Snug Harbor and the Chinese Scholar's Garden

What it is like

The Chinese Scholar's Garden is the ticketed bit: adults $5, seniors 65 and over and students $4, children 5 and under free, active military and members free, and Staten Island residents free on the first Friday of the month (with proof of address). It is about an acre, with eight pavilions, a bamboo-lined path, waterfalls, ponds with fish and a 15-foot stone formation in the central courtyard. In fall (October 4 to December 6, 2026) it is open Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm, last entry 30 minutes before closing.

Why I picked this over Alice Austen House: Snug Harbor has the free grounds, plus the Staten Island Children's Museum on the same campus (hours and prices not checked for this entry). The garden's winding paths and zigzagging bridges are lovely for a child who can walk and look, and a hazard for anyone trying to push a stroller, so check before you go.

Heads up: Chapel Road has partial closures from 7am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday, from August 2026 through mid-2027, so come on a weekend if you can. The free ferry to St. George is the usual way in, but the campus is about a mile and a half from the terminal, so plan a bus or a taxi from there.

Best time to go

Weekends in fall (when the Scholar's Garden is open).

Tips before you go

• Visit on a weekend in fall, when the Chinese Scholar's Garden is open.
• Staten Island residents are free on the first Friday of the month with proof of address.
• Check weekday road closures on Chapel Road.
• Pair it with the free Staten Island Ferry ride.