Although the opening of Freshkills Park seems like a very long ways from now, we were given a taste of what’s to come last year, when the first park section broke ground in Staten Island. When completed, the former landfill turned 2,200-acre green space will be the second largest park in New York City, the largest park constructed since the 19th century, and three times bigger than Central Park.

As the park is built gradually in phases, NYC Parks has offered Untapped Cities Members early access to visit sections of Freshkills Park that are currently closed to the public. Untapped Cities Insiders will get the chance to go behind the scenes and discuss the topics that the park project addresses, including waste management and urban ecology. The tour takes place on June 24th from 1pm to 3pm and shuttle service will be provided from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

Freshkills Park is located on the west shore of Staten Island, about 30 minutes by car from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George (transportation will be provided from the terminal). Group tours, which normally last one hour, visit publicly inaccessible parts of Freshkills Park, giving participants a behind-the-scenes look at park development. All visitors need to sign an activity waiver. If there is a reasonable chance of rain or thunderstorms the tour will be canceled. Staff will notify the group by 5pm the day before the visit.

The tour is FREE for Untapped Cities Insiders! The tour capacity is 22 spots, allocated on a first come first serve basis.

CAPACITY: 22 guests. Spots allocated on a first come, first served basis with registration opening today at 12 PM EST.

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Image courtesy The City of New York and Freshkills Park by Daniel Avila

Image courtesy The City of New York and Freshkills Park 

Image courtesy The City of New York and Freshkills Park 

See our full list of Untapped Cities Insiders Tours and our upcoming Public Tours.