RECESS!! at Staten Island’s Empire Outlets: a glow-in-the-dark snowball fight by the ferry

A blacklight snowball fight has opened at Empire Outlets in St. George, Staten Island. The attraction, RECESS!!, fills part of the waterfront mall’s Level 2 with glowing snowballs, air-powered cannons and more than 20 other hands-on games. For now it is scheduled through October and November.

Nothing here needs cold weather. The snow battle takes place indoors under neon light with music playing, and visitors reach it through what the attraction calls a secret portal.

What’s inside RECESS!! at Empire Outlets

Past the snowball arena is Orbtopia, a neon play zone built around installations visitors touch rather than watch. At the cannon stations, players fire glowing balls across the room and duck the shots coming back. In Gopher Pong, some players pop up as targets while others throw ping-pong balls at them. Wall-sized games let teams steer the action with real objects, and Sticky Orbs can be stuck to walls, custom vests or other visitors.

There are quieter corners too. The Glow Dome is a spot to rest while the orbs keep flying, and the Wishing Wall is more visual. The Dream Machine and Reverso Vortex blow glowing scarves through clear tubes.

How to get there and how long to plan

Most visits run 45 to 90 minutes. Empire Outlets is the city’s only outlet shopping center, and it sits next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, so the trip works without a car. Outside the play space, the complex has restaurants on the water, a skyline view across the harbor toward Lower Manhattan and rooftop greenery covering four acres. That makes it easy to add shopping, lunch or a harborside walk to a session.