Information
Landmark: Staten Island MuseumCity: Staten Island
Country: USA New York
Continent: North America
Staten Island Museum, Staten Island, USA New York, North America
Overview
The Staten Island Museum, founded in 1881 and housed in Building A at 1000 Richmond Terrace in Snug Harbor, holds the title of the borough’s oldest cultural institution.People often call it a “mini-Smithsonian” for the way it brings together vivid art, fascinating natural science, and rich local history-everything tucked neatly under one roof.The museum sits inside the historic Snug Harbor Cultural Center, once a 19th-century retirement home where weary sailors could rest under its broad, shaded porches.The museum’s collections are vast and varied, covering three main categories.In Natural Science alone, you’ll find over 500,000 specimens-everything from delicate butterfly wings to ancient fossils.You’ll find fossils, bird nests, shells, insects, minerals, even a fox preserved through taxidermy.This collection offers a vivid look at Staten Island’s natural history and ecology, from its quiet salt marshes to landscapes far beyond.The art collection spans centuries, from the worn gold of ancient Egyptian relics to bold, fresh pieces created by local and regional artists.You’ll find paintings, sculptures, and even delicate decorative pieces, like a vase painted in deep cobalt blue.The museum often swaps in new exhibits, bringing together everything from bold modern paintings to delicate Renaissance sketches.The museum keeps an extensive archive filled with documents, maps, photographs, and artifacts-everything from faded ship manifests to worn leather-bound journals-capturing Staten Island’s cultural and social story from its earliest days to now.It covers items tied to Indigenous communities, traces of colonial history, and the growth of Staten Island into a bustling part of New York City.At the Staten Island Museum, you’ll find both permanent and rotating exhibitions, including a towering life-size mastodon replica that greets visitors at the door, its massive tusks a glimpse into the region’s prehistoric past.Staten Island Scene/Seen invites you to explore the borough’s history and culture through vivid art and striking photographs, from weathered ferry docks to bustling street corners.The museum keeps its galleries fresh, pairing sleek contemporary pieces with centuries-old artifacts, so visitors can take in the full sweep of culture.The museum offers hands-on workshops and lively lectures in natural science, history, and art, giving visitors of all ages a chance to explore and learn-whether it’s examining a fossil up close or hearing a storyteller bring the past to life.We offer school group programs designed to match New York State educational standards-think hands-on activities with the smell of fresh markers and paper in the air.Public events range from lively art openings to engaging talks by historians and scientists, plus hands-on activities the whole family can enjoy.They’re planning a new STEAM Education Center in Building B, designed to spark hands-on learning-think microscopes on lab tables and paintbrushes ready beside code-filled screens.The center will showcase exhibits on Lenape culture, the area’s ecology, its layered rock formations, shifting weather patterns, and a range of other science topics.You can stop by for visitor information Wednesday to Sunday, anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the lobby clock’s steady tick marks the passing hours.They stop letting people in about 15 minutes before closing, just enough time to hear the lobby clock tick down.Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and $2 for kids ages 2 to 12.Children under 2 get in free, and so do members, veterans, and caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities.The museum welcomes visitors with full wheelchair access and meets every requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, from wide doorways to smooth, ramped entrances.To get there by public transit, hop on the S40 or S44 bus from the Staten Island Ferry terminal and ride until you see the Snug Harbor stop just past the row of old brick buildings.If you’re driving, head to the west gate on Snug Harbor Road-you’ll spot the iron arch that marks the entrance.You can park in lots P3 and P4, just a short walk from the museum’s front steps.The Staten Island Museum sits inside the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, a place with winding garden paths, stately old brick halls, and a mix of art and history that can easily fill your whole day.The museum helps keep Staten Island’s natural and cultural heritage alive, from its salt marshes to historic landmarks, and shares it with the public as a trusted place to learn and gather.
