Sandy Hook Foundation
Official Nonprofit Partner of the National Park Service at Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is much more than a favorite destination for many — it is a multifaceted jewel to treasure and protect.
The Sandy Hook Foundation is the official nonprofit friends group for the National Park Service at Sandy Hook, NJ, a unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Established in 1989, the Foundation has funded cultural, educational, environmental, and conservation programs and has helped restore and preserve historic structures like the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock — both recognized as National Historic Landmarks. Please join us in supporting our beautiful national park, Sandy Hook.
Thank You!!!
Anchored by America’s Best Idea
What a day. The Sandy Hook Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service, hosted a three-part event on Friday, July 3rd, to kick off the holiday weekend in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. First, the captains of the Class A tall ships, anchored in Sandy Hook Bay, gathered at the Post Chapel for a meeting with Sail4th 250 to review final logistics for the weekend. Next, the Foundation, NPS, and Sail4th welcomed Governor Mikie Sherrill, other elected officials, and dignitaries, along with the press, to a media event where Governor Sherrill greeted the captains and crew, welcoming them to the United States, New Jersey, and our national park, Sandy Hook. Lastly, the Foundation hosted “Anchored By America’s Best Idea,” a cocktail party where guests enjoyed entertainment by the NJ Symphony against the backdrop of the tall ships in Sandy Hook Bay. Thank you to our partners and sponsors; we could not have pulled this off without you
Find pictures from the event below!
This project is made possible by generous funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the National Park Foundation, and the Sandy Hook Foundation.
What would you choose?
The Colonel Tye: Fighting for Freedom experience uses Apple Vision Pro headsets to tell the story of Colonel Tye, an enslaved man who escaped and fought for the British at Sandy Hook during the Revolutionary War.
Would you stay enslaved and hope for the best, or risk a dangerous escape and join the British, who guaranteed freedom if they won the war? Explore primary source historical documents as you face the same difficult choices Tye and others like him confronted in their quest for freedom.
The free, 25-minute immersive experience is located at the Taylor-Butler House, 127 Kings Highway, Middletown, and is available for two users at a time every Saturday and Sunday from May 2 through July 25, 2026 (except July 4 and 5), 1 to 4pm.
Our Work
Learn about past and ongoing projects, and see the results of the Foundation’s more than three decades of work at Sandy Hook.
Sandy Hook Foundation is a proud partner of the National Park Service
