• 16th Infantry Regiment, Fort Jay, New York City, 1938.

    Governors Island

    National Monument New York

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  • Limited access and winter/spring programs

    Governors Island opens to the public for the 2013 season on Saturday, 25, 2013. See "Plan Your Visit" at left for details. More »

  • Phone number change

    Due to Hurricane Sandy, our phone service was disrupted. The temporary information number for the park is now via cell phone at 646-241-2670. Other contact information can be found at www.nps.gov/gois/contacts.htm More »

Civil War 150th Anniversary

Castle Williams Casemate in the Civil War

A rendering of a casemate in Castle Williams as it appeared in the early 19th century

The approaching 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War (2011-2015) offers the current generation of Americans a most important opportunity to know, discuss, and commemorate this country's greatest national crisis, while at the same time exploring its enduring relevance in the 21st century.

In preparation for the Sesquicentennial, the National Park Service-through the collective efforts of the superintendents at Civil War-related parks- has undertaken a multi-faceted, multi-year, integrated program that will simultaneously transform and improve interpretation of the Civil War. Please check out the links below to learn more about this crossroads of the American story and how our park will be offering programs to support it.

Causes

Castle Williams and the Civil War

Civil War Enlistment

Irish Soldiers in the Union Army

Did You Know?

General George Grunert led the Army's investigation into the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

George Grunert (1881-1971) joined the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War in 1898 as a private and retired 47 years later a lieutenant general. When he retired at Fort Jay 1945, he had commanded the U.S. First Army before it left for Normandy, and the Eastern Defense Command which protected the East Coast from enemy attack. In retirement, he led a full investigation into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.