Patch Picks: Five Local 'Staycations' For Spring Break

For those who may not have extra money for vacation this year – skip the jet-setting and create memories by staying close to home. This week, Patch Picks will feature five local “staycations” for spring break.

• For some, spring break is about adventure. Sweetbriar Nature Center on Eckernkamp Drive in Smithtown provides just that. Sweetbriar is a nonprofit organization on 54 acres of land that offers various activities which include close encounters with animals, crafts, nature walks and wildlife presentations.

• For those who are more of an indoors person, AMF Smithtown Lanes on Landing Avenue has dozens of lanes, arcade games, snacks and a bar area.

• For those with an interest in creativity, there are art galleries such as the Mills Pond House Gallery in Saint James operated by the Smithtown Township Arts Council. This nonprofit organization hosts art exhibits, classes and events.

• There are also plenty of shows to be seen right in the heart of Smithtown at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts. They will be featuring Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” the longest running play or musical in the history of modern theatre (58 years), weekly on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until April 10. Tickets for adults are $26 to $30, children and students are $18, and Thursday matinees are $15.

• For those who need a break from the heavy workload, a night out wining and dining with friends and family could be the cure. Casa Rustica Italian restaurant on Main Street, opened since 1986, is hosting “Wild Fridays,” featuring different wild game meats.