TOUR LINK

Governors Island is just an eight-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan—but feels a world apart from the rest of New York City.

Once known by the Lenape people as Pagganack, or Nut Island, this ice cream cone-shaped site served as a military outpost for centuries and today stands as a scenic refuge that is home to an impressive array of cultural, environmental, educational, and recreational offerings.

This summer, Open House New York has partnered with Brooklyn-based media tech company Gesso and the Trust for Governors Island to launch an immersive, self-guided audio walking tour that explores the history and and development of Governors Island through an in-depth look at some of its most significant—and perhaps sometimes overlooked—sites, from the 19th century Fort Jay military compound to a maritime-themed public high school that inspired the Billion Oyster Project.

This event is free, open to the public, and fully self-guided (note: to access the tour, you must first download the Gesso app to your smartphone, headphones recommended).

From 6:00-7:30pm, Open House New York and Gesso staff will be posted near the Governors Island Welcome Center, located to the left of Soissons Landing, to assist with app troubleshooting. The tour is available via this link. You do not need to check-in to access the tour.

Through Labor Day weekend, Governors Island offers extended hours, and will be open to visitors until 10:00 p.m. We encourage you to make an evening of it — bring a picnic, bring some friends, and check out the host of activities available.

A ferry ticket must be purchased in advance; schedules and fares are here.

Questions? Please email [email protected] with “Governors Island” in the subject line.