Climb Harlem's 1857 Cast-Iron Fire Watchtower for Free
Harlem's 1857 fire watchtower, the last of its kind in the city, opens for a rare Sunday climb with treetop views.
🔔 Open House New York Climb
🗼 The Last of Its Kind
Before alarm boxes, New York spotted fires from cast-iron towers like this one, where a lookout rang a bell in coded peals to send brigades to the right part of town. The Mount Morris tower, finished in 1857, is the only one still standing, and Harlem neighbors campaigned for years to save it. A long restoration put it back on its hill in 2019.
🔔 Up the Spiral Stairs
The climb is a spiral staircase inside the 47-foot iron frame, past a bronze bell weighing about 5,000 pounds. At the top you get a treetop view across Harlem toward Midtown. Reaching the tower means a walk up the park's rocky hill first. The top is reached only by stairs, and the tower is not wheelchair accessible. Only 12 people can be up at a time, which can mean a wait once it opens.
📍 When to Arrive
Open House New York opens the tower on Sunday, October 18, starting at 1:00 PM, free and with no ticket. Aim to reach the park around 12:45 PM, which leaves time for the hill and any line. Enter Marcus Garvey Park at West 122nd Street and Mount Morris Park West and follow the paths up to the summit. Afterward, the Studio Museum in Harlem on West 125th Street is free on Sundays.
