Staten Island Museum facts for kids
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St. George building
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| Established | 1881 |
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| Location | 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, New York, United States |
| Type | General interest museum |
| Public transit access | New York City Bus routes S62 and S44 |
The Staten Island Museum (officially called the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences) is a really cool place on Staten Island, New York City. It's the oldest cultural spot there! It's also the only museum left in New York City that covers a little bit of everything.
This museum started way back in 1881. It was founded by fourteen people who cared a lot about the environment in New York City. The museum is like a "mini-Smithsonian" because it has so many different things. You can find art, amazing natural science items, and lots of local history.
The museum's huge collection is split into three main parts. These are Natural Sciences, Fine Art, and History Archives & Library.
Contents
Discover the Museum's History
The Staten Island Museum began in 1881. It started as a private group of local nature lovers and history buffs. They put their own collections together to create a public museum in 1908. People like William T. Davis, Nathaniel Lord Britton, Arthur Hollick, and Charles W. Leng were some of the founders. They also helped protect nature and supported research and education in the city.
The museum has always focused on protecting the environment. It helped save places like High Rock Park and the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. Since 1908, the museum staff has counted birds every year with the Audubon Society. In 1909, they added an Art section. By 1919, it became the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. This new name showed that it now included local history too.
People have called the museum a "Mini Smithsonian." This is because it has such a wide range of collections. It was built on an old idea from the 1800s: to create a complete place for cultural learning right in your own town. It's one of the last museums of its kind in America. Today, about 80,000 people visit each year. The museum aims to offer interesting exhibits that combine different subjects for everyone.
As the oldest cultural group on Staten Island, the museum helped start many other cultural places nearby. These include the New York Botanical Garden (where co-founder Nathaniel Lord Britton became the first director). It also helped create the Staten Island Zoo (which started as a part of the museum in 1933). Other groups include the Staten Island Historical Society (which runs Historic Richmond Town) and the Staten Island Children's Museum. The museum also had a big impact on Staten Island's environment. It helped protect the Greenbelt and set up other environmental groups.
What the Museum Does Today
The Staten Island Museum's main goal is to make people curious. It wants to create fun experiences through natural science, art, and history. This helps us better understand our environment, ourselves, and each other.
Amazing Collections to Explore
Art Collection
The museum's art collection is huge! It has everything from ancient Egyptian sculptures to paintings from the Renaissance. You can see 19th-century landscapes of Staten Island and New York Harbor. There's also modern art from the 21st century, including photography. It's the only museum that actively collects art by artists from Staten Island today.
The collection includes American landscape paintings and old master prints. You can also find historic costumes, African sculptures, and masks. There are ancient items from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Plus, there are Japanese prints, Pre-Columbian pottery, and old and new Native American artifacts. The museum also has beautiful silver items from England and America. You can even see unique collections like Chinese snuff bottles, carved smoking pipes, and pocket watches. These were given by local people who loved collecting.
The museum has some Italian Renaissance paintings from the Samuel H. Kress collection. There are also 19th-century bronze statues that fit this style. You'll find important 19th and 20th-century paintings showing Staten Island and New York Harbor. There are also beautiful portraits from those times. The museum features works by famous local artists of today.
Some examples of traditional art include prints by Rembrandt, Goya, Piranesi, and Audubon. There are paintings by Cropsey, Moran, Alma-Tadema, Giovanni di Paolo, and Pordenone. You can also see sculptures by Hiram Powers and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Japanese prints include works by Hiroshige, Hokusai, Utamaro, and Kunisada. The Modern Art collection has pieces by John Sloane, Guy Pene du Bois, George Bellows, Chagall, Leger, Maillol, Andy Warhol, Philip Pearlstein, Isabel Bishop, Peter Max, and Donald Judd. Even the folk artist Clementine Hunter has work here. More than 150 women artists are featured in the Staten Island Museum's collections.
History Collection
The museum has over half a million items in its local History Collection. This includes real land grants with wax seals from King Charles II (from 1674) and King William III (from 1696). There's also a military paper from 1776 signed by William Howe. He was the Commander in Chief of the British Armies.
Natural Science Collection
The museum has a 140-year record of how nature has changed in the New York area. It has specimens of birds and mammals. There's also a collection of fish, amphibians, and reptiles kept in alcohol. You can see 500,000 mounted insects and 25,000 plants in the herbarium (a collection of dried plants).
Current Exhibitions
The museum often has special exhibits. Some past ones include:
- Remember the Mastodon: Diversity & Preservation
- The Wall of Insects
- Staten Island SEEN: The borough's history and landscape from the 17th century to today.
- Opening the Treasure Box: Bringing the World Home: Objects from five continents, with the oldest from 2000 BC.
- From Farm to City: The history of how land was used on the island.
The Museum at Snug Harbor
The Staten Island Museum opened its doors again at Snug Harbor in September 2015. The museum also has its Art Conservation Studio and the Staten Island History Center & Archives at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. It shares this space with other cultural groups. The museum has changed from an old-fashioned "cabinet of curiosities" to a modern museum. It is easy to visit, has many different things, uses new technology, and is a leader in managing its collections, creating exhibits, and offering educational programs.
The museum building at Snug Harbor is the first historic landmark on Staten Island to get a special "LEED Gold" certification. This means it's very eco-friendly! It uses geo-thermal heating and cooling. The city helped pay for the $23 million renovation of Building A. This added over 25,000 square feet of space. More space will be added in Building B (for Bio-Diversity) in the future.
The museum shows an exhibit called 'Staten Island Scene/Seen'. This exhibit looks at Staten Island over three centuries. It includes new art created by modern artists. It also features beautiful landscape paintings from the Hudson River School by Jasper Cropsey and Edward Moran. These paintings are from the museum's own collection.
When you visit, a life-size model of a mastodon greets you! Mastodons were huge creatures that once roamed the hills of Staten Island. The museum has fossils found locally that prove this. You can see these fossils on display in the new lobby.
See also
