The town of Cold Spring Harbor is a ten-minute drive from the train station, so you'll need to call a local taxi if you're coming by the LIRR. Ask to be dropped off on Main St., the central thoroughfare that spans from the harbor along Route 25A all the way to the Whaling Museum and beyond. This is the heart of the town, and the only shopping strip around. There is no local tourist office to be found in the village, but the Long Island Preservation Society's Museum Gallery offers plenty of information on local lore, including itinerary and points of interest along Long Island's Heritage Trail.

Main Street is lined with unique boutiques and specialty shops. Though the main strip itself is fairly small, you'll enjoy browsing the antique emporiums and art galleries on your way to the park. Here you'll find everything from a Madhatter's Boutique and a Heavenly Bears shop full of rare and hard to find artist bears and collectibles, to a dollhouse carpenter specializing in custom-made miniature creations at the famed Kellogg's Doll's Houses.

Make sure to stop in at the eclectic storefront that is Camden Passage for oddball birdhouses, garden art, and fountains. Pop in next door at The General Store, where a congregation of Easter bunnies, jewelry, and homemade crafts galore take center stage (and the owner's adorable black-and-white tabby tags along for company).

Kiva Native American Arts & Jewelry sells beautiful beaded necklaces and turquoise rings, along with traditional pottery and masks. Serious collectors can peek into the austere floor space at Huntington Antiques Center if you're in the market for turn-of-the-century lamps, furniture or framed prints. A bit further down at the first Telephone Exchange House is Candle Myrke, an antique collectibles, fine linens and gift shop.

The Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities presents changing exhibits on Long Island's history, architecture and culture. Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum features a 19th-century whaleboat, whaling history exhibits, a scrimshaw collection, as well as films and special family programs. Also, the DNA Learning Center, the educational arm of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the world's first biotechnology museum, is a wonderful place to bring the kids.