Historic Richmond Town

Historic Richmond Town is a 100-acre open-air museum and historic village in the geographic center of Staten Island, preserving over 30 historic buildings that document four centuries of American life. The village occupies the site of the original county seat of Richmond County (Staten Island) and includes buildings dating from the 1690s to the 1920s.

The museum's collection of historic structures includes houses, shops, a courthouse, a schoolhouse, and other community buildings that have been preserved on their original sites or relocated to the village from elsewhere on Staten Island. The buildings are furnished and interpreted to represent different periods of the island's history.

Historic Richmond Town is operated by the Staten Island Historical Society, which maintains the buildings, conducts archaeological research, and presents programs that bring the island's history to life through costumed interpreters, craft demonstrations, and seasonal events.

The village's agricultural setting preserves the rural character that defined Staten Island for most of its history. Fields, gardens, and orchards surround the historic buildings, providing a landscape context that helps visitors understand how island residents lived and worked before urbanization.

Historic Richmond Town is the most comprehensive historic preservation project on Staten Island, saving the physical evidence of four centuries of community life from demolition and decay. The village provides a tangible connection to the island's past that no written history can match.