In a borough well known for its diverse population (some 138 languages are spoken in Queens),[1] the Long Island City / Astoria area is home to more than 350,000 people.

The Greater Astoria Historical Society sponsors an annual Haunted Waters Walking Tour along the East River in Long Island City as part of the Socrates Sculpture Park's Halloween Harvest Festival.

The holdings of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, on loan and owned, include a collection of rare and unusual items available for public perusal.

The GAHS maintains a Library/Research Center that contains over 10,000 items, including books and publications on local history, a photographic record of the community, and neighborhood ephemera and memorabilia.

The holdings also include an almost complete run (or the morgue file) of the Long Island Star Journal, Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine "a daily paper that informed the community about local and world news until it folded in 1968.

"[3] The Greater Astoria Historical Society actively solicits the donation of photographic images related to Queens history.