Governors Island is just an eight-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan but feels a world apart. 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.

For optimal experience, use this audio tour as you explore by bike. Grab a Citibike at the station just by the ferry or bring your own! You will circle the island and trace its transformation, discovering storied castles, innovative built environments and a park designed to withstand climate change. All you need are headphones and the Gesso mobile app to get started!

Want to discover more about the Trust for Governors Island? Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, which features digital guides to over 100 museums, galleries, sculpture parks, gardens, and cultural spaces from around the world in one easy to use app.

Transcripts for audio walks are available within the app.

Gesso’s audio walks are on-demand experiences that can be experienced in-person at your own pace, on your own schedule. You can begin your walk whenever you’d like!