Castle Clinton National Monument

For my first visit, I was late to get a ticket. Staff was just locking the castle. Second time I went at 8 am. Castle is clean and beautiful. But what was the best, was the staff. They way guy at ticket window guided me and encouraged me was plain kindness. There was no line that early in the day. Used their rest room, and found those clean too. For crown, you have to make reservations 3 months in advance. The ticket you buy there on spot takes you to Liberty and Ms Eliss island. Last ferry leaves at 3:30 from Bettery Park.

Castle Clinton National Monument, located at the southern tip of Manhattan in Battery Park, is a historic fort with over 200 years of history. Originally built as a defensive structure in the early 1800s, it has served multiple purposes over time, including an entertainment venue, immigration station, and aquarium. Today, it functions primarily as a historical site managed by the National Park Service. Visitors can walk through the circular sandstone fort, view exhibits on its history, and learn about its role in early New York City development. It also serves as the ticketing location for ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The site is relatively small, and most visits are brief—typically under 30 minutes. There is limited interactivity, but informational panels and ranger-led talks provide useful context. While not a major attraction on its own, Castle Clinton is worth a short stop for history enthusiasts or those waiting for a ferry. It offers a quiet glimpse into New York’s past in contrast to the busy modern skyline surrounding it.

Visited Castle Clinton during my trip to New York and really enjoyed it! It’s a small but interesting historical site right by the water, and it’s pretty cool to think about how much history that little fort has seen. The park area around it is also really nice to walk around, especially if you’re waiting for the Statue of Liberty ferry. I liked how easy it was to explore, quick but full of neat details and stories from the past. The staff were friendly too and happy to share a bit about the site’s history. Definitely worth a quick visit if you’re nearby or spending time in Battery Park.

Visited Castle Clinton on a public holiday, no wait at all. The place was quiet and kinda peaceful compared to the busy city around it. Walked through the old sandstone fort, read some panels about its history, and learned how it played a role in early New York. It’s small and not super interactive, but the info was helpful. Ranger talks were brief but useful. Not something I’d come back for alone, but perfect if you’re waiting for a ferry or into history. Took less than thirty minutes total. Worth a stop if you’re nearby. Just a quick peek into the past.

My great-grandparents came through this space when it was Castle Garden Emigrant Depot. Free! With clean bathrooms! Checkout the small but fascinating museum to learn more about the history of this building and location. The area surrounding it has beautiful trees and gardens.

The view is wonderful and remember us how NY was a result of mass immigration of many people from other countries

I've brought my kids downtown a handful of times to check out the memorials, views, carousel and playground. Castle Clinton is always a favorite due to the scale and openness of the monument. On our most recent visit, a wonderful park ranger by the name of Bryant gave us a lot of time and attention, sharing fascinating information to supplement the great 3D models on display. High praise to Bryant and 10/10 for the site itself!

Castle Clinton was once a fort built to defend New York. The structure is still clearly visible and you can walk all the way around.

This has been on my to go list in New York City's Financial District for awhile now. I finally had a chance to visit the Castle Clinton landmark on a early Saturday morning in July! Castle Clinton is located in Manhattan within Battery Park. It's also one of New York City's oldest historic landmarks. Castle Clinton was constructed between 1808 and 1811 to defend the city against potential attacks. It's designed as a circular fort with masonry walls. The fort was renamed as Castle Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton the mayor of New York City. Inside Castle Clinton, there was a cannon on display with historical background. Castle Clinton had several updates throughout the years. Today, it's managed by the National Park Service and is a cultural and tourist hub in New York City. While you visit Castle Clinton, you can view the open exhibits. You can also purchase departure points for ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I spent about 45 minutes here going through all of the exhibits and reading all of the information regarding Castle Clinton!

Interesting place to check out in battery park. Not crowded like the rest of the area which is nice as well.

This circular sandstone fort in Battery Park has served many purposes since it was built in the early 1800's. Even tough it was built to protect the New York City Harbor, Castle Clinton has never been used for war. It was an immigration station before Ellis Island became one. Since then, it has been an aquarium and an event center before becoming a National Monument. Today it is a visitor center and departure point for ferries to the Statue of Liberty. I walked around Castle Clinton for a little bit after spending some time at the Statue of Liberty. People were lined up inside to buy ferry tickets to the Statue. There is some literature about this fort that you can read as you walk around,. There are also some old cannons near the windows and other artifacts that you can check out. Even though there isn't a whole lot to do or see, I am glad they didn't demolish this historic place. Spend some time in Battery Park if you want to see more things.

