Staten Island Museum

The Natural Science collections provide a fascinating and invaluable record of the animal and plant species that have existed on Staten Island, and show how biodiversity has changed over time in the New York Metropolitan area. View hundreds of thousands of mounted insects, see preserved fish, reptiles and amphibians and check out the incredible collection of Victorian bell jar taxidermy. You’ll also get a chance to meet the famous mummified cat, discovered by museum founder Charles Leng in the 1930s.

Discover artifacts and documents relating to the people, tribes and organizations that have shaped Staten Island. Exhibits include early films, maps and atlases of the area and historic photographs of New York. Some documents, including land grants bearing the wax seals of Charles II and William III and a military document signed by William Howe, Commander in Chief of the British Armies, date back as far as the 17th and 18th centuries.

The art collection covers periods from prehistory to the present day. As well as traditional art from around the world – Ancient Egyptian sculpture, Italian Renaissance paintings, traditional Japanese prints, ornate Chinese snuff bottles – the museum boasts an extensive collection of local art and Native American artifacts. The many fine American paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries feature portraits of local people and scenes of Staten Island and New York Harbor, while the modern art collection includes works by Andy Warhol, John Sloan, Clementine Hunter, Isabel Bishop and more.