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. Not only did the Yard construct the USS Arizona a generation before the war, which was sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but it is also where the battleship Missouri was constructed, where the peace treaty ending the war was signed in 1945. Thanks to the efforts of its 70,000 workers, the Brooklyn Navy Yard became the world’s busiest shipyard, earning the nickname “The Can-Do Yard” for its ability to patch up wounded ships and put them back in action. 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 shops and the historic Dry Dock 1. Throughout the tour, we listen to clips of oral histories recorded with sailors and shipworkers who were at the Yard during the war, including from women working in industrial jobs, and from people of color, for whom the war presented both challenges and new opportunities.This tour aims to evoke a sense of what the Yard was like during the war – a place of tremendous energy, innovation, and achievement, but tempered by terrible loss.

Highlights

• 2-hour guided walking tour
• See where the battleships Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, and Missouri were launched
• Listen to oral histories of the men and women who designed, built, and repaired more than 5,000 ships
• Learn about connections between the Brooklyn Navy Yard and major events around the world during the war
• All tours offered on behalf of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation

Public Tour Schedule

• Monthly on select Sundays
• This tour lasts 2 hours
• Tours are available for private groups — contact us for more information

Know Before You Go

• Tours proceed rain or shine and will not be cancelled or rescheduled due to inclement weather unless such weather constitutes a dangerous situation, in which case Turnstile Tours will contact all tour attendees.
• Dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.
• We will walk approximately 2 miles on this tour.
• Cancellations: We cannot reschedule or refund tickets that are canceled within 24 hours of the tour start time. If you cancel more than 24 hours before the tour, we can offer you a credit to reschedule for a future tour.