A tranquil sweep of gardens, heritage buildings and gallery spaces provide a tour through Staten Island's history and culture. Highlights include an ancient-style Chinese Scholar’s Garden, a Tuscan Garden modeled on Florence’s Villa Gamberaia, and the Noble Maritime Collection, graced with a fine collection of mainly 19th- and 20th-century maritime art spanning watercolors and oil paintings to lithographs and photography. The best primer on local history is inside the elegant Staten Island Museum.
Nearby is the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, a showcase for changing exhibitions of modern art. Snug Harbor is located 2 miles west of the ferry terminal; catch bus S40, which stops by the main entrance – it's a 20-minute ride.