7. Prison Ship Martyr’s Monument in Fort Greene Park

The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park sits on a crypt that contains the remains of soldiers who died on British war ships in Wallabout Bay during the Revolutionary War. When originally constructed, the monument had stairs and an elevator to the top which was accessible for a dime. Today, the monument interior is off-limits to the public except for a few times a year through select organizations, and even then, does not provide access to the top or too far inside.

The crypt beneath the monument that contains the martyrs is also closed to the public, but if you do wish to visit inside the monument, The Society of Old Brooklynites hosts visits once a year but you have to be member of the society to enter. The only requirement is that you have to have lived or worked in Brooklyn for the past 25 years.

As you can see from the photograph below, accessing the top today is precarious as there’s just a simple ladder but efforts could be done to reintroduce original means of access: