Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the physical addresses of each tour meeting location. View the FAQs for each tour below for more detailed directions, and always consult your tour confirmation email, as the meeting location for certain tours may change.

• Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 77, 141 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn
• Brooklyn Army Terminal Tours: 140 58th St, Building A lobby, near the entrance at 1st Ave, Brooklyn
• Food Cart Tour of Midtown: Northwest corner of Bryant Park, corner of 42nd St and 6th Ave, Manhattan (near the Wafels & Dinges kiosk)
• Food Cart Tour of the Financial District: Outside 180 Maiden Lane, at the corner of Front St and Maiden Lane, Manhattan
• Food Cart Tour of Jackson Heights: Arepa Lady, 77-17 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens
• Essex Market Tour: 88 Essex Street, Manhattan
• Prospect Park Tours: Outside Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

Use the map below to find the meeting location and nearby public transit for all of our tours:

Yes, all tours require advance reservations, and we cannot accommodate walk-ups.

Our ticketing platform charges a convenience fee of 6% for making a reservation online. We do not charge this fee for purchasing tickets for free events, so you will not have to enter any credit card information when booking a free tour, and we do not charge this convenience fee for purchases made over the phone. You can reach us at 347-903-8687 to book.

We limit the size of our tours in order provide an engaging and interactive experience, and they frequently sell out. If our online reservation system shows a tour as sold out, please contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Turnstile strives for customer satisfaction and will attempt to accommodate any schedule changes within reason. We understand that life happens, so if you have to cancel or reschedule due to an emergency, please contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

PUBLIC TOURS: Turnstile cannot reschedule or refund tickets that are canceled less than 24 hours of the tour start time. If the Customer cancels 1–7 days before the tour, tickets can be rescheduled for a future tour, and  there will be a service charge of $10 per attendee for refunded tickets. Tickets are fully refundable 8 or more days before the tour start.

The day before your tour, you will receive a reminder e-mail with detailed instructions on transportation, policies, and contact information. Here’s a check-list of things you should bring with you:

• Comfortable footwear and weather-appropriate attire (including an umbrella or sunblock)
• Water bottle
• Camera
• If you’re on a food tour, an empty stomach!

All of our tours operate rain, shine, or snow, so please dress appropriately. Our guides do their best to make sure everyone stays comfortable without compromising the integrity of the tour or the safety of our participants. If the weather or other circumstances should make the tour unsafe, we will contact participants directly to reschedule. If you have weather-related concerns, please contact us.

If you’re lost or running late to your tour, please call us at 347-903-8687, and we can help you find your way or connect you with your guide on a tour already in progress. We send an e-mail one day prior to your tour with detailed directions and other logistical information, and we recommend bringing this information with you the day of your tour.

Information on restrooms for your specific tour will be included with your tour confirmation after you book. Our tours begin promptly at the stated start time, so please give yourself time before the tour if you plan on using the restroom.

• Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours: All tours begin at Building 77, which has restrooms that you can use before and after your tour. Once the tour begins, there may be limited access to restrooms for the duration of the tour.
• Brooklyn Army Terminal: There are restrooms located throughout the facility, including at the tour meeting location.
• Prospect Park Tours: There are public restrooms in the Brooklyn Public Library, and at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside at the end of the tour. Please consult the Prospect Park map for all restroom locations.
• Food Cart Tours: We strongly recommend that you use the restroom before coming on the tour, as it is often very challenging to find public restrooms in Manhattan once the tour has begun. On our Midtown tour, there are restrooms available in Bryant Park on 42nd St, and they are some of the nicest, cleanest restrooms in New York City. In the Financial District, there is a restroom at the tour meeting location inside 180 Maiden Lane, an in Jackson Heights, there is a restroom at the tour starting location at Arepa Lady.
• Essex Market Tours: There is a public restroom in the Essex Market on the second floor past the teaching kitchen, as well is in the basement inside the Market Line food hall.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all accessible services.

We strive to make our tours accessible to people of all ages and abilities. If you have questions about specific needs related to accessibility, please let us know prior to your tour by either noting it in your online reservation or by contacting us.

You are welcome to photographs on our tours, and we encourage you to share them with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Our guides are very photogenic, and we love to see any pictures you snap of them in action, but we ask that you not make video or audio recordings of our guides during the tour. And as a general rule of good photography etiquette, if you’re taking a picture of people you don’t know, please first ask for their permission.

