When researching fun things to do in NYC, Governors Island came up in quite a few places so we decided to make a visit. Weekend mornings before noon are free to ride the ferry, so we woke up early on Saturday and rode the LIRR into Manhattan, then a subway to the ferry and then walked onto the ferry to Governors Island. This was the first time the kids had really experienced public transportation.
Governors Island is partially run by the NPS and the rest by the city of NYC. We visited Castle Williams and Fort Jay. Castle Williams and Fort Jay were once Army outposts as part of the NY Harbor’s defense against the British. Over time Castle Williams has had many different uses, most recently as a prison. The structure of Castle Williams has changed considerably to make it a prison. The ironwork bars and windows are still prominent. Due to Covid, tours inside Castle Williams are all canceled, but an awesome NPS Ranger talked to us about the history and tried his best to point out some of the rooms and their uses, like the library, the mess hall, and the showers.
In addition to the National Monuments, Governors Island has tons of cultural activities, food, and recreation. The island is a great place to spend a day. We ate lunch, bought an ice cream sandwich and beer, lounged in the hammock grove, and spent quite a bit of time at slide hill. We sufficiently tired the kids out before heading back to the ferry and return subway trip. As it turns out, watching through the windows of the dark subway tunnel is not just fun for our kids, but also fun for many kids as you can see. 😄
Be the first to reply