I visited Fort Totten Park, an NYC 'hidden treasure' with a Civil War-era fortress and abandoned buildings that have been reclaimed by nature

Joey HaddenOct 30, 2020, 23:06 IST

I visited Fort Totten Park in October 2020 and thought it was a safe and unique way to get outside during the coronavirus pandemic.Joey Hadden/Insider

Fort Totten Park is in Queens, New York. It stations military groups and city agencies, and it gives the public space to get outside.
Located on a peninsula in Queens' Bayside neighborhood, the park is named after the Civil War-era fort that is tucked away behind the visitor's center.
Visitors can't access the fort right now because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the park itself is open.
I visited Fort Totten Park in October 2020 and found that while some areas looked modern and well-kept, others had been completely reclaimed by nature.
I thought the park was hauntingly beautiful and felt it was a safe and unique way to get outside during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lindsay Jurgielewicz lived in Queens for seven years before she heard about the historic Civil War-era fort in the NYC borough's Bayside neighborhood.

As an Urban Park Ranger, her job is to connect New Yorkers to the natural world around them through educational programming. During her first year as a ranger, she was stationed at Fort Totten.

"My first day on the job was my very first time in that park," she told Insider.

On that day, Jurgielewicz's colleagues took her on a private tour of the fort. She said she was really surprised and impressed.

"I had no idea it was here," she told Insider. "We had the whole thing to ourselves and got to explore how large it is and move through the natural areas," she added.

Jurgielewicz said the park's Civil War relic is a "hidden treasure."

"Even if you know about it, you have to come right up to it to get the real feel of it," she said.

When I visited the park in October 2020, the fortress wasn't accessible due to the pandemic. But I felt that the park itself was still worth the visit to see its massive abandoned structures that have been reclaimed by nature.

If you're going to explore the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC suggests that you bring tissues, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and a mask for when you're around others.

Welcome to Fort Totten Park, a 60-acre outdoor recreation area that is home to a preserved Civil War-era fortress.

A sign near the entrance of the park. Joey Hadden/Insider

It took me a train and two bus rides — and about two hours — to reach the park from my apartment in Brooklyn.

Fort Totten is in Queens, New York. Google Maps

When I got off the bus, there was no fort in sight — just gates with the attraction's name.

The entrance to Fort Totten Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

That's because the fort, known as a water battery, is tucked away at the back left corner of the park behind the visitor's center.

The fortress is called a water battery. Google Maps

While the park is historic, it's currently used by the US Army and a mix of city agencies, Jurgielewicz told Insider.

The US Army's land within the park. Joey Hadden/Insider

If you keep left at the entrance and walk back about a half-mile, turning right on Abbot Road and left on North Loop, you'll reach an overgrown area with a stone mass peaking through the trees.

An overgrown area towards the back of the park. Joey Hadden/Insider

If you keep left at the entrance and walk back about a half-mile, turning right on Abbot Road and left on North Loop, you'll reach an overgrown area with a stone mass peaking through the trees.

If you walk up to the fenced-in, overgrown area, you can get a peek of the massive structure.

A massive stone structure as seen through a locked fence. Joey Hadden/Insider

The area leading up to the fence is overrun with nature, so I followed a pathway through the lush field.

The area is full of tall grass and other large plants. Joey Hadden/Insider

Jurgielewicz said much of the park is overgrown because of a lack of funding.

A view of a massive stone structure from outside the fencing. Joey Hadden/Insider

If you follow the fence to your right, you'll find the Fort Totten Visitors' Center, where you'd normally access the fort.

The entrance to the Fort Totten Visitor's Center. Joey Hadden/Insider

Right now, the area is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. So we asked Jurgielewicz to describe what it's like inside.

The gate was locked. Joey Hadden/Insider

When the fort is open, she said park rangers take patrons through a tunnel and that leads from the visitor's center to the water battery.

A tunnel in Fort Totten Park. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

"The big stone fort is the showstopper of the park," Jurgielewicz told Insider.

The water battery at Fort Totten Park. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

You'll see lots of arches where cannons were placed. These are known as casemates.

The case mates now serve as windows. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

If the fort were open, you could go up to the second floor for more views of the park.

The fortress is two stories tall. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

Jurgielewicz said visitors, even locals, typically say they had no idea the fort existed before seeing it in-person.

A view of the massive fortress. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

While the fort is currently inaccessible, the rest of the park is open to the public, and there's much to see, like an overgrown baseball field that used to be a mortar battery.

Behind Memorial Mound at the baseball field in Fort Totten Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

While the fort is currently inaccessible, the rest of the park is open to the public, and there's much to see, like an overgrown baseball field that used to be a mortar battery.

Today, the field's grass is a little tall for a game of baseball.

Memorial Mound at the baseball field in Fort Totten Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

Throughout the park, you'll find massive abandoned buildings that have been overrun by nature.

The building is 322 Story Ave. Joey Hadden/Insider

This building was the last multi-story brick barrack built in the park and was used to house soldiers.

A view of 322 Story Ave from through the fence. Joey Hadden/Insider

Jurgielewicz told Insider that she hasn't been inside any of these buildings for safety reasons.

Many of the windows and rooftops are torn and broken. Joey Hadden/Insider

You can view these beautifully eerie structures from behind a fence. These buildings felt like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.

The building has been overrun by nature. Joey Hadden/Insider

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I visited Fort Totten Park, an NYC 'hidden treasure' with a Civil War-era fortress and abandoned buildings that have been reclaimed by nature

Welcome to Fort Totten Park, a 60-acre outdoor recreation area that is home to a preserved Civil War-era fortress.

It took me a train and two bus rides — and about two hours — to reach the park from my apartment in Brooklyn.

When I got off the bus, there was no fort in sight — just gates with the attraction's name.

That's because the fort, known as a water battery, is tucked away at the back left corner of the park behind the visitor's center.

While the park is historic, it's currently used by the US Army and a mix of city agencies, Jurgielewicz told Insider.

If you keep left at the entrance and walk back about a half-mile, turning right on Abbot Road and left on North Loop, you'll reach an overgrown area with a stone mass peaking through the trees.

If you walk up to the fenced-in, overgrown area, you can get a peek of the massive structure.

The area leading up to the fence is overrun with nature, so I followed a pathway through the lush field.

Jurgielewicz said much of the park is overgrown because of a lack of funding.

If you follow the fence to your right, you'll find the Fort Totten Visitors' Center, where you'd normally access the fort.

Right now, the area is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. So we asked Jurgielewicz to describe what it's like inside.

When the fort is open, she said park rangers take patrons through a tunnel and that leads from the visitor's center to the water battery.

"The big stone fort is the showstopper of the park," Jurgielewicz told Insider.

You'll see lots of arches where cannons were placed. These are known as casemates.

If the fort were open, you could go up to the second floor for more views of the park.

Jurgielewicz said visitors, even locals, typically say they had no idea the fort existed before seeing it in-person.

While the fort is currently inaccessible, the rest of the park is open to the public, and there's much to see, like an overgrown baseball field that used to be a mortar battery.

Today, the field's grass is a little tall for a game of baseball.

Throughout the park, you'll find massive abandoned buildings that have been overrun by nature.

This building was the last multi-story brick barrack built in the park and was used to house soldiers.

Jurgielewicz told Insider that she hasn't been inside any of these buildings for safety reasons.

You can view these beautifully eerie structures from behind a fence. These buildings felt like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.