Staten Island Children's Museum

This is the best place I could take my 3 year old. It's a interactive, educational experience for him. I've been coming to this place for a year now and dont regret it my membership expired which is 50 a year or 8 person and 8 per child and they informed me that EBT or benefit card holders (the blue and white card) come in for free (with ID). So needless to say I'll be coming here more often. The pictures are the third floor, the second floor offers a walk in workshop that offers coloring, painting, sand playing, train tracks etc. The first floor has a jungle, fire truck and various stem activities. The staff is super friendly and bathrooms are kept very clean definitely recommend

It was a calm trip. We all enjoyed ourselves and all the activities. Plus the food was bomb!

Worth every penny. You can spend hours in there with all the activities they offer and tire the children out at the same time. I’ve been visiting this museum with my grandkids since 2014. I’ve never been disappointed. Even recent visits when the museum condensed activities due to renovations. My grandson still has a ball there. They made sure to bring something from each closed area into 1 room even the arts and crafts. We are both excited to see what it will look like when the remodel is finished. Staff is always friendly. Please bring back the bugs, my grandson loves the bugs. He is 5 with autism and calls the museum “the bug store”.

Super fun. Wasn't crowded and staff was friendly. They had lots of things for kids to do. The lawn out front is also perfect for a picnic Still lovely and a perfect spot to take your kid on a weekday adventure!

Clean, spacious, and airy on a beautiful campus! Who knew Staten Island harbored such a gem! The kiddos loved the whole museum. Honestly the 2-5PM reservation slot wasn't enough to explore the whole thing at all. We'll have to come back because it was a wonderful time.

Great place! Super clean, friendly staff, easy parking and not to crowded!! Also the price of 8$ is more than fair. The kids had a great time with lots to do and see. Great for a variety of ages. Also they had a little snack zone with reasonably priced snacks. Bathrooms were also very clean. We ended the day with a picnic in the field.

The Winter Lantern festival is hosted to celebrate and cherish the Chinese New Year. Amazing Lights gleam all over the place. Good place for kids and some good night photographs. There are some shows which are announced while you are there. The place is pretty far and pricy. The feel is “Not a good value for money” at the end.

Very nice place for kids to spend some great time. Lots of activities to do there. Place is very clean and well organized. Definitely will be back there.

Fun spot! Came here with my year and a half year old and it was perfect. Lots of fun things to touch and play with, including costumes and an indoor fire truck. We were here for about 2 hours, and didn't get to everything. Next time we'll hit up the block area and upstairs exhibits. But the first floor has a ton of stuff and it kept him well entertained. Advice for the management: better gift shop. I was looking for a souvenir but the selection was really limited. Also, more hand sanitizer throughout the exhibits. Would be great for parents and kids!

Went here on a nice weekend afternoon. Great place for the kids to interact and get out the house. They require masks and vaccinations. Timed admissions help with crowding. We will visit again including the gardens. Recommended!

Really impressed with this children's museum. The people that work here seem happy and are working hard. The museum is pristeen compared to Brooklyn's. The museum exhibits mostly have all the parts and were working when I went. The art room we open and so welcoming. The lady made sure we had materials and everything was organized. There were tables for cray pas, collaging, and water color. Check hours though for this.. It's in second floor. We didn't get to check out the outdoors part because it was chillier and he had enough fun inside. The only complaint is that the snack bar was closed when I went and there were only vending machine options. It's pretty empty except for two birthday parties. Free parking with a few min walk.

Good times! My kids and their cousins (ages 6 mos. to 4 years old) had so much fun and freedom in a great variety of environments (fire station, jungle room, arctic spot, nautical playground, and more) with themed activities. When we arrived at 9am on a Saturday, we were the only people there. Other families started to arrive closer to 11am but it never got crowded and my kids were able to play with everything. You can bring your own food and drinks and enjoy them in an indoor or paved outdoor area. Though none of us live nearby, it was such a great family-friendly experience that we plan to go back. TIPS: **25-minute ferry ride from Manhattan. 40-minute drive from central New Jersey. Plenty of parking. **$8 admission for 1-year-olds and up, free for members, free for grandparents on Wednesdays. Adults unaccompanied by minor children are prohibited. **Breastfeeding room available. **Bathrooms are wheelchair-accessible. Elevators available on opposite ends of the building. Most exhibitions are wheelchair-accessible and the desk clerk can let you know which ones. **BYOF. Food sometimes available when their café is open. A vending machine's also available.

