Historic island destination featuring expansive parkland, cultural attractions, waterfront views, and seasonal recreation areas set within a former military site.
Public access hours vary seasonally; ferry schedules may affect entry and exit times
Ferry tickets required (separate fee)
How to Get There
From Lower Manhattan (nearest major hotel area, ~1 mi): Take a ferry from the Battery Maritime Building at the southern tip of Manhattan and ride a short distance across the harbor to reach the island.
Overview
Governors Island is a car-free harbor island a short ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, a former U.S. Army and Coast Guard post now a public park with wide lawns, hills with panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty and skyline, gardens, and waterfront promenades. Historic Fort Jay and Castle Williams recall its defensive past, and art installations and seasonal festivals fill the summer season.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for Governors Island, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
Philip Sheldrake from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
DanielPenfield, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
MateBoy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
MateBoy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted