Our Park’s northernmost pier began its life as a docking pier for ocean liners. Constructed between 1921 and 1934, Pier 97 served for decades as the hub of the Swedish America Line—you might recognize the façade of the old Pier 97 terminal building from the opening sequence of Taxi Driver.
Hundreds of thousands of Scandinavians entered the United States through this pier, and famously, in 1956, Pier 97 was the docking site for the MS Stockholm, returning with survivors from the capsized SS Andrea Doria following one of the most infamous collisions—and robust rescue missions—in maritime history.
While it remained an active dock through the 1970s, Pier 97 was used as a parking lot by the Department of Sanitation until 2011. Hudson River Park restored the infrastructure on this historic pier, reconstructing it for a bright future. Pier 97 has hosted premier concerts from Live Nation and JBL Live like Lorde, Robyn and Billy Idol. For years, the pier provided a scenic, festive venue for our signature Blues BBQ festival, as well as a home for Heritage of Pride’s Pride Island, with Grace Jones, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Pabllo Vittar and others performing.
Pier 97 Now
The approximately $47.5 million project, designed by !melk, includes 2.5 acres of public open space and features a large playground, athletic field, sloping lawn, sunset deck with tables and chairs, walking promenades and flexible gathering space – all surrounded by over 16,000 square feet of flowers and plants. Shaped by extensive community input, planning for the design of Pier 97 began in 2018 and portions of the pier began opening to the public in December 2023.
The opening of Pier 97 nearly completes the full build-out of Hudson River Park. In 2023, Gansevoort Peninsula opened as the largest stand-alone recreational space in the Park and features Manhattan’s first public beach. The Pier 26 Science Playground, which opened in 2024, is a marine-science play area where children can climb, slide, and be inspired by Hudson River sturgeon.
