ft. totten tunnel and battery

urban rangers nyc organizes a tour of the battery and tunnels at ft. totten park in queens. you meet at the visitor center, tucked away in one corner of the park - past the swimming pool, the parade grounds, an nypd training center, and some baseball fields - and when a large enough group amasses, a ranger leads you through the first tunnel to the fort. once you're at the other end of the tunnel, you're free to roam around and explore almost any part of it, and there are rangers stationed at intervals who happily answer your nerdiest questions. it's a great set-up, and by far one of my favorite tours in new york. 

walking behind this huge group of people on one of the hottest days of the year, i was having doubts about how things would pan out.



fortunately the other side of the tunnel is massive, and the group quickly dissipates, leaving you to feel like you have parts of the fort all to yourself.

the first battery portion of the fort is a beautiful labyrinth of columns, arches and walkways.






the main magazine, where gunpowder and ammunitions were stored, is also open for the tour. following the same tour model, you're led into a series of undergound tunnels and chambers, where a ranger will give you a brief but interesting history of the space. you're then free to roam and explore on your own, and while not required, a headlamp or flashlight makes this much more feasible.




back outside, you can then wander over to another battery portion of the fort. this area reminded me a lot of fort miley in san francisco.







there are several tour dates throughout the summer. the next one is sunday july 8th. if you have the chance to go, i highly recommend it!

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