Barnum Island, New York
Barnum Island is a community of 2,302 people in Nassau County, New York.
Why visit Barnum Island
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 48 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Wreck Lead Bridge, Barkin House, Cobble Villa and Marine Nature Study Area.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 26°F, and about 26 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Barnum Island
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Barnum Island
Barnum Island is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 2,590 at the 2020 census. It occupies the eastern portion of an island situated between Long Island and Long Beach. That island, previously known in its entirety as Hog Island, consists entirely of the communities of Barnum Island and Island Park.
From the Wikipedia article Barnum Island, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks12
Barkin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
House in Long Beach, New York
Cobble Villa
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic home located at Long Beach in Nassau County, New York
Denton Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic home located at East Rockaway in Nassau County, New York
Granada Towers
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic building in Long Beach, New York, United States
Haviland-Davison Grist Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Mill in New York, United States of America
House at 226 West Penn Street
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
House at 251 Rocklyn Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
House at 474 Ocean Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Pauline Felix House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Samuel Vaisberg House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Government building in Long Beach, New York
United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Government building in Rockville Centre, New York
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
Baldwin Harbor Town Park
Park · 2.3 mi
Park in the United States of America
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Ocean Beach Park
Park · 2.3 mi
Park and beach in Long Beach, New York, United States
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes48
Outback Steakhouse
Restaurant · American, Steak
3939 Long Beach Road, Island Park
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Shogun Hibachi Asian Cuisine
Restaurant · 0.8 mi
4556 Austin Boulevard, Island Park
Mo,We-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30; Su 12:30-22:00
Jordan's Lobster
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.0 mi
1 Pettit Place, Island Park
Fr-Sa 10:00-20:00, Su-Th 10:00-19:00
Captain Mike's
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.4 mi
3388 Long Beach Road, Oceanside
Pancho's Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican
4245 Austin Boulevard, Island Park
Artes South Shore Market & Grill
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.4 mi
4257 Austin Boulevard, Island Park
36 more on the map.
History
Previously called Hog Island, after the feral pigs introduced by early European explorers to the Native Americans, it was later renamed for Sarah Ann Baldwin Barnum. It was also sometimes called Jekyl Island, after the name of the development company that bought it from the county.
Between 1851 and 1870, Sarah Ann's husband Peter owned large parcels of land on Long Island, though his primary business was a Manhattan clothier. Sarah Ann arranged the purchase of Hog Island for use as a "poor farm" – a self-supporting almshouse, a social innovation for that period, and the island was renamed in her honor.
Local lore connects the island's name to P.T. Barnum, the circus impresario, but this is incorrect, and likely due to confusion between "PT" and "PC" (Peter C.).
The county discontinued the almshouse and sold the island to the Jekyl Island Realty Company in 1898 for $40,000. The company renamed it Jekyl Island. The island changed hands several times in 1909, Jekyl sold it to a syndicate of developers for $120,000, who in turn sold it for $650,000 in 1911. (There may have been an interim sale in 1910 as well.) Minimal development at that time included construction of several canals, before work was abandoned. One of those canals divides the Harbor Isle section from Island Park.
From the History section of Barnum Island, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship10
Panaghia Greek Orthodox Church of Island Park
Church · Greek Orthodox · 0.4 mi
83 Newport Road, Island Park
Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart
Church · Catholic · 0.7 mi
Long Beach Road
Young Israel of Oceanside Temple
Place of worship · 1.5 mi
150 Waukena Avenue, Oceanside
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries46
East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School
School · 2.7 mi
443 Ocean Ave, East Rockaway
Healthcare5
Mount Sinai South Nassau - Off-Campus Emergency Department at Long Beach
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
325 East Bay Drive, Long Beach
Long Beach Medical Arts Pavilion (Mount Sinai Doctors - Long Beach)
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
440 East Bay Drive, Long Beach
Map of Barnum Island
155 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 26°F | 3.8 in | 5.7 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 27°F | 3.0 in | 7.6 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 33°F | 4.6 in | 4.8 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 41°F | 4.2 in | 1.0 in |
| May | 67°F | 51°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 61°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 67°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 66°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 60°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 48°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 38°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 31°F | 4.1 in | 6.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oceanside (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Nassau County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-01-30: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-22: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
- 2020-10-02: Tropical Storm Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Harbor Isle 1 mi west, about 2 min by car
- Oceanside 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Long Beach 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Bay Park 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- East Rockaway 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Hewlett Harbor 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Baldwin 3 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Lynbrook 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Rockville Centre 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Freeport 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Samuel Vaisberg House; Long Beach, NY, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House at 251 Rocklyn Avenue, Lynbrook-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- USPO Long Beach jeh, Jim.henderson, Public domain
- Pauline Felix House; Long Beach, NY, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Barkin House; Long Beach, NY-2, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- USPO Rockville Centre, New York (Front View), DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cobble Villa; Long Beach, New York-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 226 West Penn Street, Long Beach, NY, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House at 474 Ocean Avenue, Lynbrook-2, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Haviland-Davison Grist Mill-5, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Denton Homestead, East Rockaway-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Granada Towers Long Beach jeh, Jim.henderson, Public domain
- Long Beach, NY boardwalk at sunset, kolikzuz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Long Beach LIRR bascule jeh, Jim.henderson, Public domain
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