Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site & Interpretive Center

The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center offers visitors to Long Island the opportunity to step back in time and encounter the life and works of the most powerful poet in world literature, America’s own Walt Whitman. Whitman was born here on May 31, 1819 and in 1949, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (WWBA) was established to preserve his birthplace and legacy. His birthplace is furnished with historically authentic artifacts and the Interpretive Center provides a detailed exhibit into his life and times.

Exhibits

Interpretive Center
Here visitors can delve deeply into Whitman’s life and poetry through a series of engaging exhibits that trace the poet’s development from his boyhood on Long Island to his international prominence as one of our country’s greatest visionaries. The exhibits incorporate over 130 portraits of Whitman, as well as original letters and manuscripts. A notable artifact is a writing desk used by Whitman as a young schoolteacher on Long Island. The exhibits surround a large performance space with stage; the multimedia area includes a video program of Walt and his voice on tape. A wall of glass doors offers a panoramic view of the Great Lawn complete with the Birthplace on one end and an 8-foot bronze statue of Whitman on the other end.

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