Family Fun with a Bus Rental in Staten Island (Part 2)

FILED UNDER: General Bus Rentals NYC Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

Custom Coach & Limo invites you to visit Staten Island with kids and family. There are simply a lot of attractions to see and things to do here that you can make it a fun vacation with a bus rental in Staten Island.

 

Bus Rental in Staten Island

 

You can herd family and friends into a bus rental in Staten Island and have a fun weekend here.

 

Carousel for All Children

 

The Carousel for All Children is located inside the Willowbrook Park. It is a turn-of-the-century carousel that has more than four dozen wooden figures of endangered species, carousel horses and mythical beasts. The carousel also features twenty painted Staten Island attractions. The best thing is that the Victorian carousel admits children with disabilities.

 

South Beach - Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk

 

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk in South Beach was built in the 1930s and stretches from Miller Field to Fort Wadsworth. South Beach is one of the Big Apple's beachfront areas and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk was once part of the Happyland Amusement Park. Today, you can find baseball fields, shuffleboard and handball courts, bocce courts, a skateboard park, roller hockey rink, checker tables, and playgrounds. You should also see the Fountain of the Dolphins sculpture here, as well as plan a visit to the nearby Kid's Kingdom Playground.

 

The Family Fun Night at the Staten Island Mall

 

Staten Island Mall has close to 1.3 million square feet of space and was first opened in the 1970s. It has around 200 stores and restaurants and is the only indoor shopping mall in Staten Island. It is anchored by Macy's, Sears, and JCPenney. The mall holds several events, including the Free Family Fun Night held on the first Thursday of every month. The event features free games, dance party, discount coupons and face painting, among others.

 

Clove Lakes Park

 

Clove Lakes Park has 193 acres of space and combines recreation with nature. The park is a Forever Wild site, so named because of its ecological features. It has several ponds and lakes, serpentine rocks, and a 300-year-old tulip tree, considered to be the largest living tree in Staten Island.

 

The park has several trails that you can go on and, of course, you could go boating here, too. And you can also enjoy the various recreational facilities that they have. There are baseball diamonds, soccer field, playgrounds, basketball court and football field for those who want to keep active.

 

You can also visit the Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink. Or perhaps have a quiet picnic and barbecue. And if you are lucky, you might visit the park in time for one of their many events, such as a Nature Exploration Hike or their birdwatching events.

 

Other features of the park that you should not miss are:

 

  • A Bird Named Goldilocks: a bronze sculpture that was created by Anne Marie McDonnell and that looks like a hollowed tree-stump and a little bird.
  • Leeseberg Perennial Garden: Opened in 2001, the garden gives you one acre of space with a spot where you could rest, and play checkers and chess, as well as enjoy the outdoor concerts amidst beds of elms, maples, dogwood trees, pin oaks, and flowering plants.
  • Monarch Butterflies: The park has another type of visitor aside from humans. Monarch butterflies migrating south are often seen in the park.
  • Memorials: Check out the Lieutenant George W. Lener Memorial and the Private Joseph F. Merrell, Jr. Memorial.

 

Sandy Ground Historical Museum

 

The Sandy Ground Historical Museum is located in Rossville and has exhibits on the oldest free black settlement in the country. The museum has the biggest collection of African American artifacts, history and culture. It is also home to the only 18th-century African cemetery in the country.

 

Learn more about the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, which was instrumental to the African American effort to fight slavery by escaping their bondage. You can also learn more about arts, crafts, and music such as quilt making, cooking, and creating art projects. Or join the museum's various events such as the Sandy Ground Annual Festival, book signings, and workshops. The museum and its surrounding community have been listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

 

Staten Island Yankees

 

The Staten Island Yankees is also called the Baby Bombers and they play their home games at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark's New York Penn League. The minor league team is affiliated with the New York Yankees and has six league titles and eight division titles. Several former players have made it to the major leagues, including David Phelps, Omir Santos, Andy Cannizaro, Bernie Castro, and Brett Gardner, among many others.

 

Sundog Theatre

 

Sundog Theatre is based in Staten Island and produces contemporary and original theater shows at several venues. They also have visual arts, music, dance and theater programs for schools and they provide acting lessons, too. Some of their productions include the Christmas Carol, Ellis Island: Gateway to a Dream, The Originals and the Last Five Years.

