Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, the 83-acre campus at 1000 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island's North Shore, has a full Halloween calendar over the next two weeks, from a Trunk or Treat in one of its parking lots on Thursday to a weekend of fall bulb pickups that runs into November. Tickets for its Winter Lantern Festival also go on sale this week.

Thursday, Oct. 22: Trunk or Treat with therapy dogs

Emma's Place and Luv on a Leash are hosting their annual Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 22, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Parking Lot P4 on the Snug Harbor campus. Families drive in and go car to car for candy and treats, and the event also includes therapy dogs and a Halloween photo booth. Admission is $25 per car.

Anyone who wants to decorate a trunk and hand out candy can reserve one of ten spots, offered first come, first served, for a $25 donation each. To reserve, call Emma's Place at 347-850-2322.

Saturday, Oct. 24: Harbor Hounds costume contest and parade

Dogs get their turn on Saturday, October 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the South Meadow, when Snug Harbor's Harbor Hounds group holds its Halloween Costume Contest and Parade. The afternoon opens with a costume contest, with a winning dog named and prizes handed out, followed by a parade. Snug Harbor suggests costumes built around a classic Halloween character, a treat, or an original idea. Admission is free for Harbor Hounds members and $5 for everyone else, with tickets sold online through the event page.

Friday and Saturday nights: Spooky Snug Harbor tours

The campus also runs nighttime walking tours through the end of October. Spooky Snug Harbor Tours are led by local history researcher Michael Pelczar, founder of Spooky Staten Island, and focus on the darker chapters of the site's history as a 19th-century home for aging sailors, with ghost-hunting equipment handed out for each session. Remaining dates are Friday, October 23, Saturday, October 24, and Friday, October 30, with sessions from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and 9 to 10:30 p.m. A Halloween special on Saturday, October 31, runs from 9 to 10:30 p.m. and includes a stop at the final resting place of Captain Robert Randall.

Tours meet at the Visitor Info Booth where Chapel Road meets Gazebo Road. General and student or senior tickets are $30, and Snug Harbor members pay $25 with a promo code.

Oct. 30 to Nov. 1: Autumn Bulb and Plant Sale

Gardeners can stock up for fall planting at the Autumn Bulb and Plant Sale. Bulbs and plants are pre-ordered online, with orders closing Thursday, October 29, at 11:59 p.m., and picked up on Gazebo Road, off Chapel Road. Options include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, smaller and edible bulbs, windowsill greens and fall flowers. Pickup runs Friday, October 30, from 3 to 6 p.m., when Snug Harbor horticulturists will be on hand for questions, and Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A limited selection is sold on site during pickup hours, and compost is free with advance registration. Attending is free; members get 10 percent off. Orders are pickup only, with no shipping or delivery.

Looking ahead: Winter Lantern Festival tickets

Tickets for Snug Harbor's Winter Lantern Festival go on sale Thursday, October 22, at 10 a.m. The festival opens Thursday, November 19, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., then runs nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. through January 10, 2027, with last entry at 9 p.m. Visitors walk among handcrafted LED-lit Chinese lanterns on the General Grounds, and admission includes an acrobatic show. Tickets start at $18.

Getting there

From the St. George Ferry Terminal, the S40 bus from Ramp D reaches Snug Harbor in about 10 minutes; get off at the Sailor's Snug Harbor Gate stop on Richmond Terrace for the North Gate. The S44 also stops at Lafayette Avenue and Fillmore Street, by the East Gate. On-site parking is in Lots P1 to P4. Note that Snug Harbor has partial closures on Chapel Road from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays through mid-2027, which may affect the Friday afternoon bulb pickup route.

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