As our tours are offered in partnership with other organizations and businesses, we would like to make you aware are the following restrictions on photography:

• Photographs taken on Brooklyn Navy Yard tours cannot be used for any commercial purposes – if you are interested in commercial photography at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, you can contact the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation directly to make arrangements.
• Similarly, photographs taken at the Brooklyn Army Terminal cannot be used for commercial purposes without expression permission from the New York City Economic Development Corporation – you can contact them for more information.
• For any tour that takes place on a business premises, we will provide specific guidelines about photography, and we ask that you please honor those during the tour.

Turnstile Tours frequently offers special promotions and discounts, which we advertise through our newsletter, Facebook, and Twitter, so please follow us to stay in the loop about these opportunities.

All persons ages 65 and older, and full-time students ages 13 and older are entitled to a 10% discount, and kids ages 5–12 receive 50% off tickets. Kids ages 4 and under can attend free. To reserve these discounted tickets, simply select the corresponding ticket type when completing your purchase online. 25% discounts are available to military veterans and active-duty service members for our Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal tours. World War II-era veterans and defense workers are invited to come free of charge on all of our Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal tours – just contact us to book.

We offer discounts on group tour reservations for nonprofit and educational groups – visit our Group Tours page for more information or contact us.

We love hosting private groups on all of our tours! Please visit our Group Tours page for more information. We also offer experiences tailored for students grades K–12 – visit our School and Youth Groups page – and we have discounted pricing for educational groups. We have a great deal of experience hosting academic and professional groups, including undergraduate and graduate classes across a range of disciplines, corporate outings, professional development experiences, and government and trade delegations.

All of our tours are created and presented in partnership with nonprofit, cultural, and community organizations. We currently have five tour programs, and within each program we offer a variety of theme-based and site-specific tours. Our current programs include:

• Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours
• Brooklyn Army Terminal Tours
• Prospect Park Tours
• Food Cart Tours
• Public Market Tours

In additional to these in-person guided walking and bicycle tours, we also offer custom tours for private groups. Please contact us for more information.

Lastly, Turnstile offers a virtual program series on a variety of topics related to our tours in New York City and beyond. We have released over 250 unique programs, are we are producing new public programs weekly. You can join by visiting our Virtual Programs page, or you can organize a virtual experience for a private group.

Tours begin and end at the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Building 77, located at 141 Flushing Ave, at the corner of Flushing Ave and Vanderbilt Ave in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Click here for Google Maps directions or view our neighborhood map.

SUBWAY: The nearest subway stations are at York St (F), High St-Brooklyn Bridge (A,C), and Clinton-Washington Av (G), and each is about a 15-minute walk from Building 77. These are NOT wheelchair-accessible stations; the nearest is DeKalb Ave (B,Q,R), which is slightly farther than the other stations. View our map for walking directions from each of these stations, and visit mta.info for maps and service alerts.

FERRY: NYC Ferry provides service directly to the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the Astoria Route, with a non-stop connection from Wall St-Pier 11 and East 34th St. When you disembark, follow signs to Building 77. NYC Ferry does not accept MetroCards or OMNY. All ferries are wheelchair accessible. Visit ferry.nyc for schedules and info and download the NYC Ferry app.

BUS: The B57 and B69 travel along Flushing Ave and stop at Building 77. You may also take the B62, which stops on Park Ave, one block south of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. All NYC MTA buses are wheelchair accessible, and all accept OMNY with a contactless bank card or smartphone. If traveling by bus, be sure to allow plenty of extra time for your trip, as weekend schedules can be unreliable (visit mta.info for maps and service alerts). Do not take the B67, as this will take your through the Yard, but you will not be able to get off inside the Yard.

DRIVING & PARKING: The Brooklyn Navy Yard is easily accessible from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278), either via the exits for Tillary St (exit 29B), Flushing Ave (exit 30 eastbound), or Wythe Ave/Kent Ave (exit 31 westbound). On the weekends, it is usually not difficult to find street parking in the immediate vicinity of the Yard. There is also a free public parking lot one block south of the yard on Park Ave, underneath the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Parking within the gates of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is only available for drivers with an accessible parking sticker – please contact us for directions to the accessible parking.

