Destinations / New York City / Top Things to Do in New York City for Design Lovers on Staten Island
Top Things to Do in New York City for Design Lovers on Staten Island
1. Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
A 19th-century sailors’ retirement campus turned arts hub where Greek Revival temple-fronted halls meet formal allées and working gardens across 83 acres.
✓ Why Go:
A living survey of American civic architecture and landscape design, with adaptive-reuse galleries and photogenic sightlines.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
May–October for lush gardens; weekday mornings for soft light and fewer crowds.
✓ Insider Tip:
Begin near Building C to frame Building B’s colonnade through rows of sycamores for classic architectural symmetry.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Widely praised as Staten Island’s design heart—spacious, peaceful, and rich with historic detail.
2. New York Chinese Scholar's Garden
An authentic classical garden crafted by Suzhou artisans with moon gates, zigzag bridges, and scholar rocks that choreograph light and shadow.
✓ Why Go:
Rare in the U.S., it exemplifies traditional Chinese garden design and exquisite handcraft.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late afternoon and early autumn for crisp reflections and gentle contrast.
✓ Insider Tip:
Stand in the Fragrance Hall doorway to align the zigzag bridge with borrowed harbor views.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Described as serene, meticulous, and transportive—many visitors return season after season.
3. Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor
A Beaux-Arts home for art, natural science, and local history where exhibitions trace the island’s design story and ecology.
✓ Why Go:
To pair object and exhibition design with elegant restored interiors for a contextual look at place-making.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Weekday afternoons for quiet galleries.
✓ Insider Tip:
Ask about Building A’s restoration—moldings, skylights, and finishes reveal meticulous craft.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Noted for thoughtful curation, approachable scale, and friendly staff.
4. Postcards
A minimalist waterfront 9/11 memorial—two wing-like walls whose negative-space silhouettes honor Staten Islanders lost, aligned to Lower Manhattan.
✓ Why Go:
A powerful lesson in civic memorial design and site-specific framing of skyline and sea.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Sunset and blue hour for glowing horizons; quiet mornings for reflection.
✓ Insider Tip:
Walk to the pier’s edge to align the memorial axis with One World Trade for a precise sightline.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Frequently called moving, contemplative, and beautifully sited.
5. Alice Austen House
A waterfront Gothic Revival cottage and museum where pioneering photographer Alice Austen lived—pairing period architecture and contemporary exhibits.
✓ Why Go:
To study vernacular Victorian details and learn how early photography shaped modern visual culture.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late spring to early fall for gardens and views of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
✓ Insider Tip:
From the lawn, frame the house against the bridge for layered composition and scale.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Beloved for its intimate storytelling, inclusive history, and photogenic setting.
6. National Lighthouse Museum
Set at the former U.S. Lighthouse Service Depot, the museum connects industrial waterfront structures with the evolution of navigational design.
✓ Why Go:
To see Fresnel lenses, beacons, and signage as design objects within an authentic maritime site.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late morning for balanced indoor light and harbor views.
✓ Insider Tip:
Trace the old depot foundations along the promenade before entering to grasp the original site plan.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Often called an underrated gem with passionate storytelling and unique artifacts.
7. St. George Theatre
A lavish 1929 atmospheric theatre restored to its gilded glory—muraled ceilings, ornate plasterwork, and sparkling chandeliers.
✓ Why Go:
A case study in historic theatre design and meticulous preservation.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Evenings—arrive 30 minutes before a show to see the interior dramatically lit.
✓ Insider Tip:
Look up to catch the faux-sky ceiling and layered balcony ornament.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Guests rave about the wow-factor interior and superb restoration.
8. Historic Richmond Town
A 100-acre village of preserved and relocated structures tracing Staten Island’s vernacular architecture from the 17th to 20th centuries.
✓ Why Go:
To compare timber framing, Dutch Colonial, and Victorian forms in one immersive setting.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Autumn weekends for crisp light and active demonstrations.
✓ Insider Tip:
Seek out the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House for exemplary 18th-century joinery and interiors.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Appreciated for authenticity, craftsmanship, and atmospheric streetscapes.
9. Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
A 1940s fieldstone complex modeled after Himalayan monasteries, merging architecture, landscape, and a rare art collection.
✓ Why Go:
For a distinct architectural language uncommon in NYC and a contemplative garden sequence.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late afternoon when angled light sculpts the stonework.
✓ Insider Tip:
Walk the terraces to experience the intended uphill procession and courtyard views.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Often described as tranquil, unusual, and transportive.
10. Fort Wadsworth
A centuries-old coastal fort with brick casemates and archways set against the sweeping span of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
✓ Why Go:
To study military engineering geometry and modern bridge design in one dramatic landscape.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Clear mornings or golden hour for long shadows and skyline clarity.
✓ Insider Tip:
From Battery Weed, compose brick arches with the bridge deck for striking scale contrast.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Celebrated for iconic views, layered history, and endlessly photogenic angles.
