• 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 »

Plan Your Visit

Governors Island 2013 public access season starts Saturday, May 25 through Sunday, September 29. The island is open t0o the public Saturday, Sunday, Memorial Day and Labor Day. The

The island is closed on weekdays, BUT the National Park Service offers ranger guided tours and ranger-led programs Wednesday through Friday.

The island IS closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Click on the links below to view this season's programming schedules.

Weekday Programming Schedule: Wednesday - Friday

Weekend Programming Schedue: Saturday - Sunday

  • Explore Castle Williams! Explore Castle Williams!

    The interior and roof of Castle Williams will be open for tours this summer. See how you can visit this historic fortification! Read More

  • NOAA NOAA

    Get the latest NOAA weather forecast for New York City Read More

Did You Know?

U.S. Army Air Corps Colonel Hap Arnold in the 1930s.

Henry “Hap” Arnold (1886-1950), a founding father of the modern U.S. Air Force, got the itch to fly while a second lieutenant in the infantry at Fort Jay in 1909, watching biplanes take off and land on Governors Island. His commanding officer told him that he knew of no better way to commit suicide. In 1911, he learned to fly with the Wright brothers and would go on to become the first five-star general of the Army Air Corps and the first and only five star general of the U.S. Air Force.