Castle Williams

The castle played a very importnat role in the protection of NY Harbor, and the castle shows you how the fort fended off the the British and lost, then how it went through a revitalization with the British who amped it up and fortified it even more, to the War of 1812 and when it was a prison. It was pretty dead when I went, considering it was a weekday at 11:30AM, but it’s definitely worth a visit to learn the history.

Let’s get one thing straight up front; Governors Island is probably the coolest place to hang outdoors in the city. That is if you like being outside (biking and mini-​golf etc), and enjoy history as much as I do (nerd!). Castle Williams is a great example of the history this preserved urban time-​capsule has to offer up. The fort was built between 1807 and 1812 to keep those pesky Britts from taking New York back, as war of 1812 was brewing (see I am a history nerd). The architecture was innovative; it was built to be round as opposed to a five pointed star (Fort Jay, the larger fortification on the island is a perfect example of a classic five pointed fort). What this meant was a full 360 degree view of the harbor, and a harder target to hit. They loaded the place up with 100+ cannons, and pointed them towards the mouth of the Hudson. This must have been one hell of a scary sight to any war ships, as none even tried to sail up the river.
Ok history class is over, what’s this place like now a days? Well now it’s all about the historical significance of the structure, but from the 60’s to the 90’s the Coast Guard was I’m charge. Aside from killer storage, they turned it into (I’m not kidding) the scariest haunted house in the world. Forgetting for a moment the flagrant waste of government money, this has to be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Can you imagine walking into a 200 year old fort, finding dry ice smoke creeping out of cells, and dudes with chainsaws trying to scare the crap out of each other? Awesome, I say bring this back as an elite event this year.
Castle Williams is an awesome place to visit, absolutely worth seeing while visiting the island. Make sure to get the guided tour, it’s free and will get you access to the roof, where you’ll find amazing views of the harbor and the city.