Things to Do
The Brooklyn Army Terminal will be one of the premier destinations during Open House New York Weekend, October 18–20. We have put together a guide of the different places you can explore throughout the campus, including studios, galleries, and workshops, and as always, we at Turnstile Tours will be offering guided tours throughout the weekend. All sites are open access—meaning no tickets or reservations are required—unless otherwise noted.
Click “More Info” below each tile to find out more.
Guided Tours
Take a 45-minute guided tour of the stunning atrium and learn about the site’s history and reinvention with Turnstile Tours.
Sat & Sun, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm • More info
Getting to the Brooklyn Army Terminal
BAT is located in Sunset Park and easily accessible by subway and ferry.
MakerSpace NYC
Visit this non-profit fabrication facility for artists, designers, craftspeople, makers, and manufacturers.
Sat & Sun, 12pm–4pm • More info
BioBAT Art Space
Explore this art gallery that works at the intersection of art and science and their current exhibition WATER STORIES.
Sat & Sun, 12pm–4pm • More info
ChaShaMa Open Studios
Step inside the studios of more than 100 artists with ChaShama, which has been transforming space for artmaking, exhibition, and education since 1995.
Sat & Sun, 2pm–6pm • More info
FABSCRAP
Visit the warehouse where millions of pounds of textiles are collected, sorted, recycled, and reused.
Sat ONLY, 12pm–4pm • More info
Sunset Park Open Studios
Explore artist studios and galleries all around Sunset Park, including ArtBuilt and MakerSpace in the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
Sat & Sun, 1pm–5pm • More info
Brooklyn Army Terminal FAQs
Get answers to your burning questions about BAT’s history, architecture, and industry.
New York City Wine and Food Festival
NYCWFF will also be taking place at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, on the pier and in the west parking lot.
Oct 17–20 • More info • Tickets Required – Get Tickets!
OHNY in Sunset Park
Explore other participating OHNY Weekend sites nearby and other places to explore in Sunset Park and Gowanus.
Guided Tours
Saturday & Sunday, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm • Building B North Lobby • OHNY Listing • BAT Website
Turnstile Tours is offering 45-minute guided tours that start in the north lobby of Building B and explore the building’s atrium, ending at the south end. These tours will provide an overview of the Terminal’s history, starting with its construction and use as a military supply depot in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, and its reinvention as a city-owned industrial park since the 1980s. Tours are open access, so no reservations are required, and there are no capacity limits for the tour.
If you want a more extensive tour of the Brooklyn Army Terminal, you can join a 2-hour version of the tour that explores all the buildings, offered most Saturdays at 11am. Tickets & Info
Getting to the Brooklyn Army Terminal
The Brooklyn Army Terminal is located at 140 58th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220, near the junction of 1st Ave and 58th St. Below are directions and information about transportation options. OHNY Weekend activities are taking place in Building A (the building closer to the water) and Building B (which is closer to 2nd Ave).
- SUBWAY: The nearest station is 59 St (N,R), located about a 10-minute walk from BAT. 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.
- FERRY: NYC Ferry serves the Brooklyn Army Terminal on the Rockaway and South Brooklyn routes. All ferries and landings are wheelchair accessible. Visit ferry.nyc for schedules and info, and download the NYC Ferry app. There will also be a dedicated ferry going between Wall Street–Pier 11 and the Brooklyn Army Terminal for the NYC Wine & Food Festival starting at 12pm on Saturday and Sunday. This ferry is open to the public, but it is not listed on the NYC Ferry app or website. When you arrive by ferry, you will see the NYC Wine & Food Festival on the pier and the west parking lot. Signage and OHNY volunteers will help direct you up the hill to the entrances of Buildings A and B.
View the NYCWFF ferry schedule
- 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.
- 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, with stations on 1st Ave, 2nd Ave, and Pier 4.
- DRIVING & PARKING: We do not recommend driving. There will be no parking on site during the weekend, as the municipal parking lot on Pier 4 will be hosting the NYC Wine & Food Festival.
Getting Around the Brooklyn Army Terminal
The Brooklyn Army Terminal has two main buildings, Building A is closer to the water, and Building B is closer to Second Ave. The main hubs of activity will be in the north lobbies of both buildings, where OHNY volunteers and partner representatives will be positioned to provide information and wayfinding help.
Restrooms are located in the north lobbies of Building A and Building B.
In Building A, enter the north lobby to visit ChaShaMa via the first elevator bank, or walk the length of the building to the south elevators to access BioBAT Art Space.
In Building B, hourly guided tours of the atrium will begin in the north lobby, and you can visit MakerSpace NYC on the right side of the lobby. Explore the atrium and walk to the south elevators to access ArtBuilt Brooklyn, FABSCRAP, and ChaShaMa.