LANDMARK: A National Monument which was completed in 1811. Originally known as WEST BATTERY it was later used as an Immigration Processing Center between 1855-1890 prior to ELLIS ISLAND. The former Fort is a popular Tourist destination. WORTH VISITING.

Castle Clinton has had an amazingly interesting history. It started out as a fort protecting NYC harbor during the War of 1812 and it was separate from Manhattan at that time. It also served as the first immigration site (before Ellis Island) and more than 7 million people immigrated through it. The land around it was filled in to form Battery Park over the years and it also served as an aquarium. Today it's where you either get tickets/disembark for The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tour. It was restored to the original fort appearance and it's a nice historical site to visit. There's a bit of information inside in an exhibit and I would spend about 30 minutes here. I'm really glad they never tore it down given it's historical significance and I recommend checking it out if you're in the area!

This is a small fort located in the Battery Park area. Nowadays, it is known as the place where you go to buy tickets to the Statue of Liberty ferries. However, it is a historically important site. It was actually the first place in New York where immigrants arrived and were processed (predating Ellis Island). There are some small plaques and an exhibit that explains the site's history. It's not something to go out of your way for, but something to keep in mind and take a look at while going to the Statue of Liberty.

Castle Clinton is located inside Battery Park. It is also part of the immigration system to get to Statue Island or Ellis Island through Statue Ferry Cruise. Currently the Castle is closed for renovation. It is nice to see and take picture at the moment. The castle from the outside looks big and it looks like it is only one floor. It is built in a round shape.

More of a jumping off point for Statue of Liberty now than an independent NPS site, there is some independent historical significance that is somewhat interesting. Decent junior ranger program. Limited but informative interpretive content. Not the most enthusiastic rangers. Probably can get sense of place in 20ish minutes. Not a destination, but worth a peek if in area.

Castle Clinton is the large old building in the middle of The Battery. It has a lot of history from times of war to immigration. The building looks to be fairly well taken care of. If only it had more going on it could be a good attraction. This is now used for getting Statue of Liberty tickets. It was first used as a fortress. It protected New York during the war of 1812 and maybe some others. When that was over, it became the site where immigrants registered. It was so until the center on Ellis Island opened. It has some great history but it gets lost among the Statue of Liberty ticket pickups. This is certainly the busier of the two statue ferry areas, especially when it's peak season. If you are coming or going on the ferry take a look. It has some information but not much. This is a pleasant diversion while waiting for the ferry or if you want to learn more immigration stories.

Such a historic sight and where you purchase tickets for the Statue of Liberty Cruise. I wish the work crews trailers were parked on the side of the building rather than right at the front entrance. They are very unappealing.

We came here to get our tickets to Statue of Liberty! Pretty easy to find, although we had to ask for directions from a local police officer who directed us to this place. Looks like a tiny castle from the outside.

Over the years Castle Clinton has been many things. Initially CC was known as West Battery and was built to help defend NY Harbor. Construction of the sandstone structure was completed in 1811 and the name changed to Castle Clinton in 1815 after NYC Mayor DeWitt Clinton. It never saw any action from The War of 1812 and the Army abandoned it in 1821. In 1824 the structure got a new name in Castle Garden and a new purpose of beer garden, exhibition hall, theatre and opera house. In 1855 it became the official immigration processing facility for NY State (The first such entity in US history) and over the next thirty-five years saw over eight million immigrants processed until the Federal Government took over the job in 1890. In 1896 the Castle again had new life as the New York Aquarium until 1941 when Park Commissioner Robert Moses closed it down out of spite when he lost a battle to build a Battery-Brooklyn Bridge which would have demolished CC and all of Battery Park. Finally in 1950 NY State ceded ownership of the structure to the Federal Government and in 1975 after being fully renovated CC was reopened and today serves as the NY departure point for The Statue of Liberty which nets The Castle around three million visitors a year. Now with the history lesson out of the way let's talk about practicalities. Compared to facilities and loading area over in NJ for The Statue this place is a dump. Especially on weekends the rangers here are very overwhelmed as their job is not to interpret or impart the history of the structure to you because their only job is 100% good ol' fashioned crowd control. People trying to queue up in every possible angle, ropes & chains are constantly getting reworked and what it equals is a sea of humanity with rangers yelling to move up or move this way or not to push, etc. The building does have a very small "museum" which consists of three dopey dioramas and a mishmashed collection of I guess dead local sea life. From a Junior Ranger Program prospective, CC does have one but it's a poorly copied small booklet without a staple and Ranger Steve was more than happy/too busy to wait around so he gave the kids the badges with the booklets and off he went. To me the building is not designed to do what it is currently doing, I question whether it should even be under the NPS umbrella and 99% of the people who come here have no clue about the history of the building/nor do they care and even if they wanted to know there's no much here to tell them about it.

