
8:00 – Long Island Skies
9:00 – Black Holes
10:00 – Led Zeppelin – Laser Show!

 
Saturday Nights
8:00  – Night Sky, Live!
9:00  – Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe
10:00 – Led Zeppelin – New Laser Show!

 
Saturday and Sunday Afternoons – plus Monday, January 16 (MLK Day) and February 20-24

12:00 –One World, One Sky
1:00 – Earth, Moon, and Sky
2:00 – Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe
3:00 – Night Sky, Live!
4:00 – Black Holes

Observatory

Year-round viewing of the night sky (weather permitting), Friday only, 9:00-10:00 (free with show ticket; $3.00 without show ticket)
Museum Admission

General museum admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students with ID and seniors (62 and older), and $3 for children 12 and under. General admission includes estate-grounds access to the Marine Museum, Memorial Wing natural-history and ethnographic-artifact galleries, Nursery Wing, Habitat Room, Egyptian mummy and Stoll Wing animal-habitat dioramas. For a mansion tour, add $5 per ticket. (A video tour of the mansion is available on request.)

Mansion Tours

Guided tours of the Vanderbilt Mansion — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — are available Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00.

Planetarium Admission

During the day, visitors to the Planetarium pay general museum admission ($7 for adults, $6 for students with IDs and seniors 62 and older, and $3 for children 12 and under), plus $5 each for a Planetarium show. Since the museum is closed in the evening, no general museum admission is charged — visitors pay only for Planetarium show tickets: $9 for adults, $8 for students with IDs and seniors 62 and older, and $7 for children 12 and under.

Vanderbilt Observatory

Night-sky viewing on Friday (weather permitting), 9:00-10:00 p.m. Observation is free to visitors with a planetarium show ticket, $3.00 for those without a show ticket.

Location and Website

The Vanderbilt Museum is located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, NY. Directions and updated details on programs and events are available at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. For information, call 631-854-5579.

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum — a unique combination of mansion, marine and natural history museum, planetarium and park — is dedicated to the education and enjoyment of the people of Long Island and beyond. This mission is achieved through the thoughtful preservation, interpretation and enhancement of the Eagle’s Nest estate as an informal educational facility. Many exhibition and program themes focus upon Long Island’s Gold Coast Era. Programs also concentrate on William K. Vanderbilt II’s desire that his marine, natural history and ethnographic collections promote appreciation and understanding of the marvelous diversity of life, other cultures, and scientific knowledge. Planetarium programming, more specifically, focuses on scientific knowledge and seeks to capture Mr. Vanderbilt’s sense of adventure and exploration through state-of-the-art entertainment.