Please note that the NYC Wine & Food Festival will occupy the entirety of the pier, the west parking lot, and the Annex Building (located on 58th Street). OHNY volunteers will be on site to direct you to Buildings A and B from the ferry landing and other entrances to BAT. Tickets are required for the festival.
MakerSpace NYC
Saturday & Sunday, 12pm–4pm • Building B, Unit 1C (in the north lobby) • OHNY Listing • Website
Makerspace NYC is a 40,000 sq ft fabrication facility for artists, designers, craftspeople, makers, and manufacturers at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Visit the Makerspace facilities in Buildings B and A for tours and industrial machine demonstrations (all activities will begin in Building B). Meet a variety of makers and see machines such the computer numerical control (CNC) machines in action. Arrive and tour anytime during the open hours. Machine demonstrations will happen at intervals throughout the weekend.
Getting to MakerSpace NYC: Access MakerSpace through the Building B north lobby. The entrance is located just past Pete’s Brooklyn Eats on the right side.
BioBAT Art Space
Saturday & Sunday, 12pm–4pm • Building A, south end • OHNY Listing • Website
BioBAT Art Space is a non-profit gallery dedicated to the intersection of art and science. The gallery features cutting-edge bio-art, where artists and scientists create works that push the boundaries of both fields. The current exhibition WATER STORIES invites audiences to immerse themselves in the poetic and ecological significance of water by connecting local waterfronts and coastlines with global narratives, historical legacies, and imagined futures through immersive, multi-sensory installations and interactive artworks.
Getting to BioBAT Art Space: The gallery is accessed through the north lobby of Building A. Walk through the lobby and down the central corridor of the building until you reach the last bank of elevators. OHNY volunteers will help you get down the dock level (G), where the gallery is located. The galleries main entrance from the west parking lot will be obstructed by the NYC Wine & Food Festival.
ChaShaMa Open Studios
Saturday & Sunday, 2pm–6pm • Building A, Unit 3-J & Building B, Unit 4-I • OHNY Listing • Website
Since 1995, ChaShaMa has transformed unused space into hubs of creativity for artists, community-centric art classes, and small businesses. ChaShaMa invites you to explore over 100 visual arts studios at the iconic Brooklyn Army Terminal, where you can meet the artists, purchase original pieces, and get inspired. Be sure to visit both studio spaces, located in Buildings A and B.
Getting to ChaShaMa: You can access ChaShaMa’s Building A space (3–J) through the building’s north lobby. Walk through the lobby and take the first bank of elevators on your left to the 3rd floor. In Building B (4-I), walk through the north lobby and through the atrium to the south end of the building. At the south end of the atrium, take the last bank of elevators on your right to the 4th floor.
FABSCRAP
Saturday, 12pm–4pm • Building B, Unit 5-H4 • OHNY Listing • Website
FABSCRAP is a nonprofit organization that has pioneered a system to recycle and reuse fabric waste, creating an accessible materials resource for creative communities while reducing the fashion industry’s impact on the planet. Visit FABSCRAP’s warehouse in Brooklyn Army Terminal where millions of pounds of textiles are collected, sorted, recycled, and reused. You’ll have the rare opportunity to follow the path of a roll of fabric, trim, samples, and/or headers once FABSCRAP intercepts them from landfills. Then, you’ll get a hands-on lesson in textiles sorting. Finally, you’ll be challenged to tap into your own creativity in our reuse room.
Getting to FABSCRAP: Located on the south end of Building B, you can access FABSCRAP via the building’s north lobby and walking the length of the atrium. At the south end of the atrium, take the elevator bank on the right hand side to the 5th floor.
Sunset Park Open Studios
Saturday & Sunday, 1pm–5pm • ArtBuilt: Building B, Unit 7-G • OHNY Listing • Website
Sunset Park Open Studios is an annual, multi-day arts celebration of exhibitions, events and open studios throughout Sunset Park, Brooklyn, featuring hundreds of participating artists and art spaces from across the neighborhood. Inside the Brooklyn Army Terminal, MakerSpace will be a hub with information available about the festival, and ArtBuilt Brooklyn will also be participating, with open access to Nino Tsiklauri, Oscar Lopez, Matt Rubendall, Purgatory Pie Press, Cesar Valdés, Ella Wearing, JB Morton, Vandana Jain, Ianthe Jackson, Mike Estabrook, and Andy Mazzella.
Getting to ArtBuilt: Located on the south end of Building B, you can access ArtBuilt via the building’s north lobby and walking the length of the atrium. At the south end of the atrium, take the elevator bank on the left hand side to the 7th floor.
Brooklyn Army Terminal FAQs
When was the Brooklyn Army Terminal built?
The Brooklyn Army Terminal was constructed from May 1918 to September 1919 to serve as a military supply depot for the US Army in World War I. Originally intended to be completed by the end of 1918, the Armistice, as well as a major strike, slowed construction, so the Army Terminal was not used during World War I.