BICYCLE: There is a bicycle lane along Flushing Ave, and Building 77 offers plenty of racks to park your bike. If you would like to use a Citi Bike, there is a station at Building 77, and stations in close proximity to the York St, High St-Brooklyn Bridge, and Clinton-Washington subway stations.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

• If using a GPS or mobile app to reach Building 77, enter “141 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn.”  Do not enter “63 Flushing Ave” or “Brooklyn Navy Yard” – this is the address for the entire 300-acre Navy Yard, and it will not bring you to the correct location.
• The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a secure industrial park. Do not attempt to enter the Yard through any entrances other than Building 77, as you will be turned away.
• The Brooklyn Navy Yard shuttle runs on weekdays only, and it is not available to the public

We currently offer several different theme-based tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard by foot and bicycle. Each of these tours visits different sites and explores different content and themes, so we encourage you to visit the Yard with us more than once. Please visit our tour calendar for a complete schedule, and all of these tours can be offered for private groups – please visit our Group Tours page or contact us for more information.

• Past, Present & Future Tour, Saturdays, 2pm
• Architecture & Infrastucture Tour, last Sunday of the month, 11am
• Urban Ecology Tour, select Sundays, 10:30am
• World War II Tour, first Sunday of the month, 11am

Each walking tour covers approximately two miles of walking over the course of two hours, and the tour may involve climbing stairs and walking over uneven ground, and across dirt and mud, so we recommend wearing a good pair of walking shoes. Our guides strive to make everyone as comfortable as possible, so we try to provide places to sit or stand in the shade during the tour stops.

For our bicycle tours, we will travel approximately three miles at a leisurely pace. We may cross uneven pavement, cobblestones, and railroad tracks, and please remain alert when riding, as we may encounter hazardous road conditions or debris.

We strive to lead the tour over a physically accessible route, but due to construction, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may encounter uneven paths, obstructions, or steep inclines along the tour route. If you do use a wheelchair or have any other accessibility need, please contact us directly and/or include this information when booking, so that we can offer a fully accessible experience.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all access accommodations.

From 1801 to 1966, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was a federally-owned naval shipbuilding and repair facility. After it was decommissioned by the US Navy, it was sold to the City of New York, and it has operated as an industrial park ever since. Today, the Yard is owned by the City of New York and operated by the non-profit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. It is home to more than 550 businesses that employ 11,000+ people in industry, manufacturing, technology, and creative fields. There is no longer any shipbuilding at the Yard, but there is a thriving commercial ship repair operation, and most of the cranes you see towering over the yard are in fact operational and frequently in use.

Though it is no longer a US Naval Shipyard, the Yard remains a secure industrial site, and much of the 300-acre campus is not open to the public. The 24-hour security that the Yard provides is very important for tenant businesses, many of which have highly valuable equipment, facilities, and inventory. If you are not a tenant or their guest, the only way to enter the core areas of the Yard is on a guided tour or for a special event.

There are several areas of the Yard that are open to the public, and many Yard tenants welcome guests by appointment or for special events. The first floor of Building 77 is public, and the Food Manufacturing Hub houses many eateries, including Russ & Daughters, Transmitter Brewing, and many more. Kings County Distillery and Rooftop Reds welcome guests to their tasting rooms, and the Wegmans grocery store is now open. On the Yard’s east side, the Naval Cemetery Landscape is a public green space operated by the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative that is open seasonally.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92, which is home to the Yard’s visitor and exhibition center, is open Thursday–Sunday, 11am–5pm, an we also visit the exhibits during our guided tours.

All participants must provide their own bicycle. All participants under the age of 16 are required to wear a bicycle helmet, and all others are strongly encouraged to do so.

If you plan to rent a bicycle for the tour, make sure to set up your rental in advance. We recommend the following bicycle rental shops:

• Ride Brooklyn Bike Shop (468 Bergen St, Park Slope)

Citi Bike stations are located nearby the Brooklyn Navy Yard. If you plan to use Citi Bike for a Brooklyn Navy Yard Bicycle Tour, please note the following:

• Check the station map before arriving. There are several Citi Bike stations located nearby the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but we cannot guarantee the availability of bikes or free docking spaces.
• You will incur additional charges. Citi Bike was designed for short trips, so annual Citi Bike members can use the bikes for up to 45 minutes at a time with no additional charge, while daily or weekly pass holders are limited to 30-minute rides. Additional charges can add up (check the Citi Bike pricing page for more details), and we cannot pause or divert the tour so that can swap out your bike at a station partway through the tour. Because the first hour of our Urban Ecology Tour is on foot, you will only need to use a Citi Bike for one hour, so the fees will likely be less. Participants on all other Bicycle Tours will need a bicycle for the full two hours.
• If you’re not a Citi Bike member, please arrive early and have you day passes ready before the tour starts. Turnstile Tours staff members will not be available before the tour to help you with the Citi Bike kiosks, so plan on arriving early if you are unfamiliar with the system.
• Turnstile Tours cannot be held responsible for the availability of Citi Bikes, for open docks to return bicycles, nor for any additional fees that riders incur.
• We strongly recommend that you wear a safety helmet while on the tour, which Citi Bike does not provide.

