This 172-acre island off Manhattan was a military secret for 200 years, now anyone can go

It’s closer than you think

New York Harbor holds a 172-acre island about 800 yards south of the tip of Lower Manhattan, and most New Yorkers have never set foot on it.

For more than 200 years, Governors Island was a military post sealed off from the public.

It reopened in 2005, and now hundreds of thousands of people make the short ferry crossing each year to find something the city almost never gives you: open sky, harbor breezes, and no cars anywhere in sight.

The Lenape called it “Nut Island” for good reason

Long before the Army arrived, the Lenape knew this place as Pagganck, which means “Nut Island,” named for the chestnut, hickory and oak trees that covered it.

It became a U.S. Army post in the late 1700s and stayed that way until 1966. After that, the Coast Guard took over until the mid-1990s.

Then, in 2003, the federal government sold the remaining 150 acres to the City and State of New York for a nominal cost, and two years later, the gates opened for the first time in two centuries.

Walk the star-shaped walls of Fort Jay

The defensive works on the north end of the island go back to 1775.

The fort took its current form between 1806 and 1809, built in a star shape with a dry moat and thick earthen walls all the way around.

It’s named for John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers and the first Chief Justice of the United States. Inside those walls, soldiers once kept barracks, munitions and family homes.

The National Park Service runs free ranger-led tours here in season, and they’re worth your time.

Castle Williams and its 200-year-old red walls

On the island’s western point, Castle Williams rises from the waterfront in a full circle of dark red sandstone.

Workers finished it in 1811, just before the War of 1812, and its round design influenced how the country built coastal forts for the next 50 years. During the Civil War, the Army held prisoners here.

You can walk the first floor and take in the outdoor exhibits when they’re open.

The upper floors and roof are off-limits for now, but standing inside the circular walls still gives you a sense of what this place was built to do.

Climb to 360-degree harbor views at Outlook Hill

The south end of the island holds The Hills, a 10-acre stretch of four man-made mounds built from recycled demolition debris and covered in grass.

The tallest, Outlook Hill, rises about 70 feet above the harbor. A scramble path made from reclaimed granite blocks leads to the top.

From the summit, you get a full 360-degree sweep: the Statue of Liberty to the southwest, Lower Manhattan to the north, Brooklyn to the east.

It takes about five minutes to climb, and the view at the top earns every step.

Ride New York City’s longest slide down Slide Hill

Right next to Outlook Hill, Slide Hill packs four slides into one slope, and the longest curves down about 57 feet, making it the longest slide in the five boroughs. A wide family slide fits two riders side by side.

A timber climb and a winding path bring you to the top before you come back down fast. Kids love it, but the line of grinning adults waiting their turn makes clear this one isn’t just for children.

Find sculpture and art tucked into the island’s history

Discovery Hill holds “Cabin,” a permanent outdoor sculpture by British artist Rachel Whiteread, set right into the landscape.

Across the island, large-scale artworks rotate through the seasons and pop up in places you might not expect.

The historic homes at Nolan Park and Colonels Row, former officers’ quarters, open as free gallery spaces from spring through fall.

Most shows run on weekends and cost nothing to walk through, and there’s something a little odd and right about finding contemporary art inside a 19th-century military house.

Sink into a red hammock at Hammock Grove

Hammock Grove gives you a shaded stretch of trees strung with rows of bright red hammocks, all free to use.

You can lie back and watch the harbor through the canopy, or just close your eyes and let the city noise fall away for a while.

A nearby play area keeps kids busy, and sprinkler fountains cut through the heat on summer afternoons.

It’s one of the easier places on the island to lose track of time, which, in New York, feels like its own kind of luxury.

Ride the whole island on a flat, car-free loop

No cars means the paths here belong entirely to bikes and foot traffic. You can bring your own bicycle on the ferry or rent one on the island.

Quiet lanes run past the forts on the north end, through the open lawns in the middle, and all the way around to the parkland in the south.

The whole loop is flat, and there’s no intersection to worry about, no light to wait for, no door to dodge. For families, it’s one of the most relaxed bike rides you’ll find anywhere near the city.

Kayak the harbor and learn about its returning oysters

Free kayaking turns up on weekends during the warmer months, giving you a water-level view of the harbor and the skyline rising behind it.

The Governors Island launch point has been closed recently, so check current listings before you plan your visit around it.

Beyond the paddling, the island is home base for a project working to bring oysters back to New York Harbor.

Oysters filter the water and rebuild marine habitat, and a public maritime high school on the island trains students in exactly that kind of harbor science.

Spread out at Picnic Point and watch the harbor move

Picnic Point has shaded tables, Adirondack chairs and an open lawn with a clear sightline to the Statue of Liberty.

You can reserve a grill for a cookout in the warmer months, or just stake out a patch of grass with a blanket. Food trucks roll in on weekends with a wide range of options, so you don’t need to pack a full spread.

Kites go up, kids run, and the harbor traffic moves steadily past in the background. It’s a corner of the island built for slowing down.

The lavender grove and the spa at the water’s edge

A waterfront spa on the island runs thermal baths, saunas and wellness rooms, with outdoor pools and terraces looking straight at the Manhattan skyline.

For something slower, a lavender grove sits nearby, quiet and fragrant and about as far from Midtown as a five-minute ferry ride can take you.

Weekend walking tours cover the historic district for anyone who wants context before they wander.

Governors Island is easy to reach, free to enter and almost entirely unlike the city you can see from every corner of it.

Visit Governors Island in New York

You can reach Governors Island by ferry from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan, and seasonally from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The island itself is free to enter, and the 22-acre National Monument, which includes Fort Jay and Castle Williams, is run by the National Park Service. The Trust for Governors Island manages the rest.

Many amenities, including food vendors, kayaking and ranger tours, run on a seasonal or weekend schedule. Check the official website before you go to confirm hours and what’s currently open.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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