Wish I could leave ZERO STARS. THEY NEED TO UPDATE THEIR WEBSITE IF THEYRE NOT OPEN!!! NOBODY I mean nobody enjoys traveling with children through multiple boroughs just to arrive and it be closed. Utter ridiculousness. VERY DISAPPOINTING. Besides that, no indication where entrance is, not easily accessible.

One of our favorite local children's museums (and we've been to many across the tri-city area). Tickets are reasonably priced, there is an on-site nursing pod, the permanent exhibits are great and the events are wonderful. We really enjoy the weekly music dance events during the summer!

We decided to take our kids here on Saturday since it had a lot of good reviews and we've already taken them to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Children's Museum, which was pretty decent so we were expecting nothing less from this place but it was quite disappointing. It is although cheaper than the other 2 museums but you get what you pay for. Not only is it cheaper, it's also much smaller too. The museum does have 4 floors but didn't have many fun exhibits and the 2nd floor's attraction was closed. There is also 2 outdoor exhibits, which is open seasonally. The lower level of the museum consists of 1 of the outdoor exhibit-sea of boats (annoying loud bell) and a cafe/snack vending machines. 1st floor consists of the Portia's playhouse (stage), ladder 11 (firefighter pretend play), the 2nd outdoor exhibit-garden terrace, the big games (my kid's favorite), and the great explorations exhibit. 2nd floor, which had the walk-in workshop were closed for the day. And the 3rd floor consists of the bugs & other insects and house about it exhibits. It was rainy and chilly out that day so the outdoor exhibits were wet and my kids didn't really get to enjoy them for that long. The lack of exhibits here had us going through the museum twice. The only exhibit my kids really enjoyed was the big games where they had life sized chess pieces, giant dominoes, bowling, checkers, playing cards, connect four, ball toss, air hockey and building log cabins. Imo, this place isn't fun for children over 5, even my 3 yo finds it boring. Not to mention, my 7 yo wanted to leave after the first hour. The so called gift shop wasn't even a store, they had little pieces of toys (junk) in bins for sale (like mini crayons and notepads for $1). It's worth visiting if you live in S.I. or nearby but definitely wasn't worth the drive from L.I.

This children's museum beats all the other ones around NYC, just too bad I have to pay a toll to get here. This is when my Cool Culture Pass comes in handy and cancels out the toll. Anyways, the crowd did pick up very soon for a Sunday morning. We came right when they opened so we had the place to ourselves for a good hour. Located inside Snug Harbor, you walk through a lovely lawn with a giant grasshopper before making it to the main entrance. I have to be honest, it's not a huge place, but big enough for the kids to have fun and at the same time stay within eyes radius. Our favorite was the Big Games Room. Oversized dominos, chess, connect four, and even a bowling lane. My butt definitely got whooped "big" time. Sadly, the Garden Terrace was closed for the season. The lower level was interactive as well, there was even a small playground featuring boats and a lighthouse. This would be a place I would bring my little girls again and again whenever I decide to make day trips here in Staten Island.

SO DISAPPOINTED I came here all the way from BROOKLYN with the two kids I'm babysitting during the Wednesday free hours. Once arrived there at 3:45, a lady tells us that the free hours are not from 3 to 5 but from 5 to 8, despite the fact that the website indicates 3 to 5. They just changed the free hours and it's an error from them they said. Fine. But we won't go inside for free until 5 she said. We should have call before coming she said. WHICH KIND OF CHILDREN FACILITIES WILL ASK YOU TO WAIT AN HOUR UNDER 92°F WITH KIDS? NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN!!!!!!

I do love our Staten Island Children's Museum. We had a family membership last year, however, we decided not to renew our membership this year. They do have great activities and rooms for children of different ages, but I feel that they need to revamp the area to include newer exhibitions. My daughter's don't care for the "explorer area". I also feel, that after taking my girls there so many times, that it's become pretty monotone. I do love that they offer different classes. For the future, I'm going to take my girls to one of the classes to try something new. The time I was there was in January and the room with the boat and building blocks was a sauna. It was extremely difficult to stay in that room for more than 10 minutes.

