Category Archives: Uncategorized

Counting  on America, Author Presentation

The Long Beach Historical Society is co-sponsoring an author presentation with Temple Emanu-el of Long Beach.

Date: April 12, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM
Temple Emanu-el, 455 Neptune Blvd, Long Beach, NY 11561

Author Gary Reiner will present his book, Counting on America, a true story that pro­vides pro­found evi­dence that a com­bi­na­tion of luck, love, per­se­ver­ance, and divine inter­ven­tion was the req­ui­site for­mu­la for sur­vival dur­ing the Holo­caust. The cou­ple’s stead­fast com­mit­ment to reach the shores of the Unit­ed States is a pow­er­ful endorse­ment of Amer­i­ca’s impor­tance to refugees flee­ing despot nations.

Book "Counting on America"

Count­ing on Amer­i­ca is based on Kurt Rein­er’s auto­bi­og­ra­phy, high­light­ing how he and his wife, Hen­nie, man­aged to flee Vien­na, Aus­tria fol­low­ing the March 12, 1938 Anschluss (Ger­man annex­a­tion of Aus­tria). Recur­rent stops at Dachau and a forced-labor farm, fol­lowed by intern­ment in a French prison camp, delay the escape of the fugi­tive two­some. The sto­ry cap­tures the obsta­cles that Jew­ish refugees faced attempt­ing to emi­grate out of Europe dur­ing the Holo­caust. Although Kurt Rein­er died in 1985, his expe­ri­ence is cap­tured and kept alive in Kurt’s first-per­son voice by his co-author son, Gary Rein­er. The account is enhanced by the incor­po­ra­tion of dozens of orig­i­nal source doc­u­ments that cor­rob­o­rate the descrip­tion of events.

Bay Houses of Long Island

Bay Houses of Long Island

Barbara Weber will present her documentary, “A World Within a World: The Bay Houses of Long Island.”  The film captures the essence of how bay house owners have persevered and endured during storms and hurricanes, all while preserving traditions that began in the early 19th century.

Director Barbara Weber will conduct a Q & A following the presentation of her film.

No charge – Donations are welcome.

Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

Curated Goods Book Fair

Author Event

Join us Thursday, March 12th, for an Author Event, hosted by Stacey Simens of Curated Goods Bookfair. Authors Dan Cohen and Carmin Caterina will read from their works. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Light refreshments, no charge to attend! Donations are always welcome.

Culture Club Arts Reception

Join us for
THE CULTURE CLUB

Group Arts Reception
Book Fair
Vinyl Records & DJ
Light Refreshments

Sunday, February 1 from 1-4 PM
at the Museum
226 West Penn St.
Long Beach, NY 11561

The Long Beach Historical Society will host 16 artists in a group show. The painters and photographers are all members of West End Arts.

The reception will be held on Sunday, February 1st, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. All artwork will be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to our museum.

Annual House Tours 2026

Come travel back in time and explore the historic homes of Long Beach!
The Long Beach Historical Society’s Annual House Tour will take place on Sunday, April 26th, 12:00 to 4:30 PM. The tour will take place rain or shine. Tours end by 4:30 PM.

Tours leave every 20 minutes. To sign up, click here.

Enjoy this rare opportunity to explore private historic properties
that are generally not open to the public. All have beautifully preserved
craftsmanship, intricate architecture and unique decor.

This self guided 1 mile tour can be done by walking or driving.  There will be no transportation provided by the Historical Society. Homeowners and knowledgeable docents will be at each location.  

The tour will begin at our museum, at 226 West Penn Street, at your assigned time, where you will receive a brochure. The brochure includes information about the properties, ticket and a map. 

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience. Tour tickets are available for $40 for members and $45 for non-members.  Membership is available on the museum’s website. No children under sixteen are permitted and no strollers, food, drink or pets.