Annemarie Dooling

If you’d rather spend a day touring a fascinating museum than sunning yourself on the best beaches near NYC, you’ll love these weekend trips for history buffs. Tour sprawling estates, visit the homes of famed artists and climb aboard ships dating back to the 19th century. Some would make easy day trips from NYC, but you might consider spending a whole weekend at others to soak up all the history. So what are you waiting for? Stock up on road trip supplies and get going! RELATED: Full guide to weekend getaways from NYC

Though it's only a ferry ride from Manhattan, Staten Island's Snug Harbor neighborhood is somewhat of a hidden secret. With an enormous botanical garden and cultural center surrounded by cobblestone streets and tiny paths of Victorian and Tudor homes, residents here live the best of both worlds: a fast commute to the bustling metropolis, with the affordable space they crave. Regina Marks, special-events coordinator, Staten Island Children's Museum "Having been around the area since [my] childhood, in the late 1960s, moving back to the Snug Harbor area was a no-brainer. It felt like coming home. There was a gift shop run by a woman named Edith and her husband, and no matter who you were—you could be a kid with just $5—they would find you something. Of course, we're in New York City, so the area has changed, but it's been for the better. [At the museum], we have a large variety of visitors who come in for a day trips."Staten Island Museum, 1000 Richmond Terr between Harbor Rd and Tyson St (718-273-2060, statenislandkids.com) Patricia Salmon, history curator, Staten Island Museum "There's so much beauty in this neighborhood that, in the 1960s, was slated to become apartment buildings. It is largely residential, but you've got all the cultural institutions and the landmarked Greek Revival buildings that anchor Snug Harbor. You've also got beautiful parks like the somewhat hidden Allison Park. The museum keeps our archives on site at the cultural center, but we plan to move all op

Don't be fooled by the word of mouth. Dumbo may have solidified itself in NYC gentrification history, but it's still heavy in its community roots. This tiny cobblestoned area down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass has, in recent years, flourished from an artist's enclave to a creative hub for the masses. But despite the rapid influx of family homes and the offices of some of the most innovative digital corporations today, one thing remains: Dumbo is a small town in a big borough. Mike Germano, president, Carrot Creative and Digital Dumbo event "The second we saw Dumbo we knew it would be our home. When Digital Dumbo started over a year and a half ago, it was initially set up just for computer fanatics around the area, but from that first meeting, we had over 160 people show up. Now that Dumbo has made a name for itself as New York's Digital District, we have seen over a 200 percent growth in attendance. Dumbo fosters creativity by allowing for open spaces that harbor collaboration, and [it has] unique views that re-inspire New York dreams each time you walk down by the water."Digital Dumbo at reBar, 147 Front St at Jay St (718-766-9110, rebarnyc.com, digitaldumbo.com) "With a new digital company moving in each week, we now have our own Mikey's Hook Up; [it's an] Apple computer repair shop. The whole team loves to just go down there and play some Ping-Pong at Mikey's while we wait [for computer parts to be repaired]."Mikey's Hook Up, 70 Front St between Main and Washington S