Castle Clinton
More than eight million immigrants entered America through these gates, before Ellis Island
The story
Before you is Castle Clinton, a round fort of red sandstone. It was built between 1808 and 1811 on rocks off the shore, out in the water, and armed with twenty-eight cannons. Back then it was called the Southwest Battery. In 1817 the fort was renamed for DeWitt Clinton, the mayor of New York and later governor of the state. In 1823 it was handed over to the city, and a year later it reopened as Castle Garden, a restaurant and concert hall. In 1850 the showman P. T. Barnum brought the Swedish singer Jenny Lind here, and she gave her first American concert in this place. From 1855 to 1890 this was the landing depot for immigrants. Over those thirty-four years more than eight million people passed through it, two out of every three who came to America at the time. Later the work moved to Ellis Island. In 1896 the fort became the New York City Aquarium, and more than thirty thousand people came on the first day. The aquarium moved to Coney Island in 1941, and the fort was to be torn down. In 1946 it was saved from demolition, and the National Park Service restored its original look. Today it houses the ticket office for the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Visiting
The Battery, Lower Manhattan. Open daily from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas; it may close in bad weather. The Statue City Cruises ticket office is here: ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Information: +1 212 344 7220.
Photos
Sources
- National Park Service — Castle Clinton: History & Culture
- National Park Service — Castle Clinton: Operating Hours
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