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AccessibilityUrban Park Rangers: History and Culture
Discover NYC's storied past with our expert Urban Park Rangers as your guide to historical events, people, and communities that have shaped our city and Parks.
Urban Park Rangers: History and Culture Events
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Black History Month: Oystermen of Staten Island
at Stapleton Waterfront Park
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as they talk about the oystermen that helped make Sandy Ground one of the first and oldest freed black settlements in New York City.
Free!
Historic New York: Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument
at Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn 
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Discover the history of this Brooklyn landmark that pays tribute to the 11,000 men, women, and children who died on British Prison Ships during the Revolutionary War.
Free!
Winter Traditions in Northern Europe
at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Cultural traditions around warmth, coziness, and storytelling have enabled generations of families to not only survive, but thrive in the harsh winters of Northern Europe.
Free!
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Hart Island Black History Month Tour (South Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on Hart Island to explore New York City’s black history. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday February 4, 2026
Free!
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Nature Walk and Quill Writing for Kids & Families at Conference House Park
at H.H. Biddle House (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join NYC Parks, the Urban Park Rangers, and the Friends of the Biddle House for a nature walk along our trails and beach, followed by a quill writing art activity!
Free!
Kids
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Black History Month: Nature Poetry
at Crotona Nature Center (in Crotona Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Enjoy the nature poetry of some of the greatest African-American poets, such as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.
Free!
Historic New York: Staten Island and the American Revolution
at Forest Hill Road and Alaska Place (in LaTourette Park & Golf Course), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Staten Island has some significant ties to the American Revolution. Visit historic sites and learn more about battles and events which impacted the American Revolution.
Free!
Black History Month: Historic Harlem Parks Super Hike
at Manhattan Avenue and West 110th Street (in Morningside Park), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hike from Morningside Park through St. Nicholas Park and ending at the Northern tip of Jackie Robinson Park.
Free!
Indigenous Cooking
at Outdoors at Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum (in Fidler-Wyckoff House Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Learn about the historical evolution and present realities of the food cultures that have shaped the region through a lens of food justice and accessibility.
Free!
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Black History Month: Brooklyn and the Abolitionist Movement
at Corner of Furman and Old Fulton Streets (in Brooklyn Bridge Park), Brooklyn
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a walk discussing Brooklyn's significant history to the abolitionist movement in the United States.
Free!
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Historic New York: Weeksville
at South Pacific Playground, Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Learn about the African American heritage of the Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America.
Free!
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Historic New York: Fort Totten
at Fort Totten Park Visitors Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Learn about the important role the historic Fort Totten Water Battery played in New York City’s defense history, from the Civil War to today.
Free!
Women's History Month: Cass Gallagher
at Broadway and Mosholu Avenue (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Celebrate Women's History Month with the Urban Park Rangers. Learn how to see through the eyes of a naturalist on the Cass Gallagher Trail at Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!
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