Holiday Happenings at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium

It’s Holiday Season at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium and there’s plenty for visitors to see and do during this fun time of the year.  On December 17th, from 4:30 – 8pm Santa will be touring the grounds.  He’ll be available for individual and group pictures, and for the kids, Santa will be handing out candy canes. Other refreshments include hot chocolate, cookies and tea.  At 7:00 pm that same evening, a tree lighting ceremony will take place. In addition to this, during the month of December, the Hatchery’s classroom will be open for visitors to create their own holiday ornament which will be displayed on the Hatchery Christmas tree. 

During the week of Dec. 26 – 30th, a Hatchery tour will take place at 11:00 am and Hatchery members will receive a 25% discount in the Hatchery’s gift shop. Animal presentations will take place at 2:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday during this week, and fish feeding  demonstrations will take place at 1, 2, & 3:00pm on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  So plan a visit to the Hatchery, and remember the Hatchery is accepting new unwrapped toy donations for the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots Drive until Dec 21st.  The Hatchery’s gift shop offers a 10% discount for anyone buying a toy for this toy drive.   

The Hatchery, which after 99 years of operation as a State facility, opened as a private non-profit educational institution in 1982.  Its visitors can tour two aquarium buildings which house many species of freshwater fish, aquatic reptiles and amphibians, all native to New York.  There are six outdoor ponds where brook and rainbow trout are raised and sold to enthusiasts who use them to stock their ponds.  In addition to the trout ponds, the Hatchery also maintains a warm water fish pond and a turtle pond.  Catch & Keep Trout Fishing is a popular addition to Hatchery activities.  The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium is open year round, seven days a week, from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June, July and August, open until 6: 00 p.m.

Address:  1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor

Phone:  (516) 692-6768