Staten Island is the borough that rewards the long weekend more than any other. With fewer tourists, more open space per resident than anywhere else in the five boroughs, and a free ferry running all weekend long, it is a legitimate destination for a full Saturday or Sunday — not just a transfer point. Here is your Staten Island weekend guide for May 23–25, 2026.

The Ferry: Still Free, Runs All Weekend

The Staten Island Ferry runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the ride is free in both directions. The round trip takes about 50 minutes and passes directly by the Statue of Liberty and through New York Harbor — it remains one of the best free experiences in the city. Memorial Day weekend, the ferry operates on a modified schedule with boats running every 30 minutes during off-peak hours and more frequently during peak times. The St. George terminal on the Staten Island side is a short walk from the North Shore waterfront and the Empire Outlets retail complex.

The ferry runs from the Whitehall Terminal at 4 South Street in lower Manhattan. The 1 train (Rector St) and the R/W trains (Whitehall St–South Ferry) are both running normally this weekend and serve the Manhattan terminal. This is one of the subway disruptions that does not affect Staten Island access — the lines serving Whitehall and South Ferry are unaffected.

The North Shore Waterfront: St. George to Snug Harbor

The North Shore waterfront walk is Staten Island’s best public space and one of the most underused in all of New York. Starting from the St. George Ferry Terminal, you can walk west along the waterfront path toward Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden at 1000 Richmond Terrace — a complex of Greek Revival buildings set on 83 acres with formal gardens, the Staten Island Museum, the Staten Island Children’s Museum, and rotating cultural exhibitions.

Snug Harbor is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The grounds are free to enter; individual museums charge admission. The Chinese Scholar’s Garden inside the complex is one of the only authentic classical Chinese gardens in the northeastern United States. Getting there from St. George: the S40 bus runs directly from the ferry terminal to Snug Harbor, or it is about a 20-minute walk along Richmond Terrace with water views most of the way.

Staten Island Greenbelt: Hiking 30 Minutes from Manhattan

The Staten Island Greenbelt is a 2,800-acre nature preserve in the center of the island — the largest continuous forest within the five boroughs of New York City. The Greenbelt has more than 35 miles of trails ranging from paved loops to rugged forest paths, and the central trail network around Moses Mountain and the Greenbelt Recreation Center at 200 Nevada Avenue is accessible by the S62 bus from the St. George Ferry Terminal.

In late May the Greenbelt is at maximum canopy and bird activity. The Blue Trail — the Greenbelt’s longest route — runs approximately 9 miles end to end, but most visitors do shorter loops of two to four miles that are well-marked and accessible for casual hikers. Trail maps are available at the Greenbelt Recreation Center. This is one of the few places in New York City where you can walk for an hour and hear nothing but birds and wind.

Rosebank and the South Beach Boardwalk

South Beach on the island’s east shore has a 2.5-mile boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean — the longest in New York State. On a clear Memorial Day weekend afternoon, the boardwalk at South Beach offers ocean views, beach access (swimming when lifeguards are on duty, which typically begins Memorial Day weekend), and a stretch of open shore that feels a world apart from Manhattan. Getting there: SIR (Staten Island Railway) from St. George to Jefferson Avenue station, then the S51 bus, or via car on Hylan Boulevard.

The Staten Island Railway runs its full schedule this weekend — the SIR is not connected to the NYC subway system and is unaffected by the MTA’s Memorial Day weekend service changes. It runs from St. George terminal down the East Shore to Tottenville, with stops at every major neighborhood along the way. The fare is a standard MetroCard swipe.

What You Need to Know

• Staten Island Ferry: Free, 24/7, every 30 minutes. From 4 South Street, Manhattan. R/W and 1 trains both serve the Manhattan terminal this weekend.
• Snug Harbor Cultural Center: 1000 Richmond Terrace. Open Wed–Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Grounds free; museum admissions vary. S40 bus from ferry terminal.
• Staten Island Greenbelt: 2,800 acres, 35+ miles of trails. Greenbelt Recreation Center at 200 Nevada Avenue. S62 bus from St. George.
• South Beach Boardwalk: 2.5-mile ocean boardwalk. Beach swimming (lifeguards begin Memorial Day weekend). SIR to Jefferson Av.
• Staten Island Railway: Fully operational all weekend. Unaffected by MTA service changes. MetroCard fare from St. George.
• Alternate side parking: Suspended citywide Monday, May 25. Meters remain in effect.

Staten Island is consistently underestimated as a weekend destination, and a three-day weekend is exactly the right excuse to fix that. The ferry is free, the parks are extraordinary, and the crowds that show up to Prospect Park and Central Park on a holiday Saturday are not here. For the full citywide holiday guide, see Memorial Day Weekend 2026 in NYC: What’s Open, What’s Closed.