The Harbor Defense Museum at Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton may soon close its doors, even as the nation prepares for a year of Revolutionary War commemorations.
The museum, located at the Army installation perched above the Narrows in South Brooklyn, is one of several sites targeted under a sweeping consolidation plan by the U.S. Army Center of Military History, which is responsible for preserving the service’s artifacts and operating its museum system. A spokesperson for the agency said in a statement that the Army will go from 29 locations to 12 by 2029.
The decision reflects a shift in priorities “toward readiness and lethality,” according to the statement. No closure dates have been finalized, but the Harbor Defense Museum's future remains uncertain. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge said in a statement that the plan to consolidate museums is still pending approval.
The potential closure is raising concerns among historians and museum advocates, given the site’s singular significance in the story of the American Revolution, and its role in events planned for the upcoming America250 celebrations next year.
A front-row seat to history
In 1776, a simple battery of cannons stood on each side of the Narrows, watching the entrance to New York harbor. On the Brooklyn side, one cannon still stands near the base of the Verrazzano Bridge.
“Where Fort Hamilton sits today, [the British] landed over 15,000 men in four hours, prior to attacking the fortifications on Brooklyn Heights,” explained Justin Batt, the museum’s longtime curator.
One of the soldiers who watched the British fleet assemble there 249 years ago said the ships turned Lower New York Bay into a forest of pine trees. “I could not believe my eyes,” he wrote, as recounted in “Gotham,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning history. “I thought all London was afloat.”
The ensuing Battle of Brooklyn was the first clash after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the single largest engagement of the Revolutionary War. After their victory, the British took New York City and used it as their headquarters until the end of the war.
Batt said it’s now the most popular spot at Fort Hamilton, with soldiers picnicking or playing with their families. It’s also where new recruits are sworn into service.
“It’s very moving when you see these young men and women take the oath to serve our country, at the same place where the British attacked New York,” Batt said.
A display at the Harbor Museum describes how in the 19th Century, artillery officers often outfitted themselves with sabers and pistols.
The Harbor Defense Museum occupies a 19th-century caponier: a rare architectural feature designed to protect Fort Hamilton from a land-based infantry attack. Today, the stone walls hold exhibits on coastal defenses, both world wars, and the famed Battle of Brooklyn.
It’s the only U.S. Army museum in New York City, functioning both as a public historical site and an educational space for soldiers and the broader community. The museum gets between 2,000 and 4,000 students from local schools visit each year, Batt said.
Despite its low profile and uncertain future, the museum is positioning itself as a key player in the 250th anniversary of American independence. Several upgrades to its exhibit on the Battle of Brooklyn are currently underway, including the addition of rare artifacts from the Army’s museum support center in Virginia.
Batt said two major public events are already being planned, regardless of whether the museum remains open overall. The first will be on July 4, 2026, when a parade of foreign tall ships will sail through the Narrows. Fort Hamilton’s bluff will serve as a viewing site open to the public, with advanced registration required due to its status as an active military base.
Then, on Aug. 22, the museum will host a lecture on the British landing and the ensuing battle, led by historian Barnet Schecter, author of “The Battle for New York.” That event will coincide with a citywide series of commemorations coordinated by sites like the Old Stone House and Green-Wood Cemetery.
Beyond America250, the Battle of Brooklyn is poised for renewed national attention. A new Ken Burns documentary, “The American Revolution,” will premiere on PBS in November 2025, with a full segment on the battle, including the British landing at present-day Fort Hamilton.
Batt noted that he is the only full-time curator of the museum, rotating exhibits, maintaining a collection of historic weaponry and uniforms, and operating educational programs tailored to New York City’s public school curriculum.
“You get to stand on the history here when you go outside,” Batt said.
The Harbor Defense Museum is free and open to the public, but non-military visitors must make appointments.
