Snug Harbor Cultural Center

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Brickwork at Snug Harbor buildings

The Snug Harbor Cultural Center is located on the north shore of Staten Island, along the Kill Van Kull. It consists of 26 historic Greek Revival, Beaux Arts, Italianate and Victorian style buildings set on 83 acres. The center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute.

The grounds include the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art (with 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²) of gallery space), Staten Island Botanical Garden, Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children's Museum, Staten Island Museum and Art Lab.

The area was originally built in 1833 as Sailor's Snug Harbor . This was a retirement home and hospital for seamen, as a bequest of Robert Randall. In 1900, there were approximately 1000 residents, but the population dropped below 200 by the mid-1950s and 110 by the 1970s. By 1976, the remaining residents had been relocated to a new facility, the city had taken possession of the property, designated several of the buildings as landmarks, and opened the area to public.

It is home to some of Staten Island's more popular activities such as the Staten Island Children's Theater Association (SICTA) which was formerly accompanied by actors such as Nolan DeBrowner. It is also home to the Art Lab and the Staten Island Conservatory of Music.

In 2005, it was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. [1] [2]

The last scene of the movie Fur (film), which was supposed to recreate a nudist camp, was filmed there in July, 2006.

[edit] Snug Harbor Park Rangers

The Parks Department Signage of Snug Harbor, September 2006

Snug Harbor Park Rangers provide Public Safety to the site. SH Park Rangers have both New York State Peace Officer Status and New York City Special Patrolman Status and may issue citations and make arrests within the juristicion of Snug Harbor. The rangers are hired,trained and paid by the Snug Harbor Center.