Floyd Bennett Field

Floyd Bennett Field is a former municipal airport in southeastern Brooklyn that opened in 1931 and later served as a naval air station. It is now part of the National Park Service’s Gateway National Recreation Area and preserves aviation hangars, runways and supporting buildings.

The site retains large hangars and open runways that are used today for recreation including cycling, birdwatching and public events, and it hosts ranger-led programs on aviation history. Volunteer groups work on aircraft restoration and interpretation in the historic structures.

Originally developed as New York City’s municipal airport for early commercial and record flights, the field was used by the U.S. Navy during wartime and subsequently transferred to federal park management. Many buildings and the runway layout remain legible and interpreted for visitors.

Floyd Bennett Field sits on the northern shore of Jamaica Bay in southeastern Brooklyn, within the city but separated from dense urban blocks by parkland and wetlands; it is a short drive or transit trip from central Brooklyn and Queens.

• Historic airport to national park: Opened as New York City's first municipal airport in 1931, later used as a naval air station, and now administered by the National Park Service as part of Gateway National Recreation Area.
• Recreation and programs: The site is popular for cycling, birdwatching and aviation heritage programs; guided tours and special events highlight the field's wartime history and industrial architecture.

What to See #

• Hangars and restoration facilities: Large historic aircraft hangars and former support buildings that now host exhibits, ranger programs and volunteer restoration work for historic aircraft.
• Runways and open recreation area: Expansive open runways and tarmac areas used for cycling, kite flying, birdwatching and public recreation within the park boundary.
• Jamaica Bay shoreline and wetlands: Adjacent wetlands and shoreline on Jamaica Bay that form part of the park's coastal habitats, used by migratory and local bird species.