Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Staten Island Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
AO Edited

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art

The collection is exhibited in a Staten Island building modeled on traditional Himalayan architecture.

Staten Island, New York

Added By
Anna Minster
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Prayer flags on the front of the chanting hall.   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
  Jim.henderson / CC BY-SA 4.0
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Drums.   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Library and museum (left and right, respectively)   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Palden Lhamo Magzor Gyalmo (China or Mongolia, 18th century)   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Buddha statue (China, 16th century or later)   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Buddha statue from Burma in the garden.   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is one of the earliest and most extensive collections of Himalayan art and artifacts. It was founded by Jacques Marchais, an American woman who led a remarkable life even before she dedicated herself to the research and study of Tibetan art and culture. Her father died when Marchais was young and she helped support the family financially as a child entertainer. She performed on stage as a teenager and adult. Marchais was married three times, eloping with her first husband at the age of 16.

Concurrent with her 1920 marriage to entrepreneur Harry Klauber, with whom she would spend the rest of her life, Marchais cultivated her interest in Central Asian art, amassed her collection, and constructed what she called the "Potala of the West."

Marchais engaged Joseph Primiano, a local stone mason, to construct the building. The two collected the fieldstone together around still-rural Staten Island. They based the design on photographs of the Potala at Lhasa, the historic seat of the Dalai Lamas, and other monasteries. Neither ever traveled to Tibet.

Terraced into the hillside are a library, chanting hall, meditation cells, and gardens with a lotus pond. The monastic complex, which opened to the public in 1947, features traditional details of Himalayan architecture; a flat roof capped with a pagoda, trapezoidal windows and doors with cross-cut wood posts, and slate caps.

Marchais collected over 2,000 books and the museum continues to add contemporary volumes on Tibetan art and culture. The printed material covers a wide range of subjects and a particular strength is early accounts of travel to Tibet. The collection of over 1,000 artifacts and works of art includes sculpture, ritual objects, musical instruments, scroll paintings, and furniture. Marchais collected 90 percent of the material but items continue to be added through donation. Only a small portion of the collection can be displayed at any one time, most of which is exhibited in the chanting hall.

The meditation cells and lower terrace cannot be visited at this time, although the latter can be viewed from above. The garden is especially beautiful when the rhododendrons and azaleas, which are native to Central Asia, are in bloom.

Related Tags

Tibet History Art Museums And Collections

Know Before You Go

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is most easily reached by car. There is limited free on-street parking. From the Staten Island Ferry terminal in St. George, take the S74 bus to Richmond Rd/Seaview Av, about a half-hour ride. The museum is then a 10-minute walk up Lighthouse Avenue. Admission is by donation.

Community Contributors

Added By

Anna Minster

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy, wherearewedude

  • Michelle Cassidy
  • wherearewedude

Published

October 6, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
338 Lighthouse Ave
Staten Island, New York, 10306
United States
40.576323, -74.138149
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Historic Richmond Town

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Holtermann's Bakery

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Willowbrook State School

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Staten Island

Staten Island

New York

Places 21
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Historic Richmond Town

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Holtermann's Bakery

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Willowbrook State School

Staten Island, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Staten Island

Staten Island

New York

Places 21
Stories 4

Related Places

  • The French Shore Interpretation Centre

    Conche, Newfoundland and Labrador

    French Shore Interpretation Centre

    A small museum in Newfoundland is home to a 227-foot tapestry that preserves the remote region's colorful history.

  • Tobacco boxes

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Franz Mayer Museum Silver Collection

    A shining treasure trove of fine Mexican silver dating back to the 15th century.

  • Original arrangement of the collection

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Guillermo Tovar de Teresa House Museum

    The now-public home of a renowned art collector is full of unique pieces from viceregal and 19th-century Mexico.

  • Barcelona, Spain

    Museu Frederic Marès

    An eclectic collection of thousands of items owned by the sculptor Frederic Marès.

  • Some of the museum’s diverse collection on display.

    Turnhout, Belgium

    National Museum of the Playing Card

    Relics from as far back as the 16th century are on display in a city known for its playing card industry.

  • The Mariachi

    Puebla, Mexico

    Casa del Títere (House of Puppets)

    A former factory hosts an amazing collection of Mexican marionettes.

  • Erotic art.

    Lima, Peru

    Larco Museum's Erotic Art

    The large collection of pre-Columbian pottery might make you blush.

  • Drawers of samples of dried paint on glass slides.

    Washington, D.C.

    The National Gallery's Art Materials Collection

    The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.