I came here with my son for a field trip and it is a wonderful children's museum. There are many different levels of play and it would cater to children with all different interests. There is a giant fire truck model complete with fireman's pole and firemen outfits. I loved the sensory screen corner where when you touched it it created different on screen geometric patterns. There is a giant house building and construction model with a seesaw play area. There are big chess sets and bowling sets. This is all just the indoors! There is a great outdoor playground. The museum sits on the botanical gardens and is near the water. There is a cottage on the grounds that has been turned into a restaurant so all in all this would make for a lovely day trip back. Admission is $8 for adults and children over the age of 1.

It's a really cute an cool place for children. I took one star away only bc it was a little difficult getting into the right building an finding the correct parking zone. Other then that myself an my boys had such an amazing time here I been here about 3 times now an each time is just as fun. They also have scheduled classes for kids cooking drawing etc. I loved all floors of entertainment for the kiddies! Definitely will come back again. Enjoy :)

We have been to several other children museums, including those in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and this is probably the worst children's museum in NY. Most of the exhibits are broken / game pieces are missing. It's very frustrating for kids to start playing with something, understanding what it does and what they're supposed to do, only to find out that they can't because it's not working or pieces are missing. I don't remember the exact price, but it definitely doesn't worth it.

My kids loved this place. We spent several hours there and they can't wait to go back. Friendly staff. Good cafe. Beautiful grounds. Highly recommended.

Place is so nice, I recommend it to everyone to attend with children of any age. Personnel is friendly. There are a lot of amenities for children in this huge 3-floor building. All of that is supported by the huge open air area of Snug Harbor for walking and taking any kind of rest. I recommend to take yearly tickets here to avoid paying every time. For yearly ticket, price is so small.

We recently had a birthday party for my grandson at this facility. As a whole its an so-so place for little ones up to 5 to explore. Its not great, but will keep your child occupied for at least 1 hour. To tell the truth, to a large degree, this place is rather boring. The price of the party was $425.00 which was high considering the fact that it was simply poor service. They did not supply cake, but did serve pizza. Apple juice was supplied by them, a Stop and Shop brand. Water was served (hot) no ice was available. Music was played but the sound was similar to a transistor radio. At one point, a manager (Haley) told one of the young women working with our group to punch out at 3:00. Hey... but wait....our party was scheduled to end at 3:00. This was in such poor taste and many of our guest were shocked. We asked about extending the time for 20 minutes, since the museum staff was 20 minutes late getting our party started. We were told that it would cost $75.00 for the extra time. (But they were 20 minutes late!!!) The service was strained and it appeared that the workers really didn't want to be with kids. Hospitality training is definitely needed!!! As a whole this museum will entertain your little ones for about an hour or two. You can also opt to have a party there if you really love it!! But honestly, the price is way too high for poor service, cold pizza, hot water and juice and lousy music. ‍Think twice about spending your money here for a party. It's not worth it at all! Not only is it overrated, but much of what it offers is old and antiquated. We will not recommend this place to a friend nor will we ever use the facility for a party again.

Paying 8 dollars to pay nothing. Everything worn out and dirty . Not worth for 8 dollars. I don't know why there are a lot of good reviews??? What wrong with you guys ? I do not recommend everyone to visit that children's museum! Save your money. Oh hell, I want a refund if I can.

One of the better children's museums in the Tri-state area, and probably the best in the five boroughs. It offers scientific learning, but also a cozy environment and a nice surrounding scenery as well.

We decided to come here on a blustery cold day to keep the kids entertained. We used our Cool Culture pass at the door & had no problems! Immediately saw the giant fire engine which my 4 year old went bonkers over. They both loved the giant games, Connect 4 and bowling specifically. Snacks and restrooms were at the lower level, no complains there. I noticed they have a fairly large outdoor play area so we will definitely be returning in the spring. Upper level had the construction area, veterinary pretend play and bug stuff. Overall the girls liked it very much.

