Picatinny Arsenal Historical Society
US Army Garrison Picatinny Arsenal (USAG Picatinny)
The Blue Tour
Saturday, May 2, 2026
11am to 4pm
Picatinny Arsenal Historical Society
US Army Garrison Picatinny Arsenal (USAG Picatinny)
For information on events, click on the website below:
Facebook: Picatinny Arsenal Historical Society
On September 6th, 1880, the War Department established the Dover Powder Depot; four days later, its name was changed to the “Piccatinny Powder Depot.” Piccatinny is a Lenape Native American word that means “rugged cliff by water” or “water by the hills.”
In June 1891, 315 acres of the Depot near Lake Denmark were transferred to the U.S. Navy for the establishment of a powder depot known as the Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Depot.
In 1907, the Army altered the name of the Depot to Picatinny Arsenal and established its first powder factory on the site. While continuing to produce munitions, the Arsenal moved towards research and development with the start of a school to instruct officers in weaponry sciences.
Picatinny Arsenal is home to the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition. The scope of Armaments work at Picatinny spans the entire life cycle of managing the development, procurement, and delivery of systems to the Warfighter.
Advanced Registration Required for Tour
RSVPs are required for the Picatinny tour due to Security- RSVPs should be sent to picatinnyhistory@gmail.com. Tour list will be capped at 30-35 people.
Tours will start at 11:30-3pm and once you are RSVPed, more info will follow via email once the date gets closer on where to meet, access to the Arsenal, and so forth. We will run one (1) tour only. Once the attendees are on the Arsenal for the tour per their RSVP, we may go to other locations (if we have time) by vehicