If you have been waiting for a reason to finally make the trip to Historic Richmond Town, this Sunday is a good one. The Women’s Auxiliary of Historic Richmond Town hosts its annual Yankee Peddler Day on Sunday, May 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the 35-acre living history museum at 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island. It is a market, a museum visit, and a genuine slice of Staten Island’s community life all wrapped into one Sunday morning.
Yankee Peddler Day is one of Historic Richmond Town’s most popular annual events, and the format is simple: dealers of antiques, collectibles, crafts, and new items set up throughout the museum grounds, turning the historic village into an open-air market. The Women’s Auxiliary describes it as perfect for seasoned collectors and new pickers alike — meaning whether you are hunting for something specific or just browsing with no agenda, the market has enough variety to keep it interesting. All proceeds from Yankee Peddler Day benefit Historic Richmond Town directly, so every purchase goes toward maintaining one of the borough’s most significant cultural sites.
About Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is one of the most underappreciated attractions in all of New York City. The site preserves more than two dozen historic structures spanning three centuries of Staten Island history — some original to their locations, others relocated from elsewhere on the island to be preserved here. The oldest building on the grounds, the Voorlezer’s House, dates to around 1695 and is believed to be the oldest surviving elementary school building in the United States.
From May through August, the museum operates as a living history village with costumed historical interpreters demonstrating trades, domestic life, and crafts as they would have appeared across different periods. Shops are open, homes are staffed, and the grounds are active in a way that makes it genuinely engaging rather than a static walk-through. Yankee Peddler Day adds the market layer on top of all of that — so on Sunday you get both the market and the living history programming running simultaneously.
Getting to Historic Richmond Town
From the St. George Ferry Terminal — where the Staten Island Ferry docks — take the S74 bus toward Richmond Avenue and ride to the Richmond Road stop near Clarke Avenue. The museum is at 441 Clarke Avenue, about a 35-minute bus ride from the ferry terminal. If you are driving, the museum has parking available on site. The ferry crossing itself is free and takes about 25 minutes from Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, making the full trip from Manhattan manageable for a Sunday morning — leave by 8 a.m. and you will be there comfortably before the market opens.
Admission to Yankee Peddler Day and the museum grounds is available at historicrichmondtown.org. The Women’s Auxiliary event is worth calling ahead about if you have specific questions: the museum’s main line is (718) 351-1611.
Also This Weekend on Staten Island
The Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden is hosting a Juneteenth Family Day Festival Kickoff on Saturday, May 16 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Snug Harbor itself — at 1000 Richmond Terrace — is worth an afternoon visit any time: the grounds include a Chinese Scholar’s Garden, a New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden, the Staten Island Botanical Garden, and multiple museum buildings. The S40 bus from the St. George Ferry Terminal gets you there in about 10 minutes.
The Staten Island Greenbelt is also at its best in mid-May, with the full spring canopy out and trail conditions good after the earlier-month rains. If you want to add a walk before or after Yankee Peddler Day, the Greenbelt trails near Historic Richmond Town connect directly to the museum property — you can start a walk from the grounds themselves.
What You Need to Know
- What: Yankee Peddler Day — antiques, collectibles, crafts, and new items market
- When: Sunday, May 17, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Where: Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Ave, Staten Island
- Cost: Proceeds benefit Historic Richmond Town; admission info at historicrichmondtown.org
- Getting there: Staten Island Ferry (free) from Whitehall Terminal, then S74 bus to Clarke Ave; or drive with on-site parking
- Phone: (718) 351-1611
- Also Saturday: Juneteenth Family Day Festival Kickoff, Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace, 2–3 p.m.
Yankee Peddler Day is the kind of event that rewards an early start — the best finds at any antiques market go in the first hour or two. Get the ferry, grab the S74, and be at the gates by 9:30. The market, the museum, and the Greenbelt will take care of the rest of your Sunday.
Planning the ferry and bus connection from Manhattan? Our NYC ferry update for this weekend covers current schedules, including notes on the spring ferry service. And for a feel for what else Staten Island’s outdoor spaces offer, see our coverage of New Dorp, Staten Island’s most walkable village.