It was easy enough to find! Had to go to the Will Call window to pick up our crown tickets. The lady at the booth asks that you put on the band in front of her at the window. I suppose this is to deter the others from selling their bands off as we require to submit an ID when you purchase tickets for the crown. Blessed with beautiful weather, we were very fortunate!

Castle Clinton, initially built as a fort to defend New York Harbor, has been used over time as a performance hall, immigration processing center (pre-dating Ellis Island), the NY aquarium... and now it's used as the location to buy tickets for the Statue of Liberty. I visited as part of a project to go to all the National Parks Service sites in Manhattan. This one is comparatively underwhelming, as there's only one room with information about the site's history (and the history is interesting!) and a gift shop. We had to ask the park rangers how to get our NPS passports stamped -- turns out they keep the stamp in a back office, which just goes to show that the percentage of visitors to CC who are NOT there to go to the Statue of Liberty is quite small. I wish there were some way for the history to shine through a little more for the thousands of people who are in and out each week to buy Statue of Liberty tickets, and given its current use, it feels a little strange that CC is part of the NPS system. That being said, it's worth a quick visit if you're in the area.

This is a nice historical site if you happen to be passing by, but definitely not worth a separate trip especially if you're pressed for time in New York. They've converted this fortress to a place where they sell tickets to go to the Statue of Liberty. The cool aspect of this place is that being in the middle of the fort allows you to see the tall buildings of downtown framed in an interesting way. There are some educational signs along the periphery regarding the history, but overall a touristy kind of place.

Nice little "fort" at the ferry terminal for the Statue of Liberty. This is going through the much needed renovation right now so it has scaffolding all around it, and anything inside is closed due to the pandemic. However, it is a nice place to look around and see what it was like back in the day with a little history!

Named after the first Governor of New York State, Dewitt Clinton. It's become a ticket booth for tourist ferries as well as a hang out spot for the historically and aesthetically inclined.

I'd not realized that Cake Clinton was right there in Battery Park. We made our way to the structure after some pics at the Statue of Liberty. The ferry leaves from Castle Clinton, which is also known as Castle Garden. Immigrants came through Castle Clinton to the USA from the mid- to late-19th century, when Ellis Island opened, including some of my ancestors. There is a fair amount of historical information and a gift shop. The whole structure and exhibit area takes about 10 minutes to experience. I'd like to see them do something more with it, even if they start charging.

Likes: It's like, the remnants of a wall of a castle. Dislikes: It's like, the remnants of a wall of a castle. Tips: Walk through Battery Park and purchase your Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty ferry tickets here for $17, audio tour included.

From some of the other commenters it doesn't seem like there's much to be gained except for getting a ticket to the Statue of Liberty. Fine. But as a frequent cyclist cruising through the area there's a lot to recommend in the surrounding areas. There's a lot of green around the castle and even though the site is limited so far as historical information goes, still, the structure has a granite beauty that's unmistakable - all you have to do is slow down and maybe take it in by walking around it. Just the sheer bulk of it's stone is compelling IMHO. And there's a wonderful area of wild rushes is all I can think of calling it - that the bike path and a walking path go by also passing by the American Indian museum and the antique subway station one block or so away. Then, if you don't want to spring for the Liberty Statue ride you can wander down a couple of blocks to the Staten Island Ferry - which I maintain is the best and cheapest ticket in town (it's free). A really astounding gift from the powers that be to let you see all of NY harbor (as it goes by the Statue of Liberty) and get into some fresh sea air for 20 mins. & then return. (if you don't want to investigate S.I. itself. (w/ a bike that's not a bad idea: Sailor's Snug Harbor Art Center is a mi down the road). If you get adventurous you can walk past the ferry and continue up to South St Seaport pier - that alas, is OK but I call it Disneyland on the Pier( since many moons ago I had the good fortune to stay in a building sculptor Mark DiSuvero had at Fulton and Front St. for a few glorious months when the Fulton fish Market was still there and when the pier only had the Ambrose and the other sailing ship as exhibits. Basically, just an ancient crumbling pier but that at the end of you could sit and feel like you were in the middle of the East River : @ 2AM it was a magic carpet ride.) Then you can continue up to right under my ol' friend : the Brooklyn Bridge and take in the granite blocks the size of cars and the accompanying breeze. There's a tiny beach where some Canadian geese hang out (they appreciate a few crumbs ). A little further up on some nights there are some Chinese folk doing what looks like a Chinese version of ballroom dancing - but whatever it is, they look like they're having a great time. At that point there's some outdoor exercise equipment which anyone can use and almost no one does - so it's always available. One last thing: Looking out across the East River is forever a vision of urban beauty - such as it is - @ night it's an epic vision of concrete and neon color. Not to mention there's something awesome about following the fast boats and ferries ploughing the waves. Why not? Stephan Morrow Artistic Director, The Great American Play Series https://youtu.be/tKk1tqyrDeU

