Sag Harbor is a small whaling village about 100 miles northeast of Manhattan on Long Island and is actually part of the towns of East Hampton and Southampton. Although not strictly its own entity, Sag Harbor’s business district, whaling port and writer’s colony is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are also some great sights and shopping here.
Sag Harbor became a port in the early 1700s and established itself as an important whaling station, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest by the time whaling declined in late 1900s. Most of the village and attractions of Sag Harbor are inside Southampton territory. The dividing line with East Hampton is known as Division street.
Main street, downtown, is the main part of interest of Sag Harbor and features the Whaling Museum, Whalers Church, and the Oakland Cemetery; look out for the old windmill atop the tourist information center. Downtown East Hampton is a great place for shopping, dining and just milling about, while Main Beach, on Ocean avenue in East Hampton, is a must-see in the summer.
Highlights
Water Mill Museum: this fascinating museum is one of Sag Harbor’s main sights and the oldest working mill on Long Island.
Southampton Historical Museum: this popular Southampton museum on Meeting House lane features many intriguing Native American and Colonial artifacts.
Parrish Art Museum: a Southampton landmark, Samuel Parrish originally built this house to store his burgeoning art collection.
Home Sweet Home Museum: located on James lane in East Hampton, the childhood home of the author of Home Sweet Home, John Howard Payne, features many antiques dating from the 1600s to the 1800s.
Montauk Point Lighthouse: the oldest lighthouse in the state of New York offers superb views and can be found in nearby Montauk.
Whaling Museum: commemorating Sag Harbor’s whaling days with various memorabilia. The whalers themselves are buried in nearby Oakland Cemetery.