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Castle Clinton National Monument
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Castle Clinton National Monument

See all things to do
See all things to do
Castle Clinton National Monument
3.5
#316 of 1,448 things to do in New York City
Monuments & Statues
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Once serving as the United States Army headquarters during the War of 1812, this historical monument commemorates the 1811 West Battery Fort built to defend New York Harbor.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
  • Broad St • 2 min walk
  • Wall St • 2 min walk
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
207 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
73
Average
91
Poor
21
Terrible
1
Jack
Old Bethpage, NY770 contributions
Cool fort
Oct 2023 • Family
Cool fort. There is a small visitors center in the center. It’s cool to check off your bucket list, but overall not much to do there. It’s in the heart of Battery Park and is surrounded by many statues. I recommend.
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJH1
Bedfordshire, UK4,838 contributions
Could only find a ticket office?
Feb 2023 • Family
Forgive me if I missed it, but inside the fort there didn’t appear to be any displays open and the only thing open within its walls appeared to be the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island ticket office
Written 18 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wireless_in_CA
United States4,902 contributions
Not Much To See
Mar 2022 • Family
The castle was under heavy construction but remained open for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry.

When we walked around inside there was not much to see. Would not recommend.
Written 31 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg Harris
Bronx, NY1,593 contributions
Greg & Kat Castle Clinton National Monument Experience.
Jul 2020 • Couples
The Castle Clinton is sandstone made fort located in Battery Park and recognized as a U.S. National Monument.

The Castle Clinton was America’s very first immigration station, (precedes Ellis Island) and is believed to have processed 8 million immigrants from the 1850’s up until the 1890’s.

Today, the Castle Clinton showcases a small exhibit on the American immigration experience, features promotional displays of other National Monuments, and serves as the ticket station for the Statute Cruises, the vessels that bring passengers to and from Liberty and Ellis Island.

In 2018, I brought my wife and myself to Castle Clinton National Monument to pick up our Statue Cruise tickets. We took great pictures of the Castle Clinton and were treated very well by the Statute Cruises staff.
Written 14 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
christopherbO9687MP
Acton, MA668 contributions
Historic fort but museum rooms within it remain closed
Mar 2021
Castle Clinton is a historic fort, but the museum rooms within it remain closed due to COVID restrictions. So there is not much to see except a few remaining placards outlining its history remaining in the courtyard. Until the main museum rooms are reopened, the only reason to visit this site is to purchase State of Liberty and/or Ellis Island tickets.
Written 10 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura A B
Smithtown, NY45 contributions
Historic Fort in Battery park
Dec 2019
Originally built in 1812 the outer 8 foot thick walls are from the original fort. There are no underground rooms just the main area. The building was also Castle Garden opera house where the famous Jenny Lind performed in 1850, the immigration center before Ellis Island and the NYC Aquarium. As the aquarium was being demolished by Robert Moses they found the original fort inside the walls. National Parks received the building in 1946 and in 1970 rebuilt the structure to the original 1812 fort. There is a replica canon at one of the gunports. The ticket office for the Statue of Liberty is found inside.
Written 22 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brendan S
Arlington, VA1,580 contributions
Historical, but not much to it
Mar 2020 • Solo
The Castle Clinton site has been used for over 200 years, starting as a floating artillery battery before becoming a fort, a concert pavilion, an immigration station and a multi-level aquarium. Now, however, it’s just a small, drab, partial reconstruction of the original fort. There are some dioramas and informational panels showing the evolution of the site, but there’s not much to see and what is here is not even one of the historic buildings.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul S
Marion1,565 contributions
Not much of a monument
Feb 2020
Castle Clinton is an impressive name for a very unimpressive ston building in battery park. Its main function is to be the ticket office for the Statue Cruises, which board directly outside. There is a tiny gift shop, restrooms, and a few historical dioramas but most of the building off limits official space or below ground level. If you aren't picking up tickets don't even bother going inside. Especially in the morning, it isn't worth losing a place in the line for the screening tent.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqui F
London, UK280 contributions
Great dioramas showing Battery Park and Lower Manhattan
Sep 2019
We stopped at Castle Clinton to use the toilets/restrooms. Then, out of curiosity, we slipped into the small gallery in the castle. It contains a set of panels and some brilliant dioramas showing the history of the castle and of Battery Park, which basically didn’t used to be there at all. If you are in Battery Park and interested in the changing landscape of Manhattan, it’s a great little exhibit to drop in on.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike S
St. Albans, UK341 contributions
Interesting but lacking in detail
Oct 2019
This won't take you long to go round as there isn't much detail in the information boards to tell you much. Worth a look though and it is kept clean and tidy.
Written 29 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CASTLE CLINTON NATIONAL MONUMENT: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Castle Clinton National Monument