Mangano Announces New Audio Tour To Enhance History At Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Incorporating 21st Century Technology with 19th Century History

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that visitors at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration can now enjoy an exciting new audio tour in either English or Spanish beginning Saturday, June 30, 2012. A sign language tour will be available on the ORPHEO NEO video guide.

Visitors will be invited to take a fresh look at Old Bethpage Village Restoration using the terrific new software. The new audio tour will enhance museumgoers experience and provide a deeper understanding of the museum’s exhibitions, its dramatic setting, and what makes Old Bethpage Village unique.

“The audio tour will add another dimension to an already fantastic museum experience,” said Mangano. “People’s authentic stories will enable our visitors to think about the past, present, and future from intriguing perspectives.”

There will be 26 stops throughout the Village which the public may visit at their own pace. Each Audio tour will give information on the structures, the family histories and information pertaining to the architectural details of each building. Visitors will then be met by historic interpreters who will continue the tours inside the buildings.

About Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village. The 209-acre village includes an assortment of homes, farms and businesses. Each fall, the village hosts the Long Island Fair, a traditional county agricultural fair that draws tens of thousands of visitors, and through most of the year the village supports a steady series of family-friendly events and exhibits, including old-time “base ball” tournaments.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration (OBVR) came into existence in 1963, when Nassau County acquired the Powell property, a 165-acre farm located on the Nassau-Suffolk border. The acquisition of the land and the plan to develop a historic restoration were timely, as rapid post-World War II development on Long Island had taken a toll on the area's landmarks. Although OBVR never existed as an historic entity, it represents a typical rural Long Island farm village of the mid-19th century — one whose roots can actually be found in the earlier Dutch and English settlement of Long Island.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Admission is as follows: $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 5 through 12 (under 5 are free); and $7 for seniors and volunteer firefighters. There will be aminimal fee for the audio tour which will not be included in admission.

About ORPHEO

ORPHEO specializes in audio guides and information systems for museums and cultural sites. As designer and manufacturer, they provide complete Audioguide solutions. Over 100,000 of ORPHEO’s hand held devices are currently installed in more than 1000 sites.

For more information about Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, please call: (516) 572-8400 or visit our website at: www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks.