Family Fun with a Bus Rental in Staten Island (Part 1)

FILED UNDER: General Bus Rentals NYC Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

For most native New Yorkers, Staten Island is like the forgotten borough. However, if you are living out of NYC or just visiting with kids, then you should know that this is a premiere destination for you. So why not get on a bus rental in Staten Island and enjoy the many kid-friendly places located here?

 

 

A bus rental in Staten Island can easily accommodate large groups of up to 60 people, and there are smaller ones that can accommodate up to 49 passengers and 24 passengers. What this means is that there is always a bus that is appropriate for you and your group. You would not have to put up with overcrowding nor would you be paying for seats you do not use.

 

Now where can you go with a bus rental in Staten Island? How about:

 

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden

 

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and is a combination of a park and an educational and cultural center. It features the Staten Island Botanical Garden, which, in turn, has several extensive gardens such as the Vita Sackville-West's Sissinghurst garden inspired White Garden, the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, and the Connie Gretz's Secret Garden, where you have a maze, castle, and a walled garden.

 

You will also find the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art here. Founded in the 1970s, the gallery often displays the works of both international and local artists in various historic buildings that have Greek revival architecture. From its roots of displaying the works of artists in residence and artworks that are related to local history, it is now a premiere space for contemporary art. You should also visit its outdoor sculpture garden.

 

Aside from the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Arts and the Staten Island Botanical Garden, you should also visit the Noble Maritime Collection. The museum focuses on the works of John A. Noble, an artist, sailor and lithographer. Or you could visit the Staten Island Children's Museum, which was opened in the 1970s. The museum has several exhibits that teach kids about home building, bugs, boats, and animals. There is a small animal exhibit that features live fish and insects. You could also check out Francis the Praying Mantis, a huge metal sculpture that you can find on the grounds.

 

Then you can head out to the Staten Island Museum. Opened in the 1880s, the museum is the oldest cultural institution in the borough. It is the last general interest museum in the Big Apple. The museum has several collections, including natural sciences, history and fine art.

 

You can also visit the Music Hall, a Greek revival auditorium that seats close to 700 people. It was first opened in the 1890s, making it the second oldest music hall in the city. Or you can check out the Art Lab, a fine art school that also hosts exhibits.

 

5050 Skatepark

 

5050 Skatepark is the city's only indoor skate park. Opened only in 2012, the skate park also welcomes rollerblades, scooters and bikes. There are a variety of rails and ramp in the 35,000- squeare-foot former warehouse. You could also negotiate the obstacle course. There are one-on-one biking, skating, and boarding lessons as well.

 

Staten Island Borough Hall

 

The Staten Island Borough Hall is located next to the Richmond County Courthouse. The municipal building was built in the 1900s and has a mix of French Renaissance and beaux arts architecture designed by Carrere and Hastings. Check out the murals created by Frederick Charles Stahr. These thirteen murals were painted in the 1940s and depicts many events that happened here.

 

Walker Park

 

Walker Park is the best place to play tennis and cricket. It has several activities for kids from 7 to 12 and features baseball fields, cricket fields, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, soccer and football fields.

 

You could find the Staten Island Cricket Club at the center of the park, which was the first tennis venue in the country.

 

Wagner College Theatre Shows

 

Watch the students of Wagner College's theatre program as they strut out their stuff and put up a great production. Family friendly musicals is a staple of the season. Some of their past productions include New York Lands, A Chorus Line, and the Dance Project.

 

RollerJam USA

 

RollerJam USA is the best place to have fun in Staten Island. The place combines roller skating, video games and bounce parties, as well as events such as dance parties, and full service bars for adults.

 

Seaside Nature Wildlife Park

 

Seaside Nature Wildlife Park has a shipwreck-themed playground that the kids will enjoy. The theme complements the oceanfront location of the park and brings together nature and the area's seafaring history and heritage. Custom play structures are available, as well as drinking fountains, benches, sand play, spray shower, and others.

 

Silver Lake Park

 

Silver Lake Park, meanwhile, has several recreational opportunities for you to enjoy. The park has 209 acres of space. It is the borough's first park and is regarded to be the borough's answer to Central Park in Manhattan and Project Park in New Jersey. Play golf at the 18 hole golf course or sweat it out at the tennis courts. There are also baseball and football fields, basketball courts, dog friendly areas, and soccer fields, among other amenities.

 

Staten Island Zoo

 

The Staten Island Zoo has eight acres of space and is located in West New Brighton. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoo has around 1,400 animals belonging to 320 species. Check out the Serpentarium, where you could find the biggest and most complete collection of rattlesnakes in North America. Other exhibits here include the African Savannah, the Collection of Marine Fish, Tropical Forest, and Reptile Wing.

 

Then you should also visit the Staten Island Chuck, the official Groundhog Day forecaster of the Big Apple. You can further visit Grandpa, a spider monkey who predicted the outcome of six US Open Tennis Championships. The zoo also has several educational programs that they hold within zoo premises and under their Traveling Zoo program.

 

Kayak Staten Island

 

Kayak Staten Island offers free kayaking for residents and visitors. They have several events that you can join and you can get in on the kayaking fun.

 

Staten Island September 11 Memorial

 

Postcards, located in St. George, is Staten Island's September 11 Memorial. It was built three years after the infamous attacks to honor the close to 300 residents killed, as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It derives its name from the two white marble wing sculptures. Each 30-foot-high "postcard" represents a message to loved ones. The victims' names are etched on a granite plaque, as well as their place of work, birthdate, and a silhouetted profile.

 

Blue Heron Park Preserve

 

Blue Heron Park Preserve is located on Staten Island. The nature refuge has several species of flora, including the American sweetgum, tulip tree, red columbine, Jack in the pulpit, and black eyed Susan. You can also find wood ducks, glossy ibis, black crowned night heron, tree frogs, raccoon, and spring peepers here. The park also features extensive wetlands as well as several ponds.

 

Conference House Museum

 

Conference House Museum was built before the 1680s on Staten Island. This was where the Staten Island Peace Conference was held in the 1770s. It is now a city and national landmark, being the only remaining pre-Revolutionary war house in the Big Apple. The Dutch colonial house was once visited by several notable visitors, including Benjamin Franklin, Edward Routledge, John Adams, Lord Howe, Major General Charles Grey, and John Graves Simcoe. Today, the house is operated as a museum where you could learn more about the failed peace conference, as well as other details about the Revolutionary War.

 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto

 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto is in Rosebank. The national historic district is a Roman Catholic grotto that was the work of the Italian American community in the area. The district also include a meeting hall built in the 1920s, landscape features, and other structures and objects. Vito Russo is listed as the property's architect. The grotto is noteworthy because it is the most elaborate hand crafted shrine in New York City. The grotto is a religious site yet you could still have a grand time checking out the workmanship.

 

Get a bus rental in Staten Island from Custom Coach & Limo in minutes just by calling +1 866 952 8737.

 

A bus rental in Staten Island can easily accommodate 24, 49, or 60 passengers on board, ensuring you and your group a fun time together, even while you are on the road. You can go places together and plan activities to do while on transit.

 

Then continue touring Staten Island and go to:

 

Staten Island Go Karts, Batting Cages, and Mini Golf

 

The Staten Island Go Karts, Batting Cages, and Mini Golf is the only go kart track in the borough. The go karts are not the only thing that you should try out here. They also have a beautifully maintained mini golf course, nine separate batting cages for baseball and softball practice, and a roller hockey rink.

 

Play indoors

 

Staten Island also has several venues for playing indoors. There is the Chelsea Playground, an indoor playground that has amenities for imaginative play, kids villages, tubes, tunnels and slides, and a rock climbing wall. The kids village allows your kids to play pretend and become a nurse, a ballerina, or a theater actor, or pretend to go shopping.

 

You can also enjoy the Fun Station USA indoor amusement park, which has arcade games, bounce structures, and virtual reality simulators. Or you can also go to indoor gyms such as Kidz Rock and Kids 'N Shape.

 

Get Over It and Ride

 

Another unique venue on Staten Island is Get Over It and Ride, where you could get on a pony and ride. And if it is your first time, do not worry because you can get horseback riding lessons here as well.

 

Staten Island gives you more opportunities to have fun with the entire family. So get on a bus rental in Staten Island and head out to the borough with the kids.

 

Jimmy Max

 

After all of these activities, for sure the kids will be very hungry. So head out to Jimmy Max, which claims to serve the borough's best gluten-free pizza pie. But that's not all, this local chain offers a pizza seminar where the kids can learn how to make a pizza. The kids can even create their own pizza for free when you purchase an adult meal.

 

Every Thing Goes Book Cafe & Neighborhood Stage

 

Every Thing Goes Book Cafe & Neighborhood Stage allows you to get a light snack while also offering tons of books for you to read. And if that is not enough, you can get the kids pre-occupied with their tablets and smartphones because they offer free Wi-Fi as well. On some days, you could catch a live performance here as well.

 

St. George Day Festival

 

What's the best way to celebrate Earth Day in Staten Island? Attend the St. George Day Festival of course! This earth day and arts festivals brings you dragons, art, music, and yes, fun stuff about the environment. Some of the attractions you could see are Art Around the Park, Kid Zone, giant puppets, music and dance performances, free store, the Spoken Word, and the Dragon Feast Food Zone.

 

Staten Island Ferry

 

Get on the Staten Island Ferry and get the best photographs of the Statue of Liberty. The ferry runs 24/7 from the St. George Ferry Terminal to Lower Manhattan's Whitehall Terminal.

 

Decker Farm

 

Decker Farm is located at the Historic Richmond Town. They hold several events such as Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm. you could spend the whole afternoon on the farm and joining their activities and the kids get to learn more about the outdoors as well.

 

Saint George Greenmarket

 

The Saint George Greenmarket is located at St. Mark's Place and Hyatt St. The market gives you the opportunity to meet local growers and buy the freshest fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meat and seafood. The kids, however, can stay at the kids area and find something to color so you could shop in peace.

 

We have more! Click here for part 2!

 

Plan for your vacation today, start with getting a bus rental in Staten Island from Custom Coach & Limo just by calling +1 866 952 8737!

 

Contact Custom Coach & Limo at +1 866 952 8737 to reserve your sprinter van rental in New York City in just minutes.