The Hicksville Gregory Museum is a vital piece of Long Island public history, located at 1 Heitz Place right off Woodbury Road. This museum was constructed in 1895 and originally served as a courthouse with multiple jail cells and a village hall for the local community. Currently, the Gregory Museum houses Long Island’s largest rock and mineral collection, as well as a multitude of fossils and exhibits that are consistently rotated on other topics related to both local and world history. Being Long Island’s only museum focused on Earth Science, it is necessary that these exhibits remain open to the public so that future generations may experience the excitement of studying our past!
Exterior snapshot of the Hicksville Gregory Museum.
Courtesy of the LI Press
A look inside the interior jail cell
credit: Grossman World by Blake GrossmanAs the only remaining structure from Hicksville’s past, this museum offers locals an intriguing glimpse of what the town was once like. The building itself offers a great deal of history to learn about, as it held Hicksville’s only prisoners in its official records. It is interesting to note that real trials were also held in the building once a week and were directed by local Justices of the Peace, who were also some of the town councilmen. By 1915, three additional jail cells had been added to the property; they are still standing today and can be found hidden directly adjacent to the Gregory Museum. Soon after, the building was converted to a headquarters for the local Selective Service throughout WWI and WWII, which consisted of drafted soldiers who relied on these local civilian buildings to manage processes such as registration and selection for service. The Gregory Museum would later be recognized by the US Dept of the Interior as a National Historic Place on July 30, 1974, meaning it is listed under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as “a cultural resource worthy of preservation.”
While the Gregory Museum no longer holds any living prisoners in its jail cells (though there are some fake prisoners depicted as mannequins who call these cells home), it still provides the local community with many interesting displays that illustrate the past in the modern day. For example, the vast rock and mineral collection housed in the museum features beautiful samples of donated gemstones such as Ruby and Blue Topaz, as well as information on Long Island’s local geological history. In fact, Long Island as a whole serves as an important example in the geological history of glacial geomorphology, the study of how moving ice and meltwater shape the Earth’s surface. Another highlight of the museum is its massive collection of fossils from multiple species, including examples from the Cretaceous Period, when legendary dinosaurs such as T. Rex and Triceratops roamed the Earth. As the museum still accepts new artifacts for display, recent additions include an intricately painted sarcophagus mask, an ancient flute shaped like an armadillo from the Mayan peoples, and multiple Clovis spear points, which were historically used by early human hunters. Personally, I believe the Gregory Museum is an extremely important piece of history that still provides the community with many exciting topics to learn about!
Egyptian Sarcophagus Mask included in Ancient Egypt Exhibit, Source: Hicksville Gregory Museum Facebook PageUnfortunately, it is necessary to discuss the current hardships the museum is undergoing as this is being written. As stated on the museum’s Facebook page, “Hicksville's 'Hidden Gem' is going into its first year without proper funding since the 1970's and is now at risk of closing forever.” While this may come as shocking to some, as I previously mentioned in this article, the museum is listed by the US government as a National Historic Place; the museum has sadly announced that it will no longer receive funding from the local school district, marking the first time in history it is facing financial burden since the building was converted to the Gregory Museum. To continue its educational services for the community, the museum requires roughly $90,000. Although I do not have any formal affiliation with the Gregory Museum, I implore anyone reading this, as a local historian and Hicksville native, to scan the QR code in this article to donate to the museum. According to the American Alliance of Museums, a 2025 field survey found that 24% of museums have had to cancel programming for students, individuals in the disabled community, the elderly, and veterans, and a saddening 28% have closed all programming for the general public. If we want to continue to have public access to the many historical artifacts at places such as the Gregory Museum, it is our duty to ensure they remain open for our communities to enjoy.
QR Code to donate directly to the Gregory Museum.
Please help save history!
