The Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Museums manages over 70 parks, preserves, museums, and recreational facilities. These include "active" parks, which are large and offer diverse activities, are heavily used by the public, and have full-time, on-site staff; and "passive" parks, which are far smaller and limited to local usage, in many cases consisting of a single athletic field, small lake or grassy area.
Museums provide a range of artistic and educational experiences for the public. The preserves offer examples of most of the ecosystems that can be found on Long Island, including Prairie-Hempstead Plains, which is an endangered habitat, and Upland Forest.