Governors Island spent two centuries as a military post and stayed closed to the public until 2003, and these volunteer-led walks explain how a Coast Guard base became 172 acres of parkland. The guides cover preservation, design and environmental stewardship rather than reciting dates. If you have come for the hammocks and never understood what you were looking at, take the 90 minutes.
What to expect
A 90-minute walk starting from Soissons Landing beside the Welcome Center, led by a volunteer guide, covering the island's forts, officers' housing and the newly built park landscapes on the southern half. Tours go off at 10:45am and 12:45pm and run weather permitting. There is no charge and no booking.
Good to know
- Ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street and seasonally from Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Red Hook.
- All ferry passengers ride free on weekend mornings, which covers the earlier tour.
- Tours meet at Soissons Landing next to the Welcome Center, right by the ferry dock.
- They run about 90 minutes on foot, so wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
- Tours are weather permitting and led by volunteers, so they can be cancelled.
- There are no cars on the island, which makes it an easy walk throughout.
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Common questions
Does the tour cost anything?
No. The walking tours are free and led by volunteer Governors Island Guides. You only pay the ferry fare, and that is free before 11am at weekends.
How long is it?
About 90 minutes on foot, departing at 10:45am and 12:45pm from Soissons Landing beside the Welcome Center.
What does it cover?
How historic preservation, landscape design and environmental stewardship transformed a former military post into one of the city's newest public parks.
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