Brooklyn Army Terminal Walking Tour

Explore the sights and stories of a century of work at the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

Meet the guide at the Terminal, located on Brooklyn’s waterfront and accessible by subway from Manhattan.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal was built to supply American forces on the Western Front during World War I. This complex served as a supply base for the American military up until the Vietnam War.

Today, the Brooklyn Army Terminal is a large complex of warehouses, offices, piers, docks, cranes, rail sidings and cargo-loading equipment on 95 acres of land between 58th and 63rd streets in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It is a thriving industrial park that is home to over 100 companies in a wide variety of industries, from precision manufacturers to biotech researchers, online retailers and chocolatiers.

Begin this 2-hour walking tour with a visit inside the Brooklyn Army Terminal’s architectural gem — the stunning atrium of Building B, where freight trains once rumbled through to be loaded from the balconies. Also, enjoy sweeping views of New York Harbor and visit the unrestored, 600,000-square-foot space of Building A. These two warehouses were the largest concrete buildings in the world when they were constructed in 1919.

Along the way, explore how millions of tons of war supplies and personnel were shipped through this busy transportation hub. Hear the stories of soldiers, longshoremen and merchant mariners who worked these piers, rail yards and warehouses. Also, find out what made the Port of New York the envy of the world in the mid-20th century, why it went into decline, and how Brooklyn’s entire working waterfront is being revitalized today.