Located in the Hudson River Park near the Tribeca neighborhood, Pier 26 reaches out and over the Hudson River with striking views to the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center. The 2.5-acre pier is located within the Hudson River Estuary, a highly sensitive and ecologically productive body of water that contains a hybrid of freshwater runoff and ocean saltwater. The pier has a unique mission, providing a physical and virtual space that brings to life the invisible dynamics of the Hudson River Estuary, reflecting the current technologies and scientific understanding regarding its health, ecological successes, and challenges.
The pier’s location at the Hudson River’s edge engages local communities and tourists alike in a new waterfront experience. The physical design of the park is a dynamic gradient from upland to lowland, from land to water. The Upland Park is represented by the native ecologies that start at the highest point in the Woodland Forest and descend towards the Maritime Scrub Forest into the Ecological Get-Down. The Woodland Forest leads travelers through a diverse planting palette of trees and grasses, all the way down to the river’s edge. A raised wood terrace offers visitors a shady area to relax among the upland trees and grasses. From the terrace, one can see the Maritime Scrub, a plant ecology once part of Manhattan’s historical edge. Two sheds, each with its own custom furnishing, sit within the Maritime Scrub and provide a unique experience for viewing.
The Science Play area offers visitors—young and old—an opportunity to interact with and learn about the Atlantic and Short-nosed Sturgeons, endangered fish that are symbols of the Hudson River Estuary. Here you can see how the fish live in their habitat. You can climb the net waves, slide from its tail or even crawl through its digestive system, as it searches the sandy river bottom for food.