We encourage people of all ages to visit the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but any activity that lasts two hours can be a bit much for some kids. We have special visual bingo boards of trivia and sites around the Yard that kids (and adults) can play on any of our tours. Tickets for children ages 5–12 are half price, and children under 5 are welcome to join the tour for free. If you’re joining a bicycle tour, all attendees must have their own safety helmet and bicycle, or they must be secured in a seat with proper restraints.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal entrance is located at the junction of 1st Ave and 58th St in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. Tours meet in front of Building A, which is the building on the right when you enter the gate (closer to the water), in the large patio area with benches. The exact street address is 140 58th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220. Click here for Google Maps directions or view our neighborhood map.

• SUBWAY: The nearest station is 59 St (N,R), located about a 10-minute walk from the meeting location. This is a wheelchair-accessible station. Please note that these trains run on a more limited schedule on weekends, so allow for additional travel time. After exiting the station, walk in the direction of traffic along 59th St for two blocks until you reach 2nd Ave, then take a right onto 2nd Ave. After one block, turn left onto 58th St and continue walking straight until you reach the junction of 1st Avenue. The main gate of the Terminal will be on your left. When you enter the gate, you will be facing two large buildings – Building A is the one on the right. Visit mta.info for maps and service alerts.
• FERRY: NYC Ferry serves the Brooklyn Army Terminal on the Rockaway and South Brooklyn routes. To reach the tour meeting location, just walk up the hill and turn right underneath the arches. NYC Ferry does not accept MetroCards or OMNY. All ferries are wheelchair accessible. Visit ferry.nyc for schedules and info and download the NYC Ferry app.
• BUS: The B11 stops directly in front of the Brooklyn Army Terminal on 58th St and 1st Ave. All NYC MTA buses are wheelchair accessible, and all accept OMNY with a contactless bank card or smartphone.
• DRIVING & PARKING: 
  • Driving directions from I-278W (and I-495, East River bridges, Battery Tunnel, Prospect Expressway): Take exit 23 for 39th St. At the end of the off-ramp, take a left onto 2nd Ave. Drive on 2nd Ave until you reach 58th St. Turn right onto 58th St and continue straight. Head straight through the gate to reach the parking lot.
  • From I-278E (Verrazano Bridge): Take exit 21 for 3rd Ave. Continue straight on 3rd Ave until you reach 58th St. Take a left on 58th St and continue straight. The entrance to the parking lot will be straight ahead.
  • From the Belt Parkway W: Take exit 1 towards 65 St/67 St. Stay left and follow signs for Ridge Boulevard. Turn left onto Ridge Boulevard. Ridge Boulevard becomes 2nd Ave. Take 2nd Ave to 58th St and take a left, continue straight on 58th St. Head straight through the gate to reach the parking lot.
  • PARKING is available for tour participants in the free municipal parking lot on Pier 4. Follow signs at the intersection of 1st Ave and 58th St to the ferry stop to reach the lot.
• BICYCLE: Bicycle parking is available at the Brooklyn Army Terminal near the entrance to Building A. Sunset Park and the Brooklyn Army Terminal are served by Citi Bike.

Each tour covers approximately one mile of walking over the course of two hours, and the tour may involve climbing stairs, walking over uneven ground, and across dirt and mud, so we recommend wearing a good pair of walking shoes. Our guides strive to make everyone as comfortable as possible, so we try to provide places to sit or stand in the shade during the tour stops.

The tour route is about half indoors, half outdoors, and we run the tour rain, snow, or shine (see our policies on weather and cancellations above).

The Brooklyn Army Terminal Tour is fully accessible to people who use wheelchairs. We strive to lead the tours over a physically accessible route, but due to construction, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may encounter uneven paths, obstructions, or steep inclines along the tour route. If you do use a wheelchair or have any other accessibility need, please contact us directly and/or include this information when booking, so that we can offer a fully accessible experience.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all access accommodations.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal was constructed in 1918-19 as a supply base for the US Army during World War I. Designed by architect Cass Gilbert (Woolworth Building, Custom House), it served as an intermodal shipping port that could bring in troops and supplies by rail and move them onto ships. During its peak of operations in World War II, the Terminal served as the headquarters of the New York Port of Embarkation and employed more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. It continued to serve as a major military supply depot until its decommissioning in 1966, including shipping off Pvt. Elvis Presley in 1958. Since 1981, the Army Terminal has been owned by the City of New York, and it is operated by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Today, it is a bustling industrial park, and more than 100 companies occupy space in the Terminal, employing more than 4,000 people in industries including manufacturing, technology, and life sciences.