I came here for the first time with my toddler and he loved it. He did not want to leave and even cried as we were leaving. Two areas were out of order, which is why I took off a star. I like that there is a parking area so that it was walking distance, but it may be better to go earlier so that there are more parking spots available.

Haven't written a review for this place since our last visit, but we were lucky to visit a few days before the whole pandemic lockdowns. We're members here. It's one of the cheapest children's museums in NYC, and a lot of people who visit say this is the best one out of all of them in NYC. We've been coming here fairly often as our kids LOVE this place. Zach is amazing, we all love his welcoming energy and he makes us feel welcomed every time we see him, as well as Maryellen, who does the story time with the kids whenever we visit. We miss Jackie as well, our kids miss the workshops with her. For the kids, this place is great, but as an adult, the place does feel a bit outdated. Some of the exhibits haven't been changed or updated in quite some time, pieces are either broken/missing. But despite this, your young kids will spend hours here. I hope they're taking this pandemic closure to update, remove, and add in new stuff for when they do re-open. We also had some incidents with some of the visitors on weekends and was the reason we stopped visiting on weekends. There seems to be a lot of Hasidic Jewish visitors on weekends, and my nieces and nephews are fairly young. These visitors have no respect for anyone around them, and their kids are running around, throwing things, kicking and bumping into my nieces and nephews, creating a very fragile and hostile environment. I've spoken to the parents, who don't care at all. I reached a boiling point when my niece was pushed and shoved inside the boat, leading to her falling and crying. I went to the front desk to report them, and Zach came down to speak with me and comforted me. I understand the museum has no control over the visitors, but their behavior was absolutely disgusting and unacceptable to be allowed in the museum.

Great for kids 5 and under! Never jammed-packed like the Brooklyn & Manhattan locations... Much better experience IMO- not as stressful for the parents Staff is friendly & helpful. Helps to drive there otherwise it's a Ferry and bus ride from Brooklyn/Manhattan. It's located in snug harbor- which has nice grounds to explore or have a small picnic. $6 per person or free if you're a member. My four year old loves spending time here- specially at the fire truck exhibit : )

Childrens museums and other such places have become a way of life for me and my family for the last few years . . . and probably will continue to be a part of our lives for several years to come. So, when we recieved an invitation for a birthday party at the SICM I figured this was an opportunity to enlighten the world via Yelp of this institution. Located in the heart of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the ground are really quite nice. Lots of space to run around in. The buildings all seem to be historic in nature . . . it appears that these grounds and houses were meant for retired sailors during the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th centuries. The museum itself is nice. It is clean and spacious and enjoyed by many. It seems though that certain areas of the museum are more well kept that others. The "underwater" themed area seemed to be a bit worn and some of the exhibits were either not or were barely working. And then there were other areas which seemed to be much better taken care of, and were in brighter and larger spaces. There are plenty of interactive activities for the kids to enjoy -- everything from an area with an area to build blocks and play house, to an area where you can slide down a fire pole, dress as a fireman / fireperson and sit in an authentic old fire truck. To an area where you can "bowl" or play an extra large chess game. There is even an outdoor but fenced in play area for the kids to run around in. They do not have a full-service consession stand, but they do have tables and vending machines downstairs for all to enjoy snacks. They also have a large party room where kids enjoy their pizza and sugary snacks away from the general public elsewhere in the museum. And for those of us with kids . . . the bathrooms seem clean and pretty well maintained. There is an entrance fee if you are visiting and not party of a birthday party -- although I believe the fees are pretty much nominal. And if anyone is coming from the ferry, there is a bus which will take you right there (at least just outside the grounds), at the Sung Harbor Cultural Center.

Wonderful place for kids of all ages. Staff is friendly. Exhibits are clean. Never had an issue with overcrowding. My 18 month old enjoys the 3 floors of fun just as much as my 6yr old nephew. So glad we have the family membership.

Sorry excuse for a children's museum. The place is filthy and germ infested. They outside play area is is never clean and doesn't look safe for kids to frolic. The upstairs play area with the mock Vet, Insect Exhibit, and Builders area is like a sauna and unsafe for kids to play during the warmer months. It is so dirty, the dust piles up. Unacceptable for them to operate as they do.

