Swinburne Island
Island Small island off Staten Island, historic quarantine site
Swinburne Island, a small artificial island off Staten Island, served as a 19th-century quarantine station; remnants of brick structures remain near the shore. Boat tours include it for New York Harbor history and skyline views.
Swinburne Island is a small artificial island in Lower New York Bay, off the southern shore of Staten Island, New York. It was created in the 19th century as a quarantine station and hospital island for arriving immigrants.
Remains of hospital foundations and other structures are still visible but the island is no longer used for public visitation. The site functions today as an uninhabited island and a refuge for seabirds, and boaters can pass close enough to view the ruins.
The island was established as part of a 19th-century public-health response and was used into the early 20th century for isolation and quarantine of infectious cases arriving by ship. Buildings were later demolished or allowed to decay as quarantine practice changed.
Swinburne Island lies in Lower New York Bay roughly off the southern tip of Staten Island, near Hoffman Island and a short boat ride from Staten Island’s southern shore.
- Access: The island is closed to the public and is best observed from boat or from Staten Island shorelines.
- Wildlife: Now largely uninhabited, its remains and shoreline are used by seabirds and other wildlife.
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