Glass House Tour at Snug Harbor event image
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, Livingston, Staten Island

Glass House Tour at Snug Harbor

A guided look inside Snug Harbor's working glass house, where the botanical garden's tropical and tender collections are grown on.

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GreenhouseUnder 10Staten Island

Every botanical garden has a back room where the actual work happens, and at Snug Harbor it is the glass house — humid, crowded with tender and tropical species, and normally closed to visitors. The tour takes you inside with someone who can explain what is being propagated, what is overwintering and why the garden outside looks the way it does in each season. If you garden yourself, this is the most useful ten dollars on the Snug Harbor grounds.

What to expect

A guided visit inside the working greenhouse, where a member of the garden staff walks you through the collections and the propagation benches. Expect warmth, humidity and close quarters between plant tables. Under an hour, departing from the Visitor Info Booth.

Good to know

  • Free ferry to St George, then the S40 bus to Snug Harbor
  • Under ten dollars, booked at the Visitor Info Booth
  • The glass house is warm and humid — dress in layers you can shed
  • Good for gardeners and plant people specifically
  • Space inside is tight, so groups are kept small
  • The outdoor botanical gardens are worth time before or after

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Common questions

What is inside the glass house?

Snug Harbor's tender and tropical plant collections, plus the propagation work that supplies the outdoor gardens.

How much is it?

Ten dollars or under, booked at the Visitor Info Booth.

Is it suitable for children?

It works best for plant-interested visitors; space inside is tight, so groups are kept small.