Fleet Week Tours of New York Harbor | May 24–29

2023 Fleet Week Harbor Tours:

  • Wednesday, May 24, 2:30pm
  • Friday, May 26, 9:45am
  • Monday, May 29, 10am

Join us for a special series of in-depth tours of the rich military history of New York Harbor to celebrate Fleet Week to New York City! Starting from Chelsea Piers, this 2.5-hour cruise aboard one of Classic Harbor Line‘s beautiful motor yachts will explore the military history of New York Harbor from the Revolutionary War to today, with special emphasis on the role of the port from World War II to today. The tour will visit historic military sites, monuments, and fortifications, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Staten Island Navy pier, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, as well as give you a waterside view of the active Navy and Coast Guard vessels in town for Fleet Week.

If you can’t make it to a tour in person, our May 29 cruise will be live streamed with our friends at Urbanist: Exploring Cities on YouTube.

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Brooklyn Navy Yard: World War II Tour

The Brooklyn Navy Yard played a pivotal role in World War II, building battleships and aircraft carriers, repairing over 5,000 ships, and sending troops and supplies to fronts across the globe. This tour examines the role of the New York City waterfront in the war effort, explores connections between the Yard and famous battles of World War II, and visits sites of significance that remain from this era, including the former ship assembly areas, workshops, and dry docks that kept the US Navy afloat and fighting around the world. As we move around the Yard, we also listen clips of oral histories recorded with sailors and shipworkers, including from female industrial workers, to bring the story of the Yard at war to life.

Tour Info


Brooklyn Army Terminal Tour

View of the metal frames that span the two sides of Building B, a massive concrete industrial building with an atrium at the center that opens to the sky.

Step inside an engineering marvel that is today a center of manufacturing and innovation. Built in 1918-1919, this enormous Cass Gilbert-designed complex served as a supply base for the American military for nearly 50 years. Today, this thriving industrial park is home to over 100 companies in industries ranging from precision manufacturers to biotech researchers, online retailers to chocolatiers. Our walking tours explore how this teeming military transportation hub operated, and how these facilities are put to use today. All tours are offered in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Tour Info


Tours accessible by NYC Ferry