4. Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Staten Island
A visit to Snug Harbor makes for a lovely day trip from Manhattan. A ride on the Staten Island Ferry will deliver you to the cultural center and garden that was originally founded in 1801 by Captain Robert Richard Randall as a home for retired seamen. Officially opened in 1833, the retirement compound remained open until the 1960s.
Snug Harbor was declared a National Historic Landmark and reopened in 1976 as a cultural institution with a botanic garden, a theater, a chapel, a farm, museums, cottages, and much more. Today, visitors can enjoy the White Garden, Rose Garden, and Healing Garden.