Satellite view of the original 8 airplane hangars at Floyd Bennett Field
Jamaica Bay Unit Home Page | Floyd Bennett Field Home Page
Floyd Bennett Field opened in 1931 as the first municipal airport in New York City and operated until 1941. At that time, with World War II in full swing, the U. S. Navy purchased the facility and renamed it Naval Air Station New York. It continued as a military airfield until 1971. Upon closing for good, Floyd Bennett Field was transferred to the National Park Service and became part of Gateway National Recreation Area, the first urban park in the National Park system.
Hangars 1-8 are located parallel to Flatbush Avenue. All of these were built between 1930 and 1931 as part of the original airport. When viewed, the hangars appear to be four buildings, but each building is actually two hangars. Two buildings are located on each side of the Ryan Visitor Center, which was once the airport terminal building.
Hangars 5-8 have been converted into an indoor sports facility called Aviator Sports. The open space between the hangars was enclosed during renovation, so the two buildings now appear as one. Inside are two ice hockey rinks, a game room, basketball courts, a gymnasium, and even a restaurant and bar.
Aviator Sports occupies Hangars 5 through 8 at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field
Entrance to Aviator Sports at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field
Hangars 1 and 2 have also been restored and are now used as a natural gas metering station. Per a press release in August 2024, the National Park Service has $25 million for a renovation of Hangars 3 and 4. There is no mention of what the hangars will be used for, but currently they are being used by the National Park Service for storage.
Hangar 1 and 2 at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field
Hangar 3 and 4 at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field
The only additional hangar is Hangar B, which is located near Jamaica Bay on the east side of the airport. It was constructed by the Navy in 1945. Today it is occupied by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project, a group that restores old airplanes.
Hangar B at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field
Airplane inside of Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field (photo by Sanickles)
As a historic airplane museum, Hangar B is not to be missed by history, military, and aviation fans. It is currently open to the public whenever the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project volunteers are working on the planes. At the time of this writing, the hangar is open Tuesdays and Thursday from 10 AM to 1 PM. The volunteers supposedly give a guided tour on Sundays at 2 PM. If you are coming to Floyd Bennett Field specifically to see the airplanes, first call the Ryan Visitor Center at (718) 338-3799 to make sure it is open (the visitor center itself is only open on weekends).
Airplane inside of Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field (photo by Sanickles)
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Last updated on June 6, 2025
