Audio Tours
Take a walk through the park and immerse yourself in the history of the iconic Meatpacking District and Hudson River waterfront. Dive into the Indigenous history of the Hudson River with Lenape Ambassador Grandmother Clara Soaring Hawk and learn about the pier’s deep history narrated by Tony Award® winner André De Shields.
Narrator: André De Shields
Featured Voice: Grandmother Clara
Featured Voice: Tree Sequoia
Writer: Robert Westfield
Learn about the park’s design and recent transformation from the voices of its creators. Signe Nielsen, Little Island’s landscape architect and founding principal of MNLA, narrates this 40-minute audio tour of Little Island. Learn about the visionary design and thought process behind every plant, leaf, and rock placement in our 2.4 acre oasis. Signe’s audio tour takes you behind each bend and curve of Little Island’s landscape, illuminating the planting principles and collaborative process behind the park’s design. Be sure to start this tour at the Esplanade before entering the park. Enjoy the journey!
Narrator: Signe Nielsen
Writer: Robert Westfield
Play
Little Island’s interactive features are designed to inspire curiosity, play, and create fun experiences for the whole family.
While exploring, look for:
- Boulder scrambles to test your balance and climbing skills
- Outdoor musical instruments to create your own melodies
- Spinning discs to play with optical illusions
- Dance chimes that turn your steps into music
Discover Nature
Step away from city life and immerse yourself in the unique opportunities to connect with nature along the Hudson River. Little Island is a haven for birdwatching and luscious, year-round gardens.
With binoculars in hand, be on the lookout for cardinals, warblers, robins, and even migrating species like yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
Throughout the park, you’ll notice the ever-changing landscape – learn more about the park’s plants and blooms here.
Move & Restore
Whether you’re looking to stretch, breathe, or get your heartbeat up, Little Island offers spaces to move your body or relax your mind all year-round.
For those looking to get active, add the winding pathways to your running route, or practice yoga with the city-scape as your backdrop.
Looking to find a calm corner in the city? Take a meditative walk through the lush landscape, settle on a park bench with a good book, or watch the sunset over the Hudson River. Let nature recharge your mind.
Performances
Experience live performances in the waterfront amphitheater (The Amph) or the more-intimate performance venue (The Glade), all season long. Little Island offers an array of live entertainment events from music and dance, to opera and theatre. The Amph and The Glade are also perfect places to enjoy a great view with a drink or an ice cream treat, or even stumble upon a technical rehearsal or live music as part of seasonal performances.
Unbeatable Views
Located along the Hudson River, Little Island offers the best 360° views of the area. From each lookout point, you can spot various New York City staples. With a peak across the Hudson River, you can see views of the New Jersey skyline.
While wandering, stop at each lookout for the below highlights or fully immerse yourself with the Little Island History Tour Audio Guide.
Southeast Overlook:
- Chelsea Market, a refurbished bustling food and retail marketplace
- The High Line, an elevated revamped train line turned park
- The Whitney Museum of American Art, a modern and contemporary art museum
Southwest Overlook:
- Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the US connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island
- The Statue of Liberty, the iconic national monument
- Ellis Island, the immigration processing station which opened in 1892 and closed in 1954
Northwest Lookout:
- Hoboken, NJ, home of the Hoboken Terminal, one of the busiest train stations in the country
- Hudson Yards, a new NYC complex with residences, offices, a hotel, shopping and restaurants
- Pier 57, celebrated as the world’s most modern pier when rebuilt in 1954