GUIDE: National park sites in the tri-state area
It's National Park Week! Check out this guide to the national park sites and trails of Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York City and the Hudson Valley.
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Looking to head outdoors as the weather gets warmer? Why not "find your park" at one of the national park sites in our region - here is a guide of national park sites in the tri-state area.
NEW YORK
Governors Island National Monument
The National Park Service manages 22 acres of Governors Island in New York City, including early American fortifications Fort Jay and Castle Williams.
Ferry locations:
Manhattan - Battery Maritime Building 10 South St. | New York, NY
Brooklyn - Pier 6 Atlantic Avenue and Brooklyn Bridge Park
Click HERE for more info on ferries to Governors Island.
Standard operating hours: Castle Williams is open for guided tours Wednesday through Sunday.
Federal Hall National Memorial
Federal Hall in New York City served as the home of the first Congress, the Supreme Court and executive branch offices. President George Washington took the oath of office there.
Location: 26 Wall St. | New York, NY 10005
Standard operating hours: Open year-round, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
General Grant National Memorial
General Grant National Memorial contains Grant's Tomb and serves as a tribute to the Civil War general who roess to president of the U.S. in the years following the war.
Location: Riverside Park in Manhattan, near Riverside Drive and West 122nd Street
Hours: Open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Statue of Liberty National Monument/Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty sits in New York harbor and has been a symbol of freedom and America. Ellis Island was a major immigration hub in the late 1800s and early 1900s and now houses a museum to those immigrants' experiences.
Liberty Island and Ellis Island are open every day 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.. It is advised that visitors board a ferry from Battery Park or Liberty State Park before 1 p.m. The last entrance to the Statue of Liberty's pedestal is at 3:30 p.m.
Liberty State Park - 1 Audrey Zapp Drive | Jersey City, NJ 07305
Battery Park - 1 Battery Place | New York, NY 10004
Castle Clinton National Monument
Castle Clinton has served a number of functions since its original purpose as a fortification during the War of 1812. It's served as an entertainment hub, an aquariium and an immigration depot. It today serves as a launching pad for many of the visitors to the Statue of Liberty.
Location: Battery Park - 1 Battery Place | New York, NY 10004
Standard operating hours: Open every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas - 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park and the location played a role in much of the rest of his life. Adjoining the home property is FDR's presidential library.
Location: 4097 Albany Post Road | Hyde Park, NY 12538
Standard operating hours: Click HERE for seasonal schedules and tour schedules.
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
This site pays tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the most influential women in U.S history, and preserves her home.
Location: 54 Valkill Park Road | Hyde Park, NY 12538
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Vanderbilt Mansion is among the oldest Hudson River estates, built just before 1900 for Frederick William Vanderbilt, grandson to American business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Location: 119 Vanderbilt Park Road | Hyde Park, NY 12538
Standard operating hours: Click HERE for tour info.
St. Paul's Church National Historic Site
St. Paul's is an 18th century church in Mount Vernon that served as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. The adjoining historic cemetery contains gravestones dating back to the early 1700s.
Location: 897 South Columbus Ave. | Mount Vernon, NY
Standard operating hours: Early January - late June: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and second Saturday of each month, 12-4 p.m. Early July - late December: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
President Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home was known as his summer White House. The National Park Service preserves his home, an accompanying museum and the grounds of his estate - including trails through the adjoining woods and down to the beach.
Location: 12 Sagamore Hill Road | Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Standard operating Hours: Grounds of Sagamore Hill open daily year-round from sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. House tours by advanced reservation only. Old Orchard Museum open 1-4:30 p.m. Thursday and 12-4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
Though founding father Alexander Hamilton lived at Hamilton Grange for only two years before his death, the home is preserved to honor Hamilton's legacy and role in shaping the nation.
Location: Saint Nicholas Park in Manhattan - 414 West 141st Street between Convent and St. Nicholas avenues
Standard operating hours: Visitor center open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday year-round. Access to the historical section of the home is offered on tours only (tickets are walk-up and first come, first served).
African Burial Ground National Monument
Construction at the site in the 1990s led to the rediscovery of a burial ground containing "upwards of 15,000 intact skeletal remains of enslaved and free Africans who lived and worked in colonial New York." The site honors the memory of the free and enslaved Africans buried there and puts into focus the role of slavery in New York.
Location: 290 Broadway New York, NY 10007
Standard operating hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outdoor hours extended to 5 p.m. in summer.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
President Theodore Roosevelt was born in a town house in New York City. Though the original home was demolished, Roosevelt's boyhood home was recreated and serves as a tribute to his life, with a special focus on his early days.
Location: 28 E. 20th St. New York, NY 10003
Standard operating hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Upstairs portion of home only accessible via tour.
Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island National Seashore preserves the ocean and bay shorelines of Fire Island as well as its dunes and maritime forests. The site also includes the historic William Floyd Estate and Fire Island Lighthouse.
Visit website for car, ferry and train travel options to areas and visitor centers.
Click HERE for more info on hours for visitor centers, sites and areas.
Stonewall National Monument
Stonewall National Monument is one of the newest national park sites and the first dedicated to spotlighting the LGBT rights movement. The park is seated across from the Stonewall Inn, the site of the historic Stonewall Uprising.
Standard operating hours: Visitor center open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Christopher Park is open daily: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. from May 1 to Oct. 30 and 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. from Nov. 1 to April 30.
CONNECTICUT
Weir Farm National Historical Park
Weir Farm preserves the home, studio and property of American artist Julian Alden Weir. Visitors can immerse themselves in the home and property that inspired much of Weir's art.
Location: 735 Nod Hill Road | Wilton, CT 06897
Standard operating hours: Grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset, year-round. Visit website for seasonal hours.
NEW JERSEY
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Site
Paterson Great Falls spotlights Paterson's history as America's first planned industrial city and the Great Falls for which it's named.
Location: 72 McBride Ave. Extension Paterson, NJ 07501
Standard operating hours: Park staff available on site 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Grounds always available.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Thomas Edison's home and workshop were in New Jersey. The National Park Service preserves these buildings and marks Edison's life and the technological advancements that grew forth from his workshop.
Location: 211 Main Street West Orange, NJ 07052
General operating hours: Laboratory and Glenmont Grounds open Thursday - Sunday - 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Visit website for more info.
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park honors the New Jersey winter encampment of Gen. George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War.
Park grounds open daily 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Washington's Headquarters Museum and Ford Mansion
30 Washington Place Morristown, NJ 07960
Standard operating hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. Mansion open by guided tour only.
Jockey Hollow Visitor Center
586 Tempe Wick Road Morristown, NJ 07960
Standard operating hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
Check website for further information on grounds and seasonal hours.
TRAILS/RECREATION
New England National Scenic Trail
Over 200 miles from the Long Island Sound to mountain summits in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Visit the trail website for more info.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
The 2,180-mile trail passes through New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is comprised of three units: Staten Island and Jamaica Bay in New York and Sandy Hook in New Jersey. The sites comprising Gateway total 27,000 acres and include spots such as the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Fort Wadsworth.
Standard operating hours: Jamaica Bay and Staten Island units are open daily from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m., except Canarsie Pier and Jacob Riis Park (open from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.). Sandy Hook Unit open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Jamaica Bay Visitor Center open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ryan Visitor Center open 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sandy Hook Visitor Center open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Visit park website for travel information.
Photos of New England National Scenic Trail, Fire Island National Seashore and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site provided by Xiomáro. Visit his website for more details on his work and his other collections.
MORE: 3 local national park sites great for junior rangers and BARK rangers