Yes, the campus of the Brooklyn Army Terminal is open to pedestrians and cyclists during daylight hours, and parking is available in the municipal lot on Pier 4. Visitors are welcome to explore the esplanade along 58th Street and the first floors of Buildings A, B, and the Annex. On weekdays, grab a bite to eat at Pete’s Brooklyn Eats (Building B) and Momo Test Kitchen (Annex), and step inside the dramatic railroad atrium of Building B. BioBAT Art Space is a public gallery of science-inspired art (hours may vary based on the current show), and there are frequently events, festivals, and public art shows at BAT. Many tenant businesses are open by appointment or for special events, including fabric recycler FABSCRAP, where you can volunteer to sort fabric or come to their public fabric sales, and MakerSpace NYC.

On weekdays, Pete’s Brooklyn Eats (Building B) and Momo Test Kitchen (Annex) offer great lunch options on site. Located on the border of Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, there are many great eateries nearby. Heading up 58th St from the Army Terminal, 4th and 5th avenues are the center of Brooklyn’s Mexican community, and 8th Ave is home to Brooklyn’s Chinatown. Industry City’s food hall is also a short walk north, and heading south down 3rd Ave in Bay Ridge has many great places. A few that we recommend are:

• Rosas Bakery, 5824 4th Ave (Mexican)
• Ricos Tacos, 505 51st St (Mexican)
• Lucky Eight, 5204 8th Ave (Chinese)
• East Harbor Seafood Palace, 714 65th St (Chinese dim sum)

Yes, the Sunset Park waterfront is lined with industrial properties that are historically linked but separate. The oldest of these is the Bush Terminal, which was the world’s first intermodal shipping port when it was built by industrialist Irving T. Bush at the turn of the twentieth century. Spanning from 29th St to 51st St, it was a massive complex of warehouses, piers, rail yards, and factories that Bush leased to other companies. Following the success of his terminal, Bush was appointed head of the War Board of the Port of New York during World War I, where he authorized the construction nearby of a separate but similarly-designed intermodal facility just for the US Army, the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

As the working waterfront went into decline, the City of New York acquired the southern portion of Bush Terminal (south of 41st St) in 1970, while the northern portion remained in private hands. The city later acquired other waterfront sites in the neighborhood, including the Brooklyn Army Terminal in 1981. Today, the publicly-owned portion of the historic Bush Terminal is called the Bush Terminal Industrial Park; it is managed by NYCEDC and is being renovated manufacturing space and a film and television production and training center. The historic piers of Bush Terminal are now Bush Terminal Park, which has public entrances at 43rd St and 51st St along 1st Ave. Other city-owned properties along the Sunset Park waterfront include the Brooklyn Wholesale Meat Market and the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The northern portion of the historic Bush Terminal is known as Industry City and is an industrial, office, and retail park owned by a consortium led by Jamestown Properties.

Prospect Park is a 585-acre park located in the center of Brooklyn. Most tours will begin at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza. Some special tours begin and end at different locations, so please take note of this when booking, and read your confirmation message carefully. Click here for Google Maps directions, view our neighborhood map, or view the official Prospect Park map.

• SUBWAY: The nearest subway stations are Grand Army Plaza (2,3) and 7th Av (B,Q), both or which are NOT wheelchair-accessible. The nearest accessible station is Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum (2,3). View our map for walking directions from each of these stations, and visit mta.info for maps and service alerts.
• BUS: The B41 travels along Flatbush Ave and stops at Brooklyn Public Library. All NYC MTA buses are wheelchair accessible, and all accept OMNY with a contactless bank card or smartphone. If traveling by bus, be sure to allow plenty of extra time for your trip, as weekend schedules can be unreliable (visit mta.info for maps and service alerts).
• DRIVING AND PARKING: Street parking is extremely limited in this area. The nearest paid parking lot is located next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden visitor center at 990 Washington Ave, and it is a 10-minute walk to Brooklyn Public Library.
• BICYCLE: There are bike racks located on both the Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Ave sides of the library. There are also several Citi Bike stations in the area.
• END POINT: Most public tours end at either the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, located in the southeast corner of the park near the Parkside Av (Q) subway station, or at the Children’s Corner, near the Prospect Park (B,Q,S) station, which is an accessible station.

