Visit the secret sixth borough of New York City: Governors Island! Location of military executions (by hangman AND firing squad!), a mass grave, two abandoned cemeteries, and history galore. This is the only tour that shows you where the bodies are buried (they’re still there).
You will learn the full history of the island, from its Native American origins through the era when it was an important U.S. Army post and U.S. Coast Guard station. From the Revolution to the Cold War, this 172-acre island in the harbor has been home to heroes, spies, prisoners, and traitors. We will uncover the stories behind accidents and tragedies on the island where human remains were recently uncovered. We’ll also cover architecture, memorials, and military battles.
You must bring a sense of adventure and a desire to take a deep dive into New York history that explores sad tales and tragedy many decades before any Jazz Age Lawn Party. The ferry trip is less than ten minutes to get this hidden part of the metropolis.
About the Guide: Kevin C. Fitzpatrick
Kevin C. Fitzpatrick is a fourth generation New Yorker with family buried in First Calvary, Mount Zion, and St. John’s cemeteries. He is the award-winning author of seven non-fiction books all tied to New York City history on subjects as diverse as World War I, Governors Island, the Algonquin Round Table, and Dorothy Parker (he owns her mink coat). He spent six years in the U.S. Marines which prepared him well to be a licensed tour guide. Kevin has led tours of the honored war dead of Cypress Hills National Cemetery and Woodlawn Cemetery. He’s a member of The Lambs and the East Coast Doughboys.
Tickets will be released to the general public on Thursday, October 3rd at 12pm.
Mr. Fitzpatrick, thank you so much for your work on the history of Governors Island. I just found out that my first ancestor, (Johann Sex/Sixth), to arrive in the new world, died 3 just weeks after he arrived on July 4th 1710. Thankfully during the past few years I have been able to research and fill in the blanks from his name to mine and of the 10 generations since his journey across the ocean on the “James and Elizabeth”. But he was one of the at least 250 German Palatines who died of a fever soon after being “quarantined” on Governors Is., until Oct. of 1710. I assume this mass grave is unknown and unmarked on the island. But has there ever been a request to at least have a some kind of small monument erected to remember these 1st Immigrants to America who perished so soon after arriving. The Palatine Monument In Ulster N.Y., is very nicely done, but those who died and were buried on the island itself needs to have something. Again, thank you for your work and for any information you can send me on the location of the final resting place of these 250 souls who traveled so far to this land. I would gladly be first in line to donate funds to erect even a small cross, if given permission by the National Park Service in memory of these many buried there on the island in an unknown grave. Thank you; Ron Syck
I lived there during the day of Cold war, early 1960’s. Lived in a building, facing the Statue of of Liberty. My Brother Tommy Baker, took the ferry to NYC and then the Staten Island,. He went to school. He complained about the possibility of a bomb attack. So, we moved back to Highland FALLS, NY, next to West Point, NY.
Back in 1966, I went to Eastern school for Physicians Aids, we would go on the Staten island ferry, just for fun. Yes, it is true about the possibility of a bomb aboard. We all looked around to see if one was aboard. One time a person left a bag and we tossed it over board. Sorry, it was a persons shopping.