Pokémon GO players: Is Historic Richmond Town the place to go today ;) ?#PokemonGO#ANAShopperpic.twitter.com/lUzXyvc6ZZ
— Arthur Barbato (@arthurbarbato) July 13, 2016
Staten Island is often seen as the forgotten borough of New York, but as the Staten Island Advance is reporting, thanks to Pokémon Go, their museums are getting a much needed surge of interest.
The ubiquitous cell phone game is driving people not just out of the house, but to locations they might never normally travel to, including many of Staten Island’s museums. SI attractions like Historic Richmond Town, a mock historic town and museum, and the Staten Island Museum itself have seen a surge in attendance since the game launched. People seem to be showing up to try and catch them all, but then find themselves in a location they likely never knew existed. Other locations that have seen a rush of activity include the Alice Austen House Museum and Conference House Park.
For the museums’ part, they seem happy to have the newfound attention. The Staten Island Museum is even offering admission deals to Pokémon trainers who show up to battle, perhaps trying to attract the attention of players who do their Poké-business without ever even going inside. To many of the museums, though, simply making people aware of their existence is a boon.
It’s not always easy to get people to travel to the island and see what they have to offer, but catching little monsters is as good a reason as any to finally get there.