When I had a friend come from out of town this past September we went to battery park. I thought she would enjoy the view of the Statue of Liberty and the monuments in the park. We did enjoy walking all over the park. We went in to the Castle to see what we could see. It is nothing much. My one thrill was a seat to sit and rest while she retired to the restroom! So let this be a warning, if you're looking for a memorable experience other than a historic spot in the park to rest, don't look here.

When you're a New Yorker, you don't usually visit National Monuments once you've left elementary school. My first thought upon entering the fort was "Damn, this place is much smaller than I remembered. How the hayell are they going to fit 1200 people in here? Somehow, it worked. I enjoyed Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra inside the walls of the monument, sky framed by towering sky scrapers. It was quite beautiful, and a very different experience. The combination of old New York (this fortress built to keep da Brits OUT) and the New York of today (the Brooklyn afrobeat band) was really fascinating!

Per Ranger Jim, Castle Clinton made way for many immigrants back in the 1800's. It was also the venue of many music artists back in the 1850's. To close out the summer jazz series, Terence Blanchard, musician/composer and winner of 3 Grammys with trumpet in hand, performed w/ his band here last night. Blanchard wrote music for Spike Lee's Inside Man and is also working on upcoming projects for Spike. Blanchard also wrote music for Hurricane Katrina relief, as he hails from New Orleans. I was shocked to learn that 3 out of his other 4 band members wrote music. (saxophonist Brice Winston [Tucson], bassist Derrick Hodge, and drummer Kendrick Scott [Houston]). Their latest member, pianist Aaron Parks [Cuba], who looked quite young, was the only one that didn't write music. One familiar tune he played was Sting's 'A Thousand Years'. P.S. At the venue, the MC mentioned that Blanchard has 105,000 results on Google. More like 309,000, but who's counting =) All R2R 2008 Free summer events here: http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/R2R_2008_Events.pdf

After purchasing our tickets to Ellis/Liberty Islands, we had to come to Castle Clinton to pick up our tickets at Will Call. They do have bathroom facilities in here. This circular sandstone battery was erected to protect from enemy fleets in the War of 1812 according to the brochure. One of 5 forts to protect the NY harbor and named after Gov DeWitt Clinton in 1817 who was mayor when it was named after him. The surrounding area was joined to the mainland by landfill to become Battery Park, where you come to catch the ferries to Ellis/Liberty Islands. Notably: 1. Castle Garden is the other name, was demolished 1940's for a tunnel project 2. Obtained national monument status 1946 3. Restored 1970's 4. Now part of the National Park Service, www.nps.gov/caci, one of over 390 parks in the NPS. An old illustration on the brochure shows it was just a castle suspended above water with a walking bridge to the park at the southern tip of Manhattan. They did a pretty good job with the landfill. The castle interior feels like being in the middle of a rodeo corral or Roman coliseum. It has no roof but used to and Jenny Lind, the Swedish opera singer debut her in 1850 with 6,000 audience. I remember reading about her in grammar school. 5. It was an immigration center from 1855-1890, an aquarium from 1896-1941.

This is sad. Despite its historical value, Castle Clinton is nothing but a ferry booth for the Statue of Liberty and a restroom facility inside its fort walls. When I asked the park ranger if we could explore the Castle without the intent of buying a ferry ticket, he gave us a strange look. After going inside, we understood why he gave us a strange look: we were essentially asking to explore a ticket booth. Castle Clinton was one of the forts that was built to deter the blockading British navy to actually attack New York during the War of 1812. After that, the retired fort became an immigration station before it was replaced Ellis Island when the immigration population drastically increased. Afterward, Castle Clinton continued to play many roles, including the former New York aquarium! You will see why it's crazy that Castle Clinton used to be an aquarium if you see the retired fort in person. Can you see why it's sad that despite all the roles this monument has played, it is nothing but a ticket booth now? If you are already in Battery Park or are on the way to the Statue Cruise, Castle Clinton is worth checking out for a minute. Otherwise, it's nothing that you should go out of your way for.

Very cool place. Awesome history in the shadows of FiDi. Most people know this only as the place where you catch the ferry to the islands, but this place has some amazing history in it's own right. Plan an extra hour to check it out

Castle Clinton is now the place to go to if you're looking to purchase tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or if you're checking in and picking up pre-paid tickets. But if you have some time to kill before boarding your ferry, there are a few nice free exhibits to see.

