It’s been nearly four decades since the first official Fleet Week took place in NYC, welcoming in a procession of military ships and their crews. The 2024 version kicks off with the Parade of Ships, cruising into town along the Hudson River on Wednesday, May 22nd.
During the week, ship tours take place on Manhattan and Staten Island. Throughout Times Square and beyond, you can expect to see uniformed members of the sea services (Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen) as more than 2,000 of them will be out exploring all the things to do in the city.
For specific activities, check out this schedule, which includes a Navy Dive Tank in Times Square, several memorial parades, and live music in Times Square and Bryant Park.
Courtesy Official U.S. Navy Page/Flickr
Fleet Week NYC 2024 Events at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The center of the action is the Intrepid Museum, at Pier 86 on the Hudson in midtown. There’s a full slate of activities there from Friday through Monday. The first of the summer’s movie screenings on the flight deck takes place on Friday evening. Lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets are all encouraged to accompany the Top Gun: Maverick on a huge inflatable screen. Saturday and Sunday will feature demos from officers, giveaways, crafts and hands-on activities for families, and live performances at 11am and 3pm by the United States Coast Guard Jazz Combo.
Monday, for Memorial Day, the Intrepid Museum will host a wreath-laying, the unfurling of a 100-foot American flag, the playing of “Taps,” and a flyover by Navy fighter jets. The ceremony begins at 10am and is followed by family-friendly activities around Pier 86.
Launched in 1943, the former aircraft carrier USS Intrepid fought in World War II, surviving a torpedo strike and five kamikaze attacks. The ship went on to serve in the Cold War and the Vietnam War and as a NASA recovery vessel. (The ship was refurbished at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the mid-1960s to restore it to a state of peak combat readiness.) Opened as a museum in 1982, visitors to Intrepid today go on an interactive journey through American innovation and bravery.
The museum includes the Space Shuttle Pavilion, home to Enterprise, the world’s first space shuttle, which paved the way for America’s successful space shuttle program. On display now is the new exhibition Apollo: When We Went to the Moon. Interactive media, photos, and rarely seen artifacts from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center archives bring the Space Race to life.
Also on display at the museum are 28 authentically restored aircraft, including the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird, the world’s fastest military jet and spy plane, and the British Airways Concorde, the fastest commercial aircraft to ever cross the Atlantic Ocean.
The submarine Growler is here, offering a firsthand look at life aboard a sub and a chance for a close-up inspection of the “top-secret” missile command center.
Kids will flip for the Exploreum, a fully interactive hall in the hangar deck. Water, space, air, and life at sea provide the basis for exploration. Visitors are encouraged to climb in an actual Bell 47 helicopter, navigate through an interactive submarine, and steer the wings of an airplane.
Courtesy Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Museum is open daily at Pier 86, W. 46th St. & 12th Ave. For more information, call 212-245-0072 or visit intrepidmuseum.org.
Other Fleet Week Activities
On Tuesday, May 21st, the Mount Loretto Aviation Event will feature Navy and Coast Guard helicopters landing on Staten Island, followed by the chance to meet the flight crews.
Wednesday, May 22nd, the "Once a Marine Always a Marine Formation" at Father Duffy Square in Times Square will bring together active and veteran Marines with performances by the Marine Corps Band and Silent Drill Platoon.
Thursday, May 23rd sees public ship tours in Manhattan and Staten Island, which continue through Monday. At Pier 88 and Pier 90 near the Intrepid Museum, the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and other vessels will be open for public tours; the Staten Island Homeport Pier also offers onboard access.
Friday brings diving demonstrations in Times Square's Dive Tank from 10am-5pm. The Navy Band Northeast and the U.S. Fleet Forces Rock Band play Times Square in the evening. There are also Times Square concerts on Saturday and Sunday.
There are commemorative events on Monday for Memorial Day. Also on Monday, Bryant Park hosts an afternoon performance by Navy Band Northeast and the Coast Guard Ceremonial Band.
You can find a schedule of events here.
Military History Tour of New York Harbor
Classic Harbor Line and Turnstile Tours have partnered up to offer a special tour in honor of Memorial Day and the return of Fleet Week to New York City. The two and a half hour Military History Tour of New York Harbor explores the rich military history of New York Harbor, from the Revolutionary War to the present, with a focus on the harbor's role in World War II. Participants will visit significant military sites such as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Staten Island Navy pier, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The tour provides a chance to witness active Navy and Coast Guard vessels participating in Fleet Week. Additionally, guests will hear oral histories from individuals who worked and served on the New York waterfront during World War II. The tour takes place aboard a comfortable and scenic yacht, offering unobstructed views of the skyline. Tour date is Monday, May 27th, $116.
Fleet Week Specials for Members of the Military
In honor of Fleet Week 2024, NY Waterway is offering free ferry rides for all military personnel and veterans from Wednesday, May 22nd to Tuesday, May 28th. To take advantage of this offer, veterans and service members just need to present a valid Veteran or Military ID. NY Waterway provides ferry services to terminals in New Jersey, including Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Edgewater, with destinations at the Midtown/West 39th Street Ferry Terminal, Brookfield Place/Battery Park, and Pier 11/Wall Street. For the latest schedules and routes, visit nywaterway.com/FerryRoutesSchedules. NY Waterway is a great way to access all the Fleet Week activities.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, New York’s most immersive observation deck with 360 views of the city, offers both active and retired military service men and women free tickets. To celebrate Fleet Week 2024, SUMMIT will offer an array of patriotic activations, highlighted by a livestream of the Parade of Ships on SUMMIT’s giant UNITY screens on Wednesday, May 22nd. There will also be food and drink specials at rooftop terrace and café Après.
Manhattan’s first whiskey distillery in decades, the Great Jones Distilling Co. celebrates whiskey past and present, along with the culture of Prohibition-era New York. In recognition of men and women in uniform, they're offering free Distilling New York tours to all military personnel and their families from May 22nd through the May 28th. Expert tour guides provide a one-hour experience that includes an overview of the distillery's story, tales of New York a century ago, the whiskey-making process, and, of course, a tasting of three Great Jones whiskeys.
(Plus enjoy a Memorial Day sale of 30% off all retail items, from May 22nd–28th. Bring home a piece of Manhattan’s only whiskey distillery. Available in store or online.)
Courtesy Official U.S. Navy Page/Flickr
For more information about Fleet Week NYC 2024, follow Fleet Week New York on Facebook and Instagram or visit nynavyleague.org/about-fleet-week.
