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, Staten Island Ferry, NYC Ferry, Staten Island Railway at St. George Terminal |
The Staten Island Museum is the oldest museum on Staten Island. It's also the only general museum left in New York City. Its official name is the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences.
It was started in 1881 by 14 people who cared a lot about nature. They were some of New York City's first "environmental activists." The museum is full of cool items from ancient times to today. It's like a "mini-Smithsonian" because it has so much art, science, and local history.
The museum has three main collections: Natural Sciences, Fine Art, and History Archives & Library. The natural science collections have over 500,000 plant, animal, and rock samples. These include bird nests, eggs, mounted animals, fossils, and many insects. The art collection has works from ancient times to modern art. The history collections include old books, maps, films, photos, and items from the 1600s.
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Museum History
The Staten Island Museum began in 1881. It was a private group of local nature lovers and history fans. They put their own collections together to open the museum to the public in 1908. People like William T. Davis and Nathaniel Lord Britton helped start it. They also helped protect nature and educate people in the city.
The museum has always focused on protecting the environment. It helped save places like High Rock Park. Since 1908, the staff has counted birds every year with the Audubon Society. In 1909, they added an art section. In 1919, the museum became the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. This new name showed that it also included local history.
Many people call the museum a "Mini Smithsonian." This is because it has so many different types of collections. It was built on an old idea from the 1800s. This idea was to create a place in a community with everything needed for a full cultural education. It's one of the last museums of its kind in America. Today, about 80,000 people visit each year. The museum wants to offer many different exhibits for everyone.
As the oldest cultural group on Staten Island, the museum helped start many other groups. These include the New York Botanical Garden. The museum's co-founder, Nathaniel Lord Britton, became its first director. It also helped start the Staten Island Zoo and the Staten Island Historical Society. The museum also helped protect the Greenbelt.
Museum's Purpose
The Staten Island Museum wants to make people curious. It aims to create fun experiences through science, art, and history. This helps us learn more about our world, ourselves, and each other.
Amazing Collections
Art Collection
The museum's art collection is very diverse. It has ancient Egyptian statues and Renaissance paintings. You can see 19th-century paintings of Staten Island and New York Harbor. There's also modern art, photos, and new media. It's the only museum that collects art by current Staten Island artists.
The collection includes American landscape paintings and old prints. There are also historic clothes, African sculptures, and ancient items from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. You can see Japanese prints and old Native American artifacts. There are also fancy objects like Chinese snuff bottles and carved pipes. The museum has some Italian Renaissance paintings and 19th-century bronze statues.
You can find important paintings of Staten Island and New York Harbor from the 1800s and 1900s. There are also portraits and works by famous local artists. Some artists whose works are here include Rembrandt, Goya, and Audubon. You can see paintings by Cropsey and Alma-Tadema. Japanese prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai are also on display. The modern art collection has works by Andy Warhol and Donald Judd. Over 150 women artists are also featured in the museum's art.
History Collection
The museum has over half a million items in its local history collection. These include original land grants from King Charles II (1674). There's also a military paper from 1776. It was signed by William Howe, who led 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 samples of birds and mammals. There are also fish, amphibians, and reptiles preserved in alcohol. You can see 500,000 mounted insects. There are also 25,000 plants in the herbarium (a collection of dried plants).
Featured Exhibitions
- Remember the Mastodon: Diversity & Preservation
- The Wall of Insects
- Staten Island SEEN: The borough's history and landscape from the 1600s to today.
- Opening the Treasure Box: Bringing the World Home: Objects from five continents, with the oldest from 2000 BC.
- From Farm to City: History of how land was used on the island.
Museum at Snug Harbor
The Staten Island Museum opened again at Snug Harbor in September 2015. The museum also has its Art Conservation Studio there. The Staten Island History Center & Archives are also at Snug Harbor Cultural Center. The museum has changed from an old "cabinet of curiosities" to a modern museum. It is easy to visit, has many different things, and uses new technology. It is a leader in managing collections, creating exhibits, and offering programs.
The museum building at Snug Harbor is a federal historic landmark. It was designed to be very energy efficient. It uses geo-thermal heating and cooling. The city spent $23 million to renovate Building A. This added over 25,000 square feet of space. More space will be added in Building B (Bio-Diversity) in 2022.
The museum shows 'Staten Island Scene/Seen.' This exhibit tells the story of Staten Island over three centuries. It includes new art from modern artists. It also features old landscape paintings by Jasper Cropsey and Edward Moran from the museum's collection.
A life-size model of a mastodon greets visitors. Mastodons were huge, ancient animals. They once lived on Staten Island. The museum has fossils found on the island that prove this. You can see these fossils in the new lobby.
See also