I enjoyed the exhibit here. 1) It is a small exhibit but it is free and worth a visit if you are around the area. 2) The fort is very historic in itself. 3) The structure is cool.

This was a fort at one time and in the 1800s, it was used as an immigration facility pre dating Ellis Island. Today, it's the starting point for trips to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They have a couple of interesting exhibits, but I would like to have learned more about the history of the building besides the couple of exhibits they had. I also think that having the ticket booths for the tours to Liberty and Ellis Island is both good and bad. It's good because it forces people to see the fort, but bad because if you go to see just the fort (like the first time I went there), it's crowded with people going to the ferries.

i worked on wall st for almost a decade and visited battery park a number of times, but never noticed this landmark! the actual museum (indoors) is very small, and has just a few display windows, but once you walk into the circular courtyard, you will see the beauty of this site, which used to house concerts. in present day, tourists and locals alike come to purchase tickets for the ferry to ellis island and the statue of liberty.

This is a really neat old building. Definitely read the boards to gain full historical knowledge, otherwise it's pretty much just a pile of bricks, though a pretty pile, in a pretty park. Avoid the lines to the ferries, they can get pretty long.

This is the precursor location to getting onto the ferry for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You can also buy tickets here for that transportation. Sometimes there are street performers and other side things to keep you distracted while you wait or as you arrive.

A big shout out to park ranger Charles "Chuck" . As a nursing mama stressing where I would be able to pump when on vacation away from my baby I was so thankful and blessed to have the help of Chuck. He went above and beyond to help my husband have a space ready for me when I returned on the ferry. He truly warmed my heart and I wanted to say a big thank you.

National park ranger Nick Hritz was exceptionally informative, educational, and kind. We learned so much about this extraordinary landmark in New York City as well as the times that it encompassed. Even though the tour wasn't scheduled to start until 3 o'clock, he very kindly gave us a tour at the drop of a hat. Because he showed such love of history and passion for this location, we learned and internalized so much more!

In the United States of America there are roughly 320 million people. That's a lot. And yet, we seem to elect or seriously consider only two families. The Bushes, whom I'll ignore for this diatribe and the Clintons. William Jefferson 'Bubba' Clinton is our guy. Hillary is gonna run in 2016. Chelsea is also waiting in the wings. But I'm no fan of dynastic precedence. We need new people to run for America's highest office. Although, that's not what I should be writing about. Castle Clinton is a stellar fort. Named for the one, true Clinton clan. They are mostly forgotten today. In favor of Bill's crew, the name "Clinton" conjures oval office escapades and fine public speaking. How quickly we forget. Named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of the empire state, thrice mayor of the city, and like Hillary, even senator. His father James Clinton was a colonial mensch, fighting in both the French & Indian War and the Revolution. He cut his teeth during the Saratoga campaign. Jim's brother was George Clinton, longest serving governor in the nation's history and vice president under Tommy Jefferson and Jimmy Madison. New Yorkers through and through. While Secretary Clinton successfully ran for senate in New York and Bill moved up to Harlem, I know carpet bagging when I see it. Because everyone knows that there is only one set of authentic New York Clintons.

Castle Clinton had terrible service old lady was rude! Very bad customer service her attitude towards customers was nasty. very snappy and grumpy

Interesting site. I didn't realize this was where you catch the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty ferry. I just came here, so I would've liked more about Castle Clinton. But if you are just coming here to see it, there are no lines or anything to wait on.

I have only been here as part of the NY Classical Theater. That was a pretty cool experience. I went to see The Tempest. The performance started and ended in the courtyard of the Castle, but traveled, with audience in tow, throughout the rest of Battery Park as the scenes changed. It was a unique performance and venue.

This Battery Park location probably gets most of its traffic from the Statue Cruises ticket booth on site. Second is probably the restrooms. It's kind of a shame, because this historic site deserves some attention all its own. Next time you're rushing between Point A and Point B, stop and peruse what's here ... it's worth at least a few minutes to explore what so many miss as they just dash on by.

There's nothing much here, but stop by if you're in Battery Park. It's a pretty cool history lesson.

I haven't as yet visited Castle Clinton, but I will visit September 5, 2013. My interest is great beyond its historical significance. My 21 year old grandfather along with his 18 year old brother braved the journey from Liverpool to New York on the Ship "The Spirit of New York" in 1866. They were followed by their parents (my great grandparents) and the rest of the family in 1873. They all settled in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. You will remember Chippewa Falls from the movie "The Titanic".