 

Ice Skating

 

If you like to cool down or if you just miss the winter months, then go ice skating in Staten Island. There are two ice skating rinks that you could enjoy. The Staten Island Skating Pavilion has public session hours from Fridays to Sundays, and is a good place to learn ice skating and to play ice hockey. Then you also have the WWII Veterans War Memorial Ice Skating Rink, where you can skate on the weekends and on holidays. The rink is located inside Clove Lakes Park.

 

Freshkills Park

 

Freshkills Park has 2,200 acres of space, making it three times the current size of Central Park. This is the biggest park in development in New York City in more than 100 years. It used to be the biggest in the world and plans are in place for recreational facilities, playgrounds, sports fields, horseback riding trails, kayak and boating launches, large art installations, and others. The park is expected to be completed in 2036. One phase that has been completed is the Schmul Park, which was opened in 2012. It used to be a small play spot that was renovated and overhauled. Schmul Park has a playground, handball courts, softball field, open wide spaces for picnics, basketball courts, native plants, and a comfort station. The park leads to Freshkills Park.

 

Richmondtown

 

Richmondtown is a historic neighborhood in Staten Island. This one-of-a-kind living history museum is located at the foot of Lighthouse Hill and was once known as Coccles Town. It was founded in 1856 by the Staten Island Historical Society. You can experience more than three centuries of history here and some of the buildings you can go to include the oldest working family farm in New York City, and other historic places.

 

There are four sites at this museum. The Richmondtown Site, the Judge Jacob Tysen Site, the Decker Farm Site, and the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine Site. The museum town is Staten Island's biggest and oldest cultural attraction. Check out the exhibits here that display at least 130,000 artifacts, mementos, archival collection, photographs, objects, and documents. See the Third County Courthouse: Center of Civic Life on Staten Island exhibit at the Visitor Center, or the exhibits that focus on the history and culture of Staten Island. other exhibits include Bringing Up Baby, Toys!, and Made on Staten Island. Several buildings have rooms that are furnished according to a particular time period, so you can see furniture, clothes, tools, household items and other artifacts as they were used in the old days. The kids will also love the educational programs that they have available, including working at Decker Farm or trying out period clothing.

 

The town also hosts several events throughout the year, like the one held during the Labor Day weekend.

 

A bus rental in Staten Island can also take you to the best beaches in the region.

 

Staten Island Beaches

 

Staten Island beaches provide you and the kids with an afternoon of fun outdoors as well as a respite from the tall buildings and chaotic life that represents most of the Big Apple. You no longer have to go to New Jersey to enjoy the surf, sand and the sun. It is all right here in NYC.

 

First off, go to the Beach at Wolfe’s Pond Park. The park in itself has several outdoor recreation facilities to choose from. Located at the South Shore area, Wolfe's Pond Park has two playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, inline skating rink, biking and hiking paths, wide open spaces and, of course, the beach. You can also see different kinds of animals here, including the brant, herring gull, gray gull and laughing gull. You could also fish at the pier or have a barbecue.

 

Or you could go to the South and Midland Beaches. The boardwalk at South Beach is ideal for walking and biking or just lounging around enjoying an ice cream. There is also a fishing pier here that you can enjoy, as well as bocce courts, restaurants, picnic areas, playground, and ball fields. Or you can go half a mile away to Midland Beach where you can find the Sea Turtle Fountain, which has sprinklers, a playground, shuffleboard and handball courts, as well as a skateboard. If you are lucky to be here during Back to the Beach Celebrations, you will also witness sand castle buildings contests, outdoor movies, fireworks and live entertainment.

 

Further, you can go to Great Kills Park and Beach. Located at the Gateway National Recreation Area, the park has nature trails, a field for model airplanes, picnic areas, fishing facilities, biking and wheelchair accessible paths, and as great stretch of beach.

 

Other outdoor attractions you can get to with a bus rental in Staten Island are:

 

Fort Wadsworth

 

Fort Wadsworth is located on the Narrows. It used to be the oldest continually manned military installation until 1994 when it closed. The fort grounds is currently maintained by the National Park Service. You can check out the hidden tunnels and passageways here. Or perhaps stay the night at the campgrounds.

 

Check out Fort Tompkins, which is also found here, as well as Battery Weed, a three-tiered fort that guards the Narrows. Battery Weed has a small lighthouse that was recently restored and is open to escorted tours. You could also join the annual events held here, including the New York City Marathon that starts at Fort Wadsworth and the Five Boro Bike tour.

