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

    Governors Island

    National Monument New York

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • 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 »

Accessibility

Governors Island is jointly administered by the Trust for Governors Island and the National Park Service. Many visitor facilities and services are administered and maintained by Trust for Governors Island. Their facilities are indicated by an asterisk (*).

If you have any questions regarding facilities that belong to the Trust, please call 212-440-2200 Monday - Friday.

If you have any questions regarding facilities that are managed by the National Park Service, please call 212-825-3045 Monday - Friday.

For People With Mobility Impairments:
The following visitor facilities are accessible to wheelchair users with assistance.

  • Building 140 - Visitor Information and Bookstore
  • *The Governors Island Ferry Terminal in Manhattan - The Battery Maritime Building waiting room.
  • *The ferryboat from Manhattan, the Samuel Coursen.

Accessible bathrooms are located:

  • *Building 140 - at rear of building.
  • *Battery Maritime Building Waiting room.
  • *Accessible Portable toilets are located throughout the island.

Please Note: There are no wheelchairs available to borrow at this time.

Road Surfaces:

  • *There are over two miles of paved streets on the island.
  • The courtyards of Fort Jay and Castle Williams (National Park Service areas) are paved.
  • The following ranger-led walking tours can follow paved, wheelchair-accessible routes (assistance may be required especially along cobblestone paths): Hike Through the National Landmark Historic District Tours, offered Thursdays 10 AM and 1 PM (offered from beginning of June through the end of September).
  • Orientation to the History of Governors Island, Friday - Sunday, at 11:25, 1:25, 3:25.
  • Please click here for more information about our programming.

For People With Hearing Impairments:
A printed, self-guided walking tour of the National Historic Landmark District is provided at the Building 140 - Visitor Information and Bookstore on Governors Island. This will be to your left as you disembark the Manhattan ferry to Governors Island.

Please Note: There is no film, video or audio-visual program at this time.

For People With Sight Impairments:
Large print versions of the National Historic Landmark District walking tours are available upon request. Please contact the park at 212-825-3045 to ensure their availability.

Please Note: Information in Braille is currently unavailable.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact the park at 212-825-3045.

Did You Know?

John Jay

Fort Jay was named after John Jay, who served as the second governor of New York, an office he held during construction of the fort.  One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Jay also served as the first Secretary of Foreign Affairs and as the first Chief Justice of Supreme Court.