Things to do in Staten Island, New York (NY): The Best Museums

Located on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center, this art and maritime history museum centers on the art and writings of John A. Noble (1913-1983.)

The Staten Island Children’s Museum features 10 indoor and 2 outdoor exhibits, a dedicated art workshop and a performance space. Visitors can explore different climates, examine bugs and other arthropods, learn about construction, build with blocks, hop on board a fire truck and play games throughout the interactive exhibits. The 4-acre East Meadow offers a perfect outdoor setting to run, play and picnic. The Children's Museum is engaging, affordable and focused on STEAM learning. In addition to the exhibits, it hosts a variety of programs throughout the year, including cultural performances & celebrations, summertime "Boogie Woogie Wednesday" dance performances, as well as mini-camps during the summer and during NYC public school breaks.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, a distinguished Smithsonian Affiliate, is Staten Island's premier destination for culture and entertainment. Set within a stunning 83-acre park-like setting, Snug Harbor presents a unique blend of gardens, museums, theaters, educational opportunities, and seasonal festivals. Snug Harbor's historic grounds and Greek Revival buildings house arts organizations with the area's most vibrant and intriguing activities, providing numerous ways for visitors of all ages and backgrounds to explore. The richness of this captivating environment truly makes Snug Harbor the heart of Staten Island's social life and a must-see destination in the region. Entrance to Snug Harbor's campus is free. Entrance to the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and the Chinese Scholar's Garden is $5. The Snug Harbor grounds are open daily, dawn to dusk. The Chinese Scholar's Garden is open from Tuesday - Sunday, 10am-5pm (last admission at 4:30pm). The Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art is open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am-5pm. Check our Facebook page for current happenings and upcoming events!

Located on the site of the United States Lighthouse Service General Depot, we are here to educate about the history, and importance, of our maritime sentinels. We are not only education! We also make lighthouses and maritime history fun. We host festivals, boat tours, and other special events, all during the year. Come to join us!

Creative Photographers Guild (CPG)is the only art gallery on Staten Island dedicated to photography. There are new exhibits every 6 weeks. CPG is open Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. CPG has its own permanent gallery space and has been in existence for over 7 years with 16 members. The exhibits range from contemporary to highly experimental photography.

As Staten Island's largest and oldest cultural institution, Historic Richmond Town possesses some of the most celebrated and storied historical items of American history. There are more than 130,000 artifacts, photographs, and archival collections dating back to the 17th century. The total number of individual objects or bits and pieces of history in our care is close to a million! At the center of our collections are original historic structures dating back as far as the 1660s. There is no other place like it in New York City. While many museums use structures to showcase their artifacts, our structures are among our most significant artifacts. This provides an authentic platform to share the stories of individuals - ordinary people who've built an extraordinary country.

Resembling a small Tibetan mountain temple, this unique museum showcases objects of Tibetan, Nepalese, Tibeto-Chinese and Mongolian in origin, dating primarily from the 17th to 19th centuries.