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

    Governors Island

    National Monument New York

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  • 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 »

Exclusive Midweek Access By Guided Tour

Exclusive Midweek Access to the Island - An Interactive Journey Through Governors Island's History

Date: Thursdays
Time: 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM (June 9 - September 25)
Location: Your experience will begin with a free ferry which departs from the Battery Maritime Building at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM

Details:

Appropriate for adults and children, this new program invites you to participate in an interactive living history program and experience the island's history through the eyes of "guests" from the past.

Join a team of National Park Rangers dressed in period clothing for this 1.5 hour, 1.5 mile hiking and hands-on experience. Discover how the role of Governors Island evolved to meet the changing needs of a growing city and the nation.

These special programs are only offered on Thursdays, starting with the free ferry departure from Manhattan at 10am and 1pm.

  • Free Tickets are limited to 60, and are distributed on a first come, first served basis; we suggest that you come to the Battery Maritime Building at 9am for the 10am tour and 12pm for the 1pm tour.
  • Groups of 10 or more and all school groups will need to make a reservation. Please call 212-825-3045 Wednesday - Sunday, May 27 - September 25.
  • Please note group tours are scheduled according to staff availability. These reservations will guarantee that your group will have tickets but not a private tour. Please contact the park for more information.
  • This tour is appropriate for adults, school/day camp groups and families.
  • For additional children's programming, please join us on Fridays for our Friday Morning Summer Programs for Kids.


Did You Know?

howard 8

Oliver Otis Howard (1830-1909), from Maine, graduated from West Point in 1856. During the Civil War, he fought at Manassas; Fair Oaks – where he lost his right arm; Antietam; Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; Chattanooga; Atlanta; and participated in the march across Georgia.

In 1865 he headed the Freedmans’ Bureau, which resettled and enforced the rights of newly freed African-American slaves in the South. His interest in their education led him to establish Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.

From 1884 to the end of his Army career, he commanded the U.S. Army in the Eastern United States from Governors Island.