Perched on a steep hillside reminiscent of the rocky Tibetan terrain, a monastery has been recreated stone by stone and filled with the most remarkable collection of Tibetan art to be found in the United States. The Dhali Llama has blessed this site with a visit on more than one occasion. You will enjoy a guided tour of the collection and gardens, and have time to visit the unique gift shop.

Following the museum tour, the group will drive up Lighthouse Hill to see Staten Island's highest operating lighthouse and to drive past a landmarked Frank Lloyd Wright house.

Whether you are a conservationist, an animal lover, or just a child at heart, you will enjoy the experience of being immersed in a Tropical Rainforest or sheltered in an African kopje. The zoo is widely known for its reptile collection and also has an aquarium and farm center. You will have a private introduction to the zoo and its conservation agenda, including the opportunity to meet one or more of the more unique animal residents up close. You will then be lead on a guided tour by a well-versed Docent, or you may chose to wander on your own and “talk to the animals.”

Did you know that the telephone was actually invented by a Staten Islander? And that he lived just down the road from one of the premier nineteenth century photographers, who helped create new techniques in exposures and developing? Visit the restored historic home of Alice Austen, and view an exhibit of her photographic works from the late nineteenth century. Her home was originally built by the early Dutch settlers and is one of the oldest in New York City. Situated on the shores of New York Harbor, it offers a spectacular panoramic view from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the Statue of Liberty. Alice's neighbor, Italian inventor Antonio Meucci, not only invented and failed to patent the telephone, he also provided shelter to the exiled Italian leader, Garibaldi. The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum currently has exhibits on both men and an exhibit on the Age of Discovery and Navigation. Guided tours and informative videos are offered at both sites.

Unique in all of North America is the Chinese Scholars Garden, recently completed by Chinese artisans to replicate the thousand year old gardens of the East, which were built by holy men to create places of great beauty for meditation and learning. Your guided tour will give you insight into the design and intent of each outdoor space as peaceful streams and waterfalls flow around you.

Located on the same great Snug Harbor Cultural Center grounds as the garden is the John Noble Maritime Collection. John Noble was a Staten Island artist and lithographer whose work, which focused on the rigors of life at sea, is internationally known. A guided tour will take you through galleries, replica print shops, and a maritime library and resource center.

Snug Harbor itself, once a retirement home for “aged and decrepit sailors”, is worth the visit itself. Built over 150 years ago, the complex of Neo-Classical buildings is now home to museums, theatres, gardens and galleries.

Long before Staten Island was part of New York City, it was a bustling community of farmers, seafarers, and tradesmen, and Richmond Town was the county seat. Now the old court house is the center of a restored historic village, with building dating back to the 1690's. You will be given a private house-to-house tour by a costumed guide so that you may explore old Dutch farmhouses, the General Store, the mill, the tavern and much more. Continue the tour in the Museum, with exhibits of children's toys from centuries past. Finish in the gift shop, where historic replicas, books, and handmade items from local craftsmen may be purchased.