nitially built in the 1800s as a home for retired sailors, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is said to be the largest ongoing adaptive reuse project in America. The 23 historical buildings, nine botanical gardens and 10 acres of wetlands—set on an 83-acre campus—are the elements of a regional arts center where history, architecture, visual art, theater, dance, music and environmental science provide dynamic experiences for all ages. The venue, a Smithsonian affiliate, is home to the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children’s Museum, the arts school Art Lab and the Staten Island Museum.