I've been a member for a while now, and I am so thankful that this place exists. They have toddler-friendly displays and several different themes rooms (like block harbor, A bug's life and a construction site room). Its the perfect place to bring your energetic and curious children especially when its too hot, cold or rainy out. Throughout the summer, there are many scheduled events such as Boogie Woogie Wednesdays (free to the public, starting at 5pm) and other events that are either free with admission, or a few dollars extra, such as cooking, painting and art classes for the children. To top things off, they are located on the grounds of Snug Harbor, which is nice in itself. My only wish is that they opened sooner and stayed open later.

This is located within Snug Harbor. It's something cute to do with the kids (definitely toddlers and over) when you need to get out of the house. It's not a large museum at all, we are usually in and out in like 2-3 hours, but if it was up to the kids they would stay all day. They have many different fun interactive displays and games for the kids and the boat yard outside to play with and learn from. We go at least once a month and will probably continue to come!

I went to State Island Children's Museum just a few days ago. Travelled on the ferry from Manhattan. The S40 bus drops you off right in front of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center (Snug Harbor is the stop) and the Children's Museum is located in the back from there. At $5.00 a piece it was inexpensive and a good price for what you get. The cafeteria was closed when we visited, but they have vending machines for drinks and snacks. In addition to all the play areas and exhibits, they have a free Walk-In Workshop for kids of all ages. My kids absolutely loved the Block Harbor and we spent most of our time there, though the outside play area is nice too. Check out more on our visit to the museum at The Adventures of an NYC Mama (http://nycitymama.com/2009/02/staten-island-childrens-museum-staten-island-ny/). Combined with the ferry ride, it makes for a fabulous day trip with the kids.

My children and I visited this museum on a Tuesday afternoon and had a wonderful time! If you can, call ahead and find out what days there are no field trips, we lucked out and it was so nice and quiet the day we were there. The exhibits were fun, the museum was clean, the staff was friendly, and it was only a short walk from a bus stop. Perfect! One of the best things about the museum was the cafe on the lower level, its not open all the time but it was open while we were there. For $12 we got: a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread, a tuna wrap with lettuce and tomatoes, a turkey club with avocado mayo, a large cup of grapes, two juice boxes, and two pudding cups. Perfect child-friendly inexpensive food! Everything was fresh and tasty and it was great not to have to leave the museum to go out to lunch.

I've been here a few times and the kids love it. We had our son's birthday party here and it was great. I can't wait to bring the kids back. The staff is friendly and patient with the kids and that's a big plus. I live in the area so it's somewhere close that we can bring the kids. My only issue is the parking but it's not a big deal. I definitely recommend!!!

This museum is great for young kids. A ton of hands on exhibits with strategically placed hints for parents to engage their children while they are exploring the museum. The large board game room is a lot of fun. Many of the exhibits encourage children to dress up as fireman, Veterinarian, contractor to name a few. The day my daughter and I went the museum was overcrowded with a few summer camps so the noise level was very highly but that is to be expected. I was also surprised to see their collection of bees, spiders and other animals on the third floor. If you are visiting Snug Harbor with young children, this museum is worth your time.

It is cheap! Yaaaayyyy.... Like $8/person. They don't do military discount but no complaints with $8/person. The place is small for adults but I'm sure in a child's mind, it's probably the biggest place in the world. The bathroom needed work. It was quite disgusting but at least there was hand soap, right? Well, the museum has different stations for children to explore and touch. It did the job of keeping the kiddos busy.

A bargain for $8. Kids could stay here all day. It was cool and clean and the cafeteria had all foods that kids like and it was cheap.

We come here often and even purchased a membership! They have so many great things to do! The exhibits are always clean and the staff is amazing! They are so good with the kids

My son always has a great time. The art labs on sundays are great. I highly recommend this as a stop on a rainy day, or if your looking to change things up.

This children's museum is very well laid out, has many fun, interactive exhibits for the kids and is located in the same grounds as the Staten Island botanical garden. my child enjoyed every minute of being there and kept herself busy the entire 2 hours I was there. I would highly recommend.

I liked this place, I took the kids there and they liked it. But some of the play areas need help and some exhibits were closed. Maybe this place is better in the summertime. I just wish there was more.

