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Governors Island closed July 4th
The island will be closed on July 4th and no National Park Service tours or programs will take place that day. NPS weekday ranger tours and programs will still be offered on Wednesday, July 3rd and Friday July 5th.
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Phone number change
Hurricane Sandy destroyed the island's telephone connections to Manhattan. Our 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. More »
Explore Castle Williams
A ranger shows visitors an exhibit inside Castle Williams
NPS Photo
Castle Williams, the centerpiece of the system of fortifications designed to guard New York City just prior to the War of 1812, has long been off-limits to the public. After an extensive rehabilitation project, the National Park Service is pleased to open the Castle's interior and roof to the public for the first time in the fort's 200-year history. The below reflects our minimum offerings on weekends at Castle Williams. As staff is available, we may extend hours at the Castle, offer additional tours, or offer other programs at the Castle. Please check our Facebook page or call 646-241-2670 for more information. Castle Williams is open from 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays during the public access season. As these operating hours are shorter than the island's operating hours, please plan accordingly. We recommend visitors make their visit to Castle Williams early in the day, when crowds are thinner. Castle Williams is a fascinating structure with a long and winding history. Because of its age and design, occupancy in the Castle must be carefully managed. If the Castle has reached capacity, visitors may be asked to form an orderly queue outside the gate. Access to the interior and roof of the Castle is by guided tour only, which requires a separate ticket. Tour tickets are available inside the Castle at the ticketing desk. Tickets will be available for a given tour one hour before the tour begins--for example, tickets for the 2:30 PM tour will become available at 1:30 PM. Space on these tours is extremely limited. Please note that generally tickets are in greatest demand in the afternoon, so we strongly recommend visitors plan to take a morning tour for the greatest availability of tickets. Tours occur at least every half-hour beginning at 10:30 AM until 4:00 PM and are approximately 25 minutes in length. Visitors are advised that the tours involve climbing several flights of stairs, and to please plan accordingly. At the end of the tour, visitors will be escorted to the courtyard of the Castle, and are free to peruse the exhibits located there. We are looking forward to seeing you at Castle Williams! |
Did You Know?
In 1814, a private stationed on Governors Island would have earned about $8.00 for a month of service to his country.