Who designed and built it?
The building was designed by Cass Gilbert, architect of New York City landmarks the Woolworth Building and Custom House. Construction was done by Turner Construction and overseen by the US Army Quartermaster Corps, and notable figures in architecture, engineering, and logistics contributed to the project, including Gen. George Goethals, Irving T. Bush, and Albert Kahn. At the peak, more than 7,400 people worked on the site. Six workers were killed during construction, and there were 7,396 accidents resulting in injury. When completed, it was the world’s largest concrete building, at four million square feet.
What is the atrium and what are those balconies for?
The atrium was the main cargo handling area. Freight trains could drive directly into the building, and their cargo was unloaded on the central platform. Then two electric gantry cranes, still visible along the ceiling, could position over the cargo and lower cables to lift it up and deposit it into the balconies, where it could then be loaded into the warehouses. The balconies are offset so that the overhead cranes could reach every level of the building.
What happened here during World War II?
More than 25,000 civilian and military personnel worked here during the war, when this was the headquarters of the New York Port of Embarkation, the organization for all the Army transportation in the region. BAT received all sorts of cargo, including small arms, clothing, non-perishable food, field guns, tanks, and airplanes, that was inspected, packaged, sorted, and loaded onto ships. Soldiers also arrived to board ships heading to the European and Pacific theaters. About 20% of all troops deployed out of New York Harbor left from the Brooklyn Army Terminal, or roughly 600,000 troops. Following the war, three-quarters of all the remains of American servicemen killed overseas and repatriated to the US were received at BAT, or more than 140,000 people.
When did Elvis visit?
Elvis Presely was drafted into the Army in December 1957, and his unit, the 3rd Armored Division, was shipped out from the Brooklyn Army Terminal to Bremerhaven, Germany on September 22, 1958. Elvis spent a few hours on Army Terminal Pier 4, which still stands, conducting interviews before boarding the transport USS Gen. George M. Randall.
When did the Brooklyn Army Terminal close?
The federal government closed the Port of Embarkation here in December 1966, and most of its operations were eventually moved to Bayonne, New Jersey. Different federal departments, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Postal Service maintained facilities here until 1975, when the federal government abandoned it. In 1981, it was sold to the City of New York for $8.5 million to become an industrial park, and the first businesses moved into Building B in 1987.
What happens here today?
The Brooklyn Army Terminal is owned by the city and operated by the New York City Economic Development Corporation as an industrial park. The campus has more than 100 tenants that employ almost 4,000 people. Most are industrial businesses, manufacturing food, furniture, clothing, electronics, jewelry, and more, plus there are many tenants working in distribution and logistics, technology, and the arts. BAT has become an important testing site for green building technology through the Pilots at BAT program, and in the future it will house the Climate Innovation Hub. The campus is over 93% occupied.
For a complete list of Brooklyn Army Terminal tenants, visit bat.nyc.
New York City Wine & Food Festival
Oct 17–20 • Pier 4 & West Parking Lot • Tickets & Info
NYC’s biggest food event is taking place across the city, but its anchor will be at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, which will host a sprawling “culinary campus” with tastings, demonstrations, and other events from the biggest names in food. Embark on a culinary journey like no other, and as a special perk, the Brooklyn community can enjoy 25% off the Festival’s most popular events events at Brooklyn Army Terminal (use code Brooklyn25 when booking). This non-profit event is in support of God’s Love We Deliver.
Note About NYCWFF for OHNY visitors: Please note that the festival will occupy the entirety of the pier and the west parking lot. OHNY volunteers will be on site to help visitors get to Buildings A and B from the ferry landing and other entrances to BAT. There will be no parking on site. Tickets are required for the festival.
OHNY Weekend in Sunset Park and Beyond
Here are some other locations that are participating in Open House New York Weekend near the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
- Brooklyn Grange Farm Sunset Park • Sunday, 10am–3pm
- Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility • Saturday, 12pm–4pm
- EverGreene Architectural Arts • Friday, 12pm–4pm
- New York Art Residency and Studios • Friday, Saturday, Sunday (hours vary)
- Brooklyn Glass • Sunday, 10am–6pm
- Gowanus Canal Conservancy: Lowlands Nursery • Saturday, 11am–4pm
- Gowanus Dredgers Self-Guided Canoe Trips • Saturday & Sunday, 2pm–6pm
- Powerhouse Arts • Saturday & Sunday, 12pm–6pm
There are also lots of great places to eat and drink near the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Here are a few that we recommend:
- Five Boroughs Brewing • 215 47th St (between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
- Las Rosas Bakery • 5824 4th Ave (at 59th St)
- Industry City Food Hall • 268 36th St (between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
- Tacos El Bronco • 4324 4th Ave (at 44th St)
- Yaffa Cafe • 4415 4th Ave (at 45th St)
