Seashore Visitor Center Needed

  Fire Island National Seashore may be the only national park in the United States of its age without a visitor center. Congress authorized construction of a visitor center in Patchogue in 1978 but funds have never been made available for construction. The National Park Service already owns the land where it would be built. The visitor center has been endorsed by the Village of Patchogue, the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, local officials, Newsday, and the Long Island Advance. The visitor center would be open year-round and include an auditorium for educational and public programs, exhibits about Fire Island and the Great South Bay, bookstore, information desk, ferry ticket sales, waiting area, and restrooms.

The Friends group has decided to focus our efforts at this time towards the development of a visitor center for Fire Island National Seashore. If you would like to help in any way with this effort, please read our webpage on joining the Friends of Fire Island as a member or as a volunteer. We would be happy to hear from you.