Castle Clinton

Castle Clinton National Monument Castle Garden
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Monument
New York State Register of Historic Places
New York City Landmark No. 0029
Photo from Historic American Buildings Survey
Location	Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates	40°42′13″N 74°01′00″W / 40.7035°N 74.0168°W / 40.7035; -74.0168
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1808
Architect	John McComb Jr.; Jonathan Williams; U.S. War Department
Visitation	3,471,661 (2022)[1]
Website	Castle Clinton National Monument
NRHP reference No.	66000537
NYSRHP No.	06101.000431
NYCL No.	0029
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966[3]
Designated NMON	August 12, 1946
Designated NYSRHP	June 23, 1980[2]
Designated NYCL	November 23, 1965

Castle Clinton (also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden) is a restored circular sandstone fort within Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating Ellis Island. More than 7.5 million people arrived in the United States at Fort Clinton between 1855 and 1890. Over its active life, it has also functioned as a beer garden, exhibition hall, theater, and public aquarium. The structure is a New York City designated landmark and a United States national monument, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fort Clinton was originally known as the West Battery or the Southwest Battery, occupying an artificial island off the shore of Lower Manhattan. Designed by John McComb Jr., with Jonathan Williams as consulting engineer, the fort was garrisoned in 1812 but was never used for warfare. In 1824, the New York City government converted Fort Clinton into a 6,000-seat entertainment venue known as Castle Garden, which operated until 1855. Castle Garden then served as an immigrant processing depot for 35 years. When the processing facilities were moved to Ellis Island in 1892, Castle Garden was converted into the first home of the New York Aquarium, which opened in 1896 and continued operating until 1941. The fort was expanded and renovated several times during this period.

In the 1940s, New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses proposed demolishing Fort Clinton as part of the construction of the nearby Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. This led to a prolonged debate over the fort's preservation, as well as the creation of the Castle Clinton National Monument in 1946. The National Park Service took over the fort in 1950. After several unsuccessful attempts to restore the fort, Castle Clinton reopened in 1975 following an extensive renovation. Since 1986, it has served as a visitor center and a departure point for ferries to the Statue of Liberty National Monument.