The mission of the Staten Island Children's Museum is to nurture the creativity and curiosity natural to all children, to recognize and celebrate different learning styles, and to demonstrate vividly that learning can be exciting and fun.

Description and/or History:
The Museum is committed to achieving these goals through programming that emphasizes direct and authentic hands-on experiences conducted in an environment that is welcoming as well as aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the Museum encourages participation by visitors of all abilities and endeavors to reach beyond its walls to serve as an educational resource for the members of our diverse community, especially families and schools.

Founded by a group of parents in 1974, the Staten Island Children's Museum has evolved into a nationally recognized leader in the youth museum field. The Museum's founders had the foresight to recognize the need for a high-quality cultural and educational institution for children in their home community of Staten Island, a rapidly-growing suburban borough of the City of New York.

In 1976, the Staten Island Children's Museum opened in a small rented facility in a moribund business district. Quickly garnering a reputation for exceptional exhibitions and programs, the Museum soon needed space to grow. In the early 1980's, the Museum received both financial security and a new home when New York City offered the Museum a place at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, an 83-acre cultural campus being developed on the site of a former retirement home for merchant seamen.

A decade after relocating to Snug Harbor space constraints once again hampered the museum's activities. Construction on an expansion at the Snug Harbor site began in 1998, funded by public and private contributions. In 2003, the project was completed, doubling the Museum's size to 40,000 square feet.

Contact person: Carl Jackman, Volunteer Coordinator, (718) 273-2060 ext. 262, (email)

Address:

1000 Richmond Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 (See a map)

Directions:

Public transportation: To get to the Children's Museum, take the Staten Island Ferry, hop on the S40 bus at the ferry terminal to the Snug Harbor Road stop. Driving: From Staten Island Expressway (Rte 278) take Exit 13 ( Clove. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: S40, 5 minute walk