Brooklyn Army Terminal Tour

image courtesy Turnstile Tours
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Taught by Turnstile Tours

Turnstile Tours is a new company that highlights the ever-changing nature of New York City neighborhoods through conducting in-depth research, working with community partners, and seeking out new avenues to engage the public with the urban landscape. In addition to developing tours, we also work with partners to craft a variety of public programs and exhibits. For each of our projects, we partner with a community non-profit organization that works to keep neighborhoods vital and thriving, and at least 5% of all of our ticket sales goes towards supporting them. We are a New York State-registered benefit corporation, meaning that we are required to subject ourselves to an annual review of the performance of our social mission based on third party standards and post our findings on our website. We are so very grateful to the many people and institutions that have made this company possible.  For more information, please contact us at info@turnstiletours.com

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This tour begins at the Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4, located near the junction of 1st Ave & 58th St in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. 

Step inside an engineering marvel that is today a center of innovation and business development in New York City, the Brooklyn Army Terminal.  Built to supply American forces on the Western Front in World War I, this enormous Cass Gilbert-designed complex served as a supply base for the American military until the Vietnam War.  Today, this thriving industrial park is home to over 100 companies in a wide array of industries, from precision manufacturers to biotech researchers, online retailers to chocolatiers.

On this two-hour walking tour, we will explore how millions of tons of war supplies and personnel were shipped through this teeming transportation hub, hear the stories of soldiers, longshoremen, and merchant mariners who worked these piers, rail yards, and warehouses, and learn how these facilities are put to use today.

Looking at the broader context, this tour will discuss what made the Port of New York the envy of the world in the mid-20th century, why it went into decline, and how Brooklyn’s working waterfront is being revitalized today. Along the way, we will enjoy sweeping views of the harbor, learn about the companies here today, and step inside the Terminal’s architectural gem – the breathtaking atrium of Building B, where freight trains once rumbled through to be loaded from the innovative cantilevered balconies. Join us to explore the sights and stories of a century of work at the Brooklyn Army Terminal!

 

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