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Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Shirley Chisholm State Park

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Address
Fountain Side Entrance:
950 Fountain Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11239

Penn Side Entrance:
1750 Pennsylvania Avenue (also known as 1750 Granville Payne Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11239
  New York City Region
Latitude 40.643033170
Longitude -73.875378500
  Directions

Know Before You Go...

More Info

The Park Offers

  • 10 miles of biking and hiking trails - please stay on the trails!
  • Bike Library with loaner bikes for park patrons of all ages.
  • Gorgeous waterfront access on Penn Pier, Hendrix Creek Patio, and Fountain Pier
  • Picnicking at tables throughout the park and the Fountain Skybowl
  • Environmental Education including public guided hikes, fishing clinics, kayaking, and school and scout field trips.

Please help us take care of this wonderful park and respect the rules:

  • Place all trash and recycling in the proper containers
  • No smoking
  • No grilling or fires
  • No balloons or kites
  • No E-bikes or scooters
  • Please leave your dogs and pets at home
  • Please keep wildlife wild! Do not feed the birds or waterfowl, gather plants or pick flowers
  • Large groups, including schools, must reach out to obtain a park use permit for their visit.

See more info about the Bike Library and reservations under Hours of Operation

Shirley Chisholm State Park is named in honor of Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn-born trailblazer who was the first African American Congresswoman, as well as the first woman and African American to run for President.

Rising up 130 feet above sea level, this new park occupies some of the highest ground in New York City and offers spectacular panoramic views of the Empire State Building to the northwest, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and New York Harbor to the west, and Jamaica Bay to the south.

The site, which has never been open to the public before, rests atop the former Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue landfills. The Penn and Fountain landfills were operated by New York City Department of Sanitation from 1956 to 1983.

After the landfills were closed, the work to reclaim and repurpose the 407 acres of land as a future park began. The first steps were to install an impermeable plastic cap and a below-ground barrier to fully encapsulate the landfills and support future reuse. A below grade methane gas piping system was also installed throughout the property so that all off gassing is carried to the property's two flares.

More than 1.2 million cubic yards of clean soil - or enough to fill nearly 100,000 dump trucks - was spread up to four feet deep across the site. The site was then planted with more than 35,000 trees and shrubs, and native grassland species. This addition of prairie grass and native plants has created a diverse ecosystem of coastal meadows, wetlands, and woodlands that has attracted a variety of birds and other local wildlife. In addition, this lovely ecosystem works to protect the capped land and prevent erosion.

In 1974, the city deeded the land to the National Park Service as part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service and the City of New York, New York State Parks is developing and operating Shirley Chisholm State Park.

After years of anticipation, Shirley Chisholm State Park is now open 365 days per year, 8 a.m. to dusk. 

Pets are not allowed at Shirley Chisholm State Park.

Mailing Address
1750 Pennsylvania Avenue (Penn Side) or 950 Fountain Ave (Fountain Side) Brooklyn, NY 11239

Hours of Operation

  • The park is open year round, 8:00 am - dusk.

  • 2024 Bike Library Season

    May 2 - October 27

    Come enjoy our free bike loan program and explore 10 miles of car-free paths and amazing vistas! Come connect with nature, get some exercise and have fun. All you have to do is sign in and leave an ID. We'll provide you with a Library bike and helmet for up to 2 hours for your adventure inside the park!

    Bike Loans: Season: May 2 - October 27

    Thursdays - Sundays, weather permitting (Weather hotline (718) 277-2420 ext. 6)

    First Ride Out - 10am

    Last Ride Out - 4pm or 1 hour before last entry into park

  • We offer on-line reservations on the hour, from 10am - 4pm via the links below.

    FountainBikeLibrary.eventbrite.com  located at 950 Fountain Avenue

    PennBikeLibrary.eventbrite.com located at 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue

    We also offer the opportunity to register on-site on the half hour, from 10:30am - 3:30pm.

    Each time slot is limited to 6 riders. All riders must bring an ID, complete registration, wear a helmet (yours or ours), stay within park boundaries while riding, respect other park users & keep to the right, return bike within 2 hours or at closing time.

    Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Fees & Rates

  • Park Admission

  • NO Vehicle Use Fee!
    Bike Library free!
    Environmental education programs free!

Highlights of Shirley Chisholm State Park:

  • Shirley Chisholm State Park is home to the highest point in Jamaica Bay, with the Fountain side of the park rising 137 feet above sea level. You can see most of the New York City skyline in an incredible 360-degree view from this point, located where the Great Blue Heron trail meets the Gull trail! 
  • The park is a hotspot for NYC birders and almost 200 species have been recorded here (as of 2023)! Commonly seen birds include Northern Harrier hawks, many grassland bird species, and migrating passerines. During the winter, waterfowl like buffleheads, mergansers, grebes, brants and teals line the shore.
  • There are two shoreline access areas in the park. Depending on the tides, you can walk along the shoreline and see shorebirds like Great Blue Herons, both Great and Snowy Egrets, Laughing Gulls, and Killdeer. Other shore life includes fiddler crabs, eastern mud snails, and horseshoe crabs (especially plentiful during their mating season, May  – June).
  • Common fish species found around the park include porgy, oyster toadfish, northern puffer, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, bluefish, and tautog (blackfish). The park hosts free fishing clinics during the summer month teaching rod-and-reel fishing (catch and release only).
  • Later in the year, many beautiful native wildflowers like sunflowers, boneset, asters, New York ironweed, and goldenrod bloom all around the park. These plants attract important native pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies, and moths.
  • Monarch butterflies come to the park during mid- and late summer. The endangered migratory monarch butterfly passes through in September and is a joy to watch fly around and sip on nectar! These are especially plentiful in the Penn parking lot area and beginning of the Oystercatcher trail.
Fishing in Jamaica Bay:

Please see the Upcoming Events tab for info about free catch-and-release fishing clinics offered at the park during the summer months.

