Information
Landmark: Miller FieldCity: Staten Island
Country: USA New York
Continent: North America
Miller Field, Staten Island, USA New York, North America
Overview
Miller Field, in Staten Island’s New Dorp neighborhood, is a historic spot where people come to play ball, picnic, and enjoy the open air.It spreads over roughly 187 acres on Staten Island’s eastern shore, with a clear view of Lower New York Bay and the towering Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.The National Park Service runs the site, folding it into the Gateway National Recreation Area, where gulls wheel above the shoreline.Miller Field opened in 1919 as a military airfield, its hangars buzzing with the roar of early biplanes, making it one of the first military aviation sites in the United States.They named it for Captain James Ely Miller, the first U. S. Army pilot to die in combat in World War I, his plane falling from the sky over France.The Vanderbilt family once owned the land, back when their name carried weight and the fields stretched wide under the sun.The field once guarded the coast and doubled as a place where pilots practiced takeoffs against the salty wind.In its early days, it welcomed seaplanes that slid down its ramps into the water, while land planes touched down on rough grass runways.In World War II, Miller Field bustled with soldiers learning to man coastal defenses and fire anti-aircraft guns, their boots crunching on the gravel as they drilled.It also served as a base for observation and reconnaissance squadrons, with the 102nd Observation Squadron often seen fueling up before heading out.After its decommissioning in 1969, Miller Field passed to the National Park Service in 1972, joining the Gateway National Recreation Area-its old runways now quiet under sea breezes.A handful of military-era buildings still stand-old hangars with rusting doors, an observation tower-some officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Miller Army Air Field Historic District.Miller Field now stretches out in broad, green expanses where people play soccer, toss Frisbees, and enjoy all kinds of sports and outdoor fun.Local leagues and residents can take their pick of several baseball and soccer fields, from dusty infields to freshly mown pitches.The park offers a bright playground where kids can scramble up slides, and a pair of basketball courts where neighbors shoot hoops, giving families and the community places to gather and play.Picnic areas are set aside for visitors to unwind, share a meal, and take in the sight of sunlight glinting off the water.You can wander along winding trails and open stretches where the bay glitters under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, a favorite place for walkers, joggers, and birdwatchers alike.At the Miller Army Air Field Historic District, a handful of original military buildings and hangars still stand, their weathered steel and faded paint quietly telling the story of the site’s aviation past.The old observation tower once kept watch over the coast, and it still rises above the shore like a weathered landmark.There’s no full visitor center here, but weathered signs along the path share the story of Miller Field and its place in history.Local sports groups fill the fields with youth and adult leagues, drawing neighbors together and keeping the air alive with the sound of cheering and thudding soccer balls.At Miller Field, you’ll sometimes find special events-maybe a lively cultural festival with music drifting through the air or an outdoor fitness class under the sun.You’ll find Miller Field at the far end of New Dorp Lane, where the road meets Staten Island’s breezy east shore.You can reach the park by public transit-just hop on the S76 bus from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, where the salty air drifts in from the harbor.You can drive here, and there’s a spot waiting for you to park.The park opens early each morning and closes at dusk, though summer days stretch a bit longer-sometimes until the sky turns deep orange.Miller Field blends its rich past as one of the nation’s early military air bases with its modern life as a well-loved spot where Staten Island locals and visitors picnic, play ball, and enjoy the open sky.Wide athletic fields, a bright playground, winding waterfront trails, and weathered historic buildings come together to create an experience that showcases the site’s natural beauty and deep history.
