5. The Jazz Loft

Jazz Loft Stony Brook

The Jazz Loft, currently closed due to COVID-19, is a museum and music education space that opened in 2016. The handsome fieldstone building was originally the site of the Suffolk Museum, now the Long Island Museum, and the building later served as the Garden Exchange for roughly 40 years.

The Jazz Loft frequently invites local, national, and international jazz artists to their 1940s-esque second-floor performance space. In addition to a monthly lecture series, the Jazz Loft features original jazz memorabilia, photographs, and art spanning 100 years of American history. New signs have been added on the front lawn with inspiring quotes from jazz musicians.