Visitors are welcome to bring their own food and eat at one of the many picnic tables scattered throughout the Island. Visitors may not bring alcohol onto the island but can purchase on-Island and consume it in designated areas. Click here for a current list of food vendors on Governors Island. Hours are weather dependent and are subject to change.

Governors Island's website can be translated via Google Translate. Visitor maps are available in Simplified Chinese and Spanish. During the summer months, Visitor Guides are available at the Soissons Landing Welcome Center in English, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish.

Indoor restrooms are located inside the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Center at Governors Island near Soissons Landing and at Yankee Pier, the west end of Liggett Terrace, South Battery, and near Slide Hill. Portable restrooms are available at Colonels Row.

All ferries going to and from Governors Island, as well as the grounds of the island itself, are accessible to those in wheelchairs. Not all buildings on the Island are wheelchair accessible. Building 110, located next to Soissons Landing, is wheelchair accessible. All restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair-accessible trams are available for all Island visitors from 10am to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through October 29, with stops at both ferry landings and key areas around the Island—click here to view a route map. Please note, the tram is an accessibility aid and does not provide guided tours.

Visit the Welcome Centers at Soissons Landing and Yankee Pier, powered by the Friends of Governors Island. They're open Wednesday-Sunday for visitor maps, Island information, free guided walking tours, Governors Island merch, and more.

Free guided walking tours depart from the Soissons Landing Welcome Center Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:45am, Fridays at 10:45am, and Saturdays and Sundays at 10:45am, 12:45pm, and 2:45pm. Tour are first come, first served.

We want to hear from you! Click here to complete Governors Island's visitor survey. Your participation in this survey will help us learn about our visitors and their needs so we can continue to grow Governors Island as an accessible, dynamic public resource for all. At the end of the survey, you will be given the option to provide your email address to be entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

In February 2023, the Trust for Governors Island began work on the phased demolition and reconstruction of Tango Pier on the Eastern side of Governors Island. Work occurring on the pier will not impact access to the adjacent public pathways or public spaces. All plans and construction methods have been reviewed and approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. We will share all updates here.

Groups visiting Governors Island are encouraged to limit themselves to 40 individuals or fewer. Those wishing to reserve more than 40 ferry tickets should email groupvisits@govisland.org at least two weeks in advance of their visit.

The Trust for Governors Island offers special waived ferry fares for non-profit community-based organizations, youth camps, and senior centers throughout New York City, subject to availability. To inquire about special group visits, organizations may email groupvisits@govisland.org at least two weeks in advance of their requested visit date.

The Trust for Governors Island continues its dedication to environmental stewardship through its Zero Waste Island initiative. In partnership with Earth Matter NY, Inc. the Trust aims to reduce the amount of waste from the Island going to landfills by:

• Ensuring all recycling stations on the Island include a color-coded, clearly labeled compost bin.
• Mandating that serviceware from all vendors and events on the Island is compostable.
• Composting all organics collected on the Island at Earth Matter’s Compost Learning Center and returning the finished product to the Island’s landscapes.
• Prohibiting plastic straws, plastic bags, and Styrofoam.
• Creating a community of Island tenants, partners, vendors and events that are committed to composting and recycling.

Visitors can participate in the Zero Waste Initiative by practicing “Think Before You Throw” when putting waste in a bin, and can appreciate the results by enjoying the Island’s vibrant landscapes that thrive on nutrients from Island-made compost.