Explore Hell Gate’s treacherous history on a walking tour. Uncover shipwrecks, river pirates, and explosive plots. Discover New York’s hidden past.
Wards Island Park - Offers a view of Hell Gate, Mill Rock, and Roosevelt Island.
Randalls and Wards Islands - Provides a view of Astoria Park and the Triborough Bridge, along with features of Wards Island.
Hell Gate Bridge - At the Wards Island end of Hell Gate Bridge, participants will learn about the unique engineering of this iconic bridge and the plot to destroy it.
Randall’s Island Park - Participants will see the remnants of Little Hell Gate that once separated the islands, the truss bridge over the now-covered strait, and classic film locations. They will also view the northern part of Hell Gate from Sunken Meadow, the former islands connected to Astoria, and the East River power plants. Additionally, there is a vantage point of Rikers Island, North and South Brother Islands, and the world’s largest prison barge.
- All fees and/or taxes
- Tea and coffee
Delve into off-the-beaten-path New York history on the Hell Gate walking tour.
Hell Gate is the one-mile stretch of the East River between Manhattan and Queens where countless ships were sunk or destroyed by the terrifying rocks, reefs, and whirlpools. Discover the islands in and around Hell Gate—Wards, Roosevelt, Rikers, North & South Brother—as seen from Randall’s Island (accessible on foot, by car, or by bicycle via the RFK Bridge—from East Harlem, Astoria, and Port Morris—or the Wards Island Bridge/103rd Street Footbridge from Manhattan).
Main features:
Find out about Hell Gate’s ship-swallowing whirlpools.
Learn about the plot to blow up the Hell Gate Bridge.
Discover the river pirates of the Hell Gate islands.
Hear about the Hell Gate Explosions and the General Slocum Disaster.
Peer at the jail complex of Rikers Island and the quarantine ruins of North Brother Island.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
