Special Location
New York City: Governor's Island Ticket, Ferry, and Self-Guided App
Take the ferry to the military base that New York forgot. This isn't just a park; it’s a 172-acre weird-history fever dream built on subway rubble and war stories. On this self-guided tour, you will walk the line between the Old World (19th-century forts) and the New (avant-garde terraforming). Step inside Castle Williams, the red sandstone "cheese box" that served as a damp, nightmare prison for Confederate POWs. Stand on the aviation ground where Wilbur Wright flew a plane with a canoe strapped to it because he was terrified of drowning. Explore high-concept arts hidden in former gunpowder magazines, then climb hills made of excavated city grit for a view of the Statue of Liberty that feels almost illegal. End your patrol with great food and cocktails by the water—because the best way to honor a former military black site is by eating tacos on it.
Expected Tour Length: 1 hour 40 mins
Number of Stops: 10
Tour Type: 🚶♂️ walking
Key Locations
- • Battery Maritime Building
- • Governor's Island
- • Governor's Island Ferry
- • Castle Williams
- • South Battery
Includes
- • Private tour, completely controlled by you!
- • Pintours App allows for full personalization.
- • Pause or skip any stop on the tour.
- • Unlimited free time, stay as long as you want
- • Free access to secret info per stop
Highlights
Designed By
Robert Hillebrand
I’m Robby, a dedicated cycling enthusiast and history detective obsessed with uncovering the strange, forgotten, and truly radical stories of New York City. My years as a bike messenger gave me an unparalleled, street-level intimacy with NYC's grid—a critical background that allows me to meticulously curate routes that are not only safe and accessible for all skill levels but designed to immerse my guests in the city's authentic, often bizarre, local culture. My tours specialize in the crucial, yet little-known, histories that transform NYC from a mere destination into a living, breathing origin story.