[2][3] The museum stresses a hands-on interactive approach to its exhibits[4] A large metal sculpture of a Praying Mantis, named Francis the Praying Mantis, is located in front of the museum.

Current exhibits include "House About It" which teaches children about home building and construction, "Bugs and other insects" which features a collection of living exotic spiders and insects as well as a small collection of fossils and preserved insects, "Great Explorations", "Sea of Boats", "Ladder 11" which features a real decommissioned fire truck, "veterinary clinic" which teaches children about being a veterinarian and proper pet care, "Portia's Playhouse", "the Garden Terrace" and "Big Games".

In 2005, the museum was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The portion of the museum that houses the food court area and the great explorations exhibits is the old snug harbor barn, where the livestock was originally kept to feed the residents of Sailors Snug Harbor.

During the 1950s, the building was designated as civil defense shelter for local residents in the event of an air raid.