Fort Wadsworth"The Guardian of the Narrows" on Staten Island
THINGS TO DO
Special Events: August 7th, bring a flashlight and explore the historic structures under the Verrazano Bridge on this popular nighttime tour. Reservations required, call 718-354-4500. Take a Ranger-led tour of Battery Weed and Fort Tompkins Wednesdays-Sundays at 10am and 2pm. 
Fort Wadsworth -- part of Gateway National Recreation Area -- has guarded the entrance to New York Harbor for over 200 years. A former military post dating back to the 17th century, it served, from 1954 to 1966, as the control center for New York City's Nike missile defense system. Because of its strategic location, Fort Wadsworth continually evolved as new technology became available. From Battery Weed, the Civil War-era gun battery, to more modern anti-ship batteries that served through World War II, its defense has always been formidable. At the time of its closure in 1994, Fort Wadsworth was the longest continuously used military site in the country, and continues to be used by the Coast Guard today. |
 visitor informationGateway Nat'l Recreation Area directionsBUS: S51 from Staten Island Ferry Terminal to the Park entrance on Bay Street. CAR: From the Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Brooklyn: after toll, take the Bay Street exit to the Park entrance. From the Staten Island Expressway (Rt. 278) east to the Bay Street exit. Turn left at the light and follow this road to Bay Street and the Park entrance. |