I have been here many times with my kids throughout the years they have cool exhibits and interesting events which my kids really enjoy the grounds are beautiful there are gardens a Japanese house that looks like it's straight from Japan it's worth a visit the museum and snug harbor there is parking but bring your own food there are only vending machines downstairs all in all it's worth a visit for ages 1-10

I brought the kiddos here yesterday because it was free admission. It is about an hour drive and we had never been, so the free admission was attractive. A couple of my friends joined us there with their kiddos. We got there at 11 and stayed until after 4, but the kids would've stayed longer. They enjoyed it so much! There is a fire station room, an oversized game room, a section with different biomes, a construction zone, pirate ship, and more. There is also an outdoor play area. The cafeteria surprised me the most with lots of healthy, delicious options at great prices. Regular admission is only $6, well below museum prices in my area. We loved it. The reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because a few of the exhibits were broken or not functional, but that is sadly to be expected when you have a large volume of children coming through every day. The vast majority of the facility is in excellent condition, with more than enough to entertain and educate the little ones.

Lovely place for children, but stop charge me for ticket. I'm just supervise my son, I'm not playing with all this stuff

Wow, where do I begin? This place is amazing for ALL ages. I was introduced to here through siparent.com they show all the classes offered, so I decided to take the boy I babysit and give it a go. The staff is super friendly. Becoming a member for the year gives you many perks. Admission with child and adult is free and some of the classes offered are free as well. If not they charge maybe $5 if your a member. You pay way more about $17 without membership. The classes are given at all different times and all different days. Siparent.com always has a schedule up for you. The classes are tots time, clay day, kidz cook and many more ! They have paint, coloring, puzzles, teacher time - when she reads a book to the loss and dances and sings with them. Kidz cook is awesome. The child is hands on in an apron cooking. As for the museum itself there are many rooms to just get lost in. Firetruck room, rainforest room,game room (which has giant pieces and the boards are on the floor-cool!) sea room, world room etc. the child can dress the role in each room as well. Thumbs up for this museum. Always a good time !

I've been taking my children here for years. We usually just pick up and go in the summertime. A few times we got lucky and arrived during big events,,,so I should probably check their website calendar more and plan it out. The kids just have fun exploring all the rooms and floor levels, especially the construction-themed one on the top floor.

This is completely superior to the children's museum in Manhattan or the one in Brooklyn. It is nicely proportioned, never too crowded, and very comfortable to spend a few hours in. It is an underappreciated resource. I almost don't want to write this review because I don't want the hordes to find it. Just take the ferry to St. George, catch the bus to Snug Harbor that is waiting for you. The ferry itself is worth it.

This museum is a treasure. So many interesting and creative exhibits for small children.

This place needs some tlc. I use to bring my kids here all the time. Recently we visited because my 7yr old has never been. The toys are visibly worn if they aren't missing all together. They are making an addition on the top floor.

Having a toddler only because she is walking at 91/2 mo SICM has become one of our favorite haunts. agreed with the others and would add our favorites are block island too fun for busy hands and the weekly activities. We went to reading day and got free books! Today we are going to see the Native American Indians play there drum and celebrate T-day their way. Love the sweet staff and the diversity.

Nice space for kids within Snug Harbor.

This facility is really great, very imaginative, engaging and as mentioned in other reivews is located in a great property with trees and space for children to run! It was VERY clean although just a couple exhibits were showing some wear and were missing pieces or not operating. The only cons- the heating/cooling system on the third floor desperately needs a donor to revamp it. The cafeteria staff only work weekdays leaving it up to you to order in (they have menus), brown bag, or vending machine snack your way through lunch. That paired with the fact that the neighborhood is really lacking a decent grocery store so if you are out of diapers or have some other necessity you are SOL. Closest stores are outside the ferry landing. There are some real opportunities for this museum to make some money off the public that are being missed out on.

I've been meaning to do a review here for awhile! As a dad coming to the museum is real convenient, there are lots of other dads around and it a great place for kids to interact. The exhibits are cool and they have excellent programs. My sons favorite is Kidz Cook, the teacher is a beautiful and kind young lady. she is hilarious and keeps the kids interested. The food is great, and the kids get a recipe to take home. Cool program, great teacher, nice museum