We strive to lead the tour over a physically accessible route, but due to construction, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may encounter uneven paths, obstructions, or steep inclines along the tour route. If you do use a wheelchair or have any other accessibility need, please contact us directly and/or include this information when booking, so that we can offer a fully accessible experience.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all access accommodations.

Most tours will end at or near the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, where the Bluestone Cafe offers food and drinks until 9pm on Fridays and until 5:30pm on Sundays. If visiting on Sundays, May–October, you can also visit Smorgasburg Prospect Park, which features 40 outdoor food vendors, located on Breeze Hill, a short walk from the last stop on the tour. You can also use this guide to the Little Caribbean neighborhood a short walk away.

Prospect Park Alliance is a nonprofit organization founded in 1987 to restore and maintain Prospect Park after a long period of steady deterioration and decline. The Alliance works to preserve the natural environment, restore historic design, and provide public programs and amenities for the Park, which receives more than 10 million visits each year. The Alliance plays a significant role in funding the operating budget that keeps the Park clean, safe and beautiful, and employs three-quarters of the staff that take care of the Park, including horticulturalists, maintenance workers, arborists, ecologists, educators, volunteer coordinators, and visitor services representatives. Please consider becoming a member of the Alliance to support their work.

View all membership levels and benefits.

Yes, and thank you for being a member and supporting Prospect Park Alliance! You should have received an email or other member communication that contains a special code that you can enter when booking your tickets to get 25% off. If you can’t find this code, please contact the Prospect Park Alliance membership department.

• Midtown tours begin in Bryant Park on the southeast corner of 6th Avenue and 42nd St.
• Financial District tours begin in the public atrium in the Continental Center, 150 Maiden Lane.
• Jackson Heights tours begin at Arepa Lady, 77-17 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens.
• Street Vending After Dark tours begin outside the Conrad New York Midtown, 151 West 54th St.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for complete directions and information on public transportation, or consult our transportation map.

We strive to lead the tour over a physically accessible route, but due to construction, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may encounter uneven paths, obstructions, or steep inclines along the tour route. If you do use a wheelchair or have any other accessibility need, please contact us directly and/or include this information when booking, so that we can offer a fully accessible experience.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all access accommodations.

Tours take place at the Essex Market, located at 88 Essex Street at the corner of Delancey Street in the Lower East Side. The market is located on the first floor of a large tower called Essex Crossing. Click here for Google Maps directions or view our neighborhood map.

• SUBWAY: The nearest subway station is Delancey St-Essex St (F,J,M,Z), which is NOT a wheelchair-accessible station. The nearest accessible station is Bleeker St (6) / Broadway-Lafayette (B,D,F,M), approximately 1 mile away. View our map for walking directions from this station, and visit mta.info for maps and service alerts.
• BUS: The M9, M14A, and B39 stop at the Essex Market. All NYC buses are wheelchair accessible, and all accept OMNY with a contactless bank card or smartphone. If traveling by bus, be sure to allow plenty of extra time for your trip, as weekend schedules can be unreliable (visit mta.info for maps and service alerts).
• DRIVING & PARKING: The Essex Market is accessible via the Williamsburg Bridge and the FDR Drive (Houston St exit). There is a municipal parking garage on Essex Street just north of Delancey Street; in fact, it is the last remaining city-owned parking garage in Manhattan, and parking rates are exceedingly reasonable ($8 for the first hour, $3 for each additional hour). Street parking is extremely difficult in the Lower East Side.
• BICYCLE: There are bicycle racks on Essex Street and many Citi Bike stations in the neighborhood.

We strive to lead the tour over a physically accessible route, but due to construction, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may encounter obstructions on the market floor. If you do use a wheelchair or have any other accessibility need, please contact us directly and/or include this information when booking, so that we can offer a fully accessible experience.

Please visit our Accessibility Page for the most up-to-date information on all access accommodations.

Starting in the late 1930s, New York City established a network of city-owned indoor retail food markets, and at its peak, the system had 10 locations. Today, four of these public markets are still in operation, overseen by the New York City Economic Development Corporation: East Harlem’s La Marqueta, Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the Bronx, Essex Market, and Brooklyn’s Moore Street Market. These markets, though small, continue to be vital links in the city’s food system, providing affordable, culturally-appropriate foods to neighborhoods, and offering opportunities for food entrepreneurs to access affordable space to start and grow their businesses.

Learn more about New York City’s Public Markets