Staten Island Museum Information

Mission Founded in 1881, the Staten Island Museum, New York City’s only general interest museum, engages visitors with interdisciplinary exhibitions and educational programs that explore the dynamic connections between natural science, art and history based on its diverse collections. The Museum is dedicated to making its current and future collections broadly accessible for educators, students, researchers and the general public by providing authentic experiences in the field and at the Museum. The Museum traces its beginnings to 1881, when a group of 14 naturalists had the foresight to pool their collections and research efforts out of a concern that “the rapid growth of the community [has already] obliterated many of our most interesting natural objects.” Their goal was to keep a record for future generations against the anticipated loss of species and to advocate for environmental preservation long before it was fashionable to do so. Today, the Staten Island Museum continues to build, in authentic specimens, photographs and field notes, an unbroken record of the changing biodiversity of the region, spanning more than 150 years. By 1905, the collecting focus of the founders expanded to include works of art and important historic documents, creating in essence a “mini Smithsonian.” As the Museum grew throughout the 20th century, it became a center for intellectual and scientific discourse, reaching well beyond its walls to be instrumental in the founding of a number of important institutions such as the Staten Island Zoo, the S.I. Historical Society, the S.I. Greenbelt and the New York Botanical Garden. The Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor opens on September 19, 2015. With the new building we add over 18,000 sq. ft. filled with art works and natural science objects . The interdisciplinary nature of the Museum’s collections enables it to create exhibitions and programs that will appeal to a wide range of visitors.