Staten Island Children's Museum
4.6(890)4.6 out of 5 stars, 890 reviews New York, NY
About Staten Island Children's Museum
The Staten Island Children's Museum is lauded as a consistently positive, interactive, and educational destination that can keep children engaged for hours. Parents praise its friendly and adaptable staff, immaculate facilities, and diverse range of activities. It's especially valued for providing a calm and enriching experience that effectively 'tires children out' while offering significant educational value.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families with toddlers (specifically 3-year-olds) and young children looking for interactive and educational activities.Weekday adventures for a more relaxed and less crowded experience.Parents seeking a venue where children can be actively engaged for several hours and 'tire themselves out'.Families seeking affordable or free entertainment, especially those eligible for EBT/benefit card discounts.Children with specific interests (e.g., 'bugs', train tracks) due to the themed and varied exhibits.
Why families love it
- Offers a wide variety of interactive and educational experiences, from STEM activities to arts and crafts and imaginative play areas.
- Staff is consistently described as super friendly and helpful, enhancing the overall visitor experience.
- Bathrooms and the facility as a whole are maintained to a very clean standard.
- The museum is spacious and airy, situated on a beautiful campus, contributing to a pleasant atmosphere.
- Demonstrated excellent adaptability during renovations by condensing activities and bringing beloved items into accessible areas, ensuring continued enjoyment.
- Often described as a 'calm trip' and 'not crowded', particularly on weekdays, making for a relaxed visit.
Insider tips
- Consider purchasing the annual membership for $50 if you plan to visit more than a few times, as it offers better value than the $8/person or $8/child daily rate.
- If you hold an EBT or benefit card, remember to bring your ID for free admission.
- Allocate ample time for your visit; a 2-5 PM slot may not be enough to fully experience everything the museum offers.
- Pack a picnic to enjoy on the beautiful lawn out front, especially on pleasant days.
- For a calmer, less crowded experience, plan your visit for a weekday.
Good to know before you go
- There are no specific times or situations explicitly advised to avoid based on these highly positive reviews. However, be mindful that limited time slots (e.g., 2-5 PM) might not allow for a complete experience.
- A 2-5 PM reservation slot was reported as insufficient time to fully explore all offerings, indicating that visitors should plan for a longer stay.
- Some beloved exhibits, such as 'the bugs', were temporarily removed or relocated due to renovations, which might disappoint regular visitors, though staff made efforts to mitigate this.
- Crowds
- Described as a 'calm trip' and 'wasn't crowded', particularly on weekdays.
- Value
- Daily admission is $8 per person or $8 per child. An annual membership costs $50. Critically, EBT or benefit card holders (with ID) receive free entry, offering significant value and accessibility. Reviewers consistently deem the experience 'worth every penny' due to the extensive activities and hours of engagement, especially for the membership and free entry options.
- Food
- On-site food is available and positively reviewed ('food was bomb!'), suggesting quality options.
- Accessibility
- Offers free entry for EBT or benefit card holders (with ID), addressing financial accessibility.
- Safety
- Bathrooms are consistently reported as 'very clean', indicating high hygiene standards.
What parents say
"It was a calm trip. We all enjoyed ourselves and all the activities. Plus the food was bomb!"
2 weeks ago
"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 acti"
a year ago
"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 a"
4 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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