We're committed to supporting the local honey bee population and educating our community about the importance of bees. 

    Name a Honey Bee

    You can keep our honey bees buzzing by naming one of your own! Join the effort to preserve the beehive at Long Island Children's Museum by participating in our Name a Honey Bee Campaign. With a donation of $10, each contributor will have their own graphic honey bee display, which includes both its new name and its donor’s name. In addition, donors will be listed on our website through the end of the year. You can find these graphic bees hovering just outside of the Feasts for Beasts exhibit, welcoming guests and raising awareness of the importance of honey bees in our environment. Name your honey bee today!

    Name a Honey Bee

    Special Event: Honey Hoopla

    Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m

    Join us for our special event taking place where you will "bee" amazed! Did you know that honeybees have been around for millions of years and are an important part of the food chain? Meet a local beekeeper to learn about the natural history and fascinating world of bees. Discover the art of beekeeping, bee anatomy and all the important contributions bees make to the planet. Create fun bee crafts, and even enjoy tasty treats of different types of honey! Participate in a theatrical reading and meet the author of the book ‘Beezy County Fair: A Bee Tale” by Gay Thomas in the LICM Theater. Honey Hoopla is made possible with support from PSEGLI, Reworld, and bee lovers and fans of LICM.

    Get Tickets

    Where Can You See LICM's Bees?

    Our Feasts for Beasts features a large indoor observation bee hive, home to more than 20,000 bees. The hive is housed between large sheets of plexi-glass where we can observe the bees hard at work building combs, filling them with honey and tending to the Queen. The space is illuminated with red light to enable viewing with minimal impact on the bees' natural behavior. The bees can come and go at will through a tube connecting the hive to the outside world.

    A photograph of an LICM staff member showing the Honey Bee's exhibit to a visiting family.

    Through the observational hive, visitors learn how bees collect pollen, make honey and that honey bees are responsible for some of our favorite foods.

    Honey bees are vital to our ecosystem and our food supply. Unfortunately, the honey bee population is decreasing rapidly worldwide due to a serious threat called colony collapse disorder. Without enough honey bees, our fruit and vegetable crops will disappear! We can help these important creatures through education and supporting bee colonies.

    Did you know?

    • Through pollination, honey bees help local gardens grow flowers, fruits and vegetables.  
    • Honey bees have five eyes, four wings, six legs, and two stomachs (one for food, one for nectar). 
    • Honey bees pollinate some of Long Island’s most abundant crops including melons, pumpkins, tree nuts and berries.  
    • Many farms all over the country would not be able to survive without honey bees and we would lose some of our favorite foods such as cherries, apples and almonds. 

    What can you do?

    • Plant wildflowers in your own backyard.  
    • Avoid pesticides and chemicals to treat your lawn – they will get into the nectar and pollen which can harm the bees. 
    • Consider buying honey from ethically sourced suppliers. 
    • Participate in LICM's Name a Honey Bee Campaign!