 

High Rock Park

 

High Rock Park is widely regarded as one of the most serene and tranquil places in the Big Apple. Come here and enjoy the peaceful ponds and deep-wooded areas. High Rock Park has been designated as a Natural Environmental Education Landmark and has five ponds, wetlands, and six walking trails that you could go on. There are also a lot of opportunities to see animals and birds here. You can also climb Mt. Moses, where you can get a spectacular view of the city. Be sure to go on the Lavender Trail, where you can have an easy hike for a quarter of a mile and see various grasses, skunk cabbage, jewelweed and other plants. Or if you want something more of a challenge, then check out the Gretta Moulton Trail, which goes for 0.75 miles.

 

There are several museums that you can go to with a bus rental in Staten Island. Two of these are:

 

Alice Austen House

 

The Alice Austen House is also known as Clear Comfort. The house was built in the 1690s and sports a gothic revival and Dutch colonial architecture. It is now used as a house museum that has several school programs, photography camps, and day trips. The nationally registered historic site tells the story of Alice Austen, a self-taught photographer. It has several of her furnishings and personal effects on display, as well as many of the photographs that she has taken over the years.

 

It is said that visiting the Alice Austen House is like taking a step back in time where you can see how life was like in the olden days. The museum also has temporary photography shows and gives you a great view of the city.

 

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art

 

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is located on Lighthouse Hill in Egbertville. This museum has the most extensive collection of artifacts from the Himalayas. Jacques Marchais established it in the 1940s and built the building to look like a Himalayan monastery. It has several gardens that feature fish and lotus ponds. Even the Dalai Lama praised it for its authenticity. The collections here include several Tibetan art, as well as artworks from Bhutan, Nepal, Northern China and Mongolia. Some of the artifacts you could see here date back to the 12th century. On top of that, you can also join the tai chi and meditation classes that they have on site.

 

You could get outdoors, play sports and perhaps even have a picnic at one of the borough’s parks. Get a bus rental in Staten Island and visit their parks.

 

LaTourette Park & Golf Course

 

LaTourette Park & Golf Course is located on land that was once the farm of David and Ann LaTourette. It is a New York City Landmark and is now used as a park and golf course. The LaTourette Mansion, built in the 1870s, is now used as a clubhouse for the golf course. While playing golf, you could eat at the Arthur Kill Road Restaurant.

 

The park has several forest habitats, making it a prime destination for those who like wildlife viewing and seeing rare plants. You could also go on the four hiking trails located here. One of the park's unique features is the model aircraft fields. You could bring your own remote controlled aircraft or just watch others pilot their RC planes.

 

Willowbrook Park

 

Willowbrook Park is also part of the Greenbelt and has 164 acres of space. It features a pond, a playground, tennis courts, and baseball fields. It is also a wildlife sanctuary.

 

The popular park welcomes hikers who want to explore the woods, or birdwatchers who are interested in rare bird species that nest here. You can also check out the archery range, where you could learn how to shoot with a bow and arrow for free.

 

Willowbrook Lake

 

Willowbrook Lake is a part of the Staten Island Greenbelt and is the best place for fishing. The lake has big bass for the taking. There is also a carousel on the site, as well as wide open spaces.

 

Garibaldi-Meucci Museum

 

The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is housed inside a gothic revival cottage that was built around the 1840s. Located in Rosebank, the home was the residence of Antonio Meucci, a candlemaker and inventor. Giuseppe Garibaldi also lived in the home for two years starting 1851. The museum works hard to preserve the legacy of these two men and exhibits here introduces visitors to their lives. It also helps promote Italian culture, art and history. For older kids, you might want to take them on a "haunted" tour of the museum, which they host in the fall. The museum has been rumored to be haunted.

 

St. George Theater

 

St. George Theater was built in the 1920s and is considered to be one of the many treasures of Staten Island. Eugene DeRosa and James Whitford served as its architects. Nestor Castro designed the Italian and Spanish baroque interior. More than 400 events have been held here since it was reopened in 2004. Luminaries from the music world who have performed here include Tony Bennett, Cyndi Lauper, Art Garfunkel, The B-52's, Liza Minnelli, and Diana Ross. Other family events are also held at the theater, such as One Night of Art, mystery dinner theaters, and other shows.

 

Get a free online quote for a Custom Coach & Limo just by visiting our Web site and filling out a short quote form. This way, you can plan for your Staten Island vacation more fully. If you like what you see, then you can call us at +1 866 952 8737 and book one in just minutes.

 

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

 

 

Call us at 866-952-8737 or email us: info@usbusrentals.com