Fodor's Expert Review Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden

One of the largest ongoing adaptive reuse projects in America, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden’s 83-acre campus—with 4 museums, 26 buildings, 9 gardens, 10 acres of wetlands, and a 2-acre farm—is an ideal place to enjoy nature, history, and the arts. Its on-site attractions are managed (and, if applicable, ticketed) independently of each other. Events, performances, and cultural celebrations occur regularly throughout campus.

The Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art is Staten Island's largest and oldest contemporary art gallery, exhibiting vibrant, dynamic displays of local and international artwork, all housed in Snug Harbor’s oldest landmarked Greek Revival building. Next door, the Noble Maritime Collection maintains historic collections specific to Staten Island's maritime past. Enjoy the Staten Island Children's Museum with kids, or visit the Staten Island Museum, with exhibits on art, history, and science—including a partial life-size replica of a mastodon. Among the unique botanical gardens is the Ming Dynasty--inspired New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, one of the first classical outdoor scholar’s garden in North America, fabricated in Suzhou and constructed on-site.