Fort Wadsworth

The basics

Fort Wadsworth, which didn’t close until 1994, is one of the longest continuously garrisoned military installations in the country. After it closed, it became part of Gateway National Recreation Area, an NPS site. While there is a small visitor center, for most the attraction is simply being here—whether that means wandering around the fort imagining history, taking in the view of the harbor, or using the fort’s excellent walking and biking trails, which run throughout the park.

Things to know before you go

• A bike rack is available at the visitor center, as are national park passport stamps.
• Another structure to see while you’re there is Fort Tompkins, also inside the Gateway National Recreation Area.
• Yep, that’s a lighthouse atop Battery Weed (a site within the park).

How to get there

Fort Wadsworth is right on the eastern tip of Staten Island, directly across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (a toll road). While you can certainly drive here, many visitors prefer to skip the car and take the ferry from Manhattan; from the Staten Island terminal, take the S51 bus to the park entrance on Bay Street, or nab a rideshare.

When to get there

Fort Wadsworth is typically open daily from early morning to night, though the visitor center is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, from mid-morning to late afternoon. If you’re up for a morning jog, note that the park pretty much faces due east, so it’s fabulous for sunrise.

Views from Fort Wadsworth

Be sure to take in the vistas while you’re at the fort, especially from the overlook. You can see two islands—Hoffman and Swinburne—which were built as quarantine sites for people with contagious diseases, like cholera and parrot fever. There’s also all of New York Harbor and its history to contemplate, and some people like to go bird-watching here, too.