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Self-Guided Tour of Roosevelt Island’s Tramway to FDR State Park
Select Date and Travelers
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn More
45 to 1 Hours
Mobile ticket
Overview
On this self-guided tour, you'll trace the history of this 'island of the unwanted' to a thriving community today. Experience the magic of GPS playback on this immersive stroll through Roosevelt Island.
Discover the fascinating history of Roosevelt Island, from a sliver of farmland off of Manhattan to the home of New York City’s unwanted: prisoners, the mentally ill, and those with contagious diseases. On this walking tour, I’ll show you the island’s southern end where I’ll unpack some of its complicated 400-year-long history.
Having grown up on Roosevelt Island, I love sharing the amazing history of this place and how it was transformed from the island of the unwanted into a thriving community. While you walk, you’ll see what’s left of its uncomfortable past and find out how hospitals and penitentiaries were replaced with the fabulous Southpoint Park, Cornell Tech facilities and Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park.
What's Included
- Get unlimited, lifetime use of this tour, before your booking date and after it
- The virtual playback option, so you can listen to this tour like an audiobook from anywhere
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
- Smartphone and headphones (please bring your own)
- Entrance fees
Meeting And Pickup
Meeting point
Select a meeting point
What To Expect
Gain a deeper understanding of Roosevelt Island's transformation from farmland to an area designated for the city’s unwanted populations, including prisoners and the mentally ill.
• Admission Ticket Free
Visit the tramway’s island station and learn about its significance in connecting the island to Manhattan and facilitating its development.
• Admission Ticket Free
Pass by Strecker Memorial Laboratory, once a cutting-edge medical research facility and now a symbol of the island’s medical history.
• Admission Ticket Free
Walk among the ruins of the Smallpox Memorial Hospital, the only ruin in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and hear about its role in treating contagious diseases.
• Admission Ticket Free
Stroll through the expansive Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, dedicated to FDR's famous Four Freedoms speech, and take in the magnificent bronze sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
• Admission Ticket Free
Enjoy the scenic beauty of Southpoint Park, which represents the island's renewal and transformation into a community-friendly area with green spaces.
• Admission Ticket Free
Stop by the Roosevelt Island Visitor Center Kiosk for more information about the island’s history, current attractions, and future developments.
• Admission Ticket Free
End your tour at the FDR Hope Memorial, celebrating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s legacy and his message of hope and perseverance.
• Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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