Whether we love it, hate it or tolerate it, Long Island equals suburbia and has been that way longer than many other places in the United States. In February, the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook will open the front door to understanding how suburban Long Island became what it is today. Sixty years after the rise of the most famous American postwar housing development, the museum brings together stories of the dream-makers and the dreamers who participated in this great social change.

Living the American Dream: Levittown and the Suburban Boom is an exciting, three-dimensional exploration of the rise of Levittown and the post-war housing boom on Long Island. In 1947, the ambitions of the Levitt family of Brooklyn met the dreams of thousands of young families seeking their own homes and patches of green grass. Housing shortages and new government programs made conditions ripe for the suburban boom, offering a new way of life to young couples and families.

While the Levittown story has been featured extensively in both documentaries and books, the Long Island Museum hosts the first major museum exhibition on the subject. Visitors will make a nostalgic connection with the suburban pioneers that helped make this way of life their own.

The Long Island Museum is located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 per person, $6 for seniors and $3 for students. Members and children under six are admitted for free. For more information and directions call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org.