Fishing is permitted at the Penn Pier. If 16 years or older, you need to register with NYS DEP Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, which is free and can be done either online or in-person. See this link for more info: https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/54950.html.

Jamaica Bay is a shallow estuary and salt marsh system connected via Rockaway Inlet to the Atlantic ocean. It is home to many species of fish due to its high nutrient waters that warm rapidly in the summer months. A few commonly seen fish species are scup/porgy, striper, flounder, sea robins, and bluefish, as well as many crustaceans and shellfish. If you plan on catching fish to eat, please note that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has issued health advisories for Jamaica Bay and other fishing spots in lower NY Harbor, accessible here: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/02/206657.pdf  (page 6).

Crabbing:
The state does not require a license to recreationally harvest crab; however recreational crab harvest limits and seasons apply. Blue crabs must be 4.5 inches or more to harvest. See https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html#Crab for more info. Crabbing is allowed at the Penn Pier, but pots must meet NYS DEC regulations, and cannot be left overnight.

Public Programs:


There is always something to see and do at Shirley Chisholm State Park! We offer public programs, free of charge, year-round. These include guided hikes, art programs, fishing clinics, kayaking, and yearly festivals. View public programs by clicking on the "Upcoming Events" button on the right side of this page or visit SCSPevents.eventbrite.com.

School & Private Group Programs:

We offer free hands-on Environmental Education programs focused on exploring nature and environmental science for a variety of ages.  Programs must be scheduled up to 2 weeks in advance and happen Wednesday through Friday 10:30am-12pm. We can accommodate up to 2 classes at a time, or a max of 60 students total. To book a program please email SCSPEducation@parks.ny.gov.

Interesting in visiting on your own with students? Please reach out to the Environmental Education team, as a Park Use Permit may still be required. Call us at (718) 277-2420.

Note that Shirley Chisholm State Park does not have mowed areas suitable for sports or field day activities.

Private Events: 

If you are bringing groups of 25 or more people to the park, please reach out to our regional permitting office at 212-866-2353. Please specify the date requested, amount of attendees, and your contact info.

Rising up 130 feet above sea level, this magnificent park occupies some of the highest ground in New York City and offers spectacular panoramic views.  The park rests atop the former Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue landfills. The two landfills were operated by NYC Department of Sanitation from 1956 to 1983.  After the landfills were closed, the work to reimagine the site as publicly accessible park land began. The site was capped and a below-grade methane piping system was installed throughout the 407-acre property to manage the methane off-gassing. More than 1.2 million cubic yards of clean engineered soil was spread up to four feet across the site. The property was then planted with more than 35,000 trees and shrubs and native grassland species to ultimately create a diverse ecosystem of coastal meadows, wetlands and woodlands that attracts countless species of birds and other wildlife. Under a 2018 cooperative agreement with the National Park Service and the City of New York, New York State Parks developed Shirley Chisholm State Park. After decades of anticipation, this precious public park opened on July 2, 2019. The park offers 10 miles of car free trails for cycling and hiking, fishing, bird watching, paddling, picnicking and the serenity of big nature

Sat 14 Dec
Winter Birding Walk
Saturday, December 14, 2024 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Join us for a winter birding hike on the Fountain side of the park! Beginners are encouraged and welcome to attend - we will show you the basics of how to bird! Binoculars and ID booklets are available to borrow for the duration of the program. Click here for more information.
Sun 15 Dec
Penn Shoreline Cleanup
Sunday, December 15, 2024 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Volunteer to help us clean litter off the shoreline at the Penn Water Access Area! All materials provided. Click here for more information.
Fri 20 Dec
Winter Solstice Night Hike
Friday, December 20, 2024 06:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Celebrate the winter solstice on the Fountain Side of the park after hours! Registration is required and opens one week in advance at noon (12/13/2024). Please email us to join the waitlist if sold out.
Registration: Required
Sat 21 Dec
Holiday Wreath Making
Saturday, December 21, 2024 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Join in some festive crafting at Hendrix Creek Patio. All materials provided while supplies last. Registration is required and opens one week in advance at noon (12/14/2024). Please email us to join the waitlist if sold out.
Registration: Required
Sat 28 Dec
Wonderful Winter Wildlife
Saturday, December 28, 2024 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Learn about how animals survive the cold season! We'll play fun games and look for signs of wildlife during a short hike. This program is designed for children ages 6-12. Click here for more information.

Amenities Information

  • Amenities
  • Biking
  • Fishing
  • Hiking

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