LIVING HISTORY
education
historic houses
collection
Discounted rates are available for groups of adults and kids of all ages.
Take a historical ‘staycation’ at Historic Richmond Town! Explore Staten Island’s past through vintage postcards from the newly acquired William McMillen Collection. Compare early 20th-century views to today and discover Staten Island’s history as an industrial hub and summer destination.
Explore 200 years of changing fashion, labor, and identity through footwear. Featuring more than 25 original pairs of shoes—from early 19th-century wedding slippers to 1970s patriotic sneakers.
Led by expert historical interpreters, the doors of the past open to you in a walking tour like none other in New York City. See the restored interiors of buildings chronicling eras of Staten Island's past, furnished with reproductions and artifacts in the Historic Richmond Town Collection.
Learn the art and fun of classic social English dancing from the 18th century. No experience necessary, just bring your dancing shoes.
Explore historic houses by candlelight and delve into folklore and mysteries from the past. This program is led by historical interpreters who discuss the lives and deaths of Staten Islanders, including the infamous accused who stood trial at the 3rd County Courthouse.
Pumpkin Picking at Historic Richmond Town’s Decker Farm returns the first Saturday in October, with all of your favorite autumnal activities! Search the patch for the perfect pumpkin, learn about 19th century farm life, and indulge in delicious fall food favorites, all without leaving Staten Island!
As part of the 400th anniversary of New Amsterdam and the Lenape, this multi-museum installation (Wave Hill, Historic Richmond Town, South Street Seaport Museum, Bartow-Pell) is featured through the lens of Indigenous maps entitled Still Sacred Ground: Lenapehoking 1625 – 2025*. The maps are part of a series created by Evan T. Pritchard, Director of the Center for Algonquin Culture, and are paired with this corresponding audio narrative – Lady Chieftains: Saunksquas – featuring Indigenous female leaders. This dual presentation is curated by Oleana Whispering Dove, Keeper of Cultural Lifeways, Curator of Indigenous Exhibitions and Public Programs. The presentation of these culturally significant maps not only brings awareness to local Indigenous habitude, land utilization, and land preservation, it is also a captivating visual archive of a world where women were the heads and official governing bodies of pre-colonial sovereignty.
This annual festival of historic trades and Staten Island cultural heritage returns! Historic trades are demonstrated in historic houses and shops throughout the village, demonstrating the ways people lived and worked in the 19th century. Experience Staten Island’s past and present with displays by living historians and modern makers and cultural organizations.
In commemoration of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, join us for a discussion of the role immigrants played in the canal’s construction.
Explore native life and culture through presentations of indigenous dance, storytelling, and crafts in the 3rd County Courthouse and the Native Encampment. See demonstrations of hearth cooking in North America by costumed interpreters who use 18th & 19th century recipes, tools and techniques in historic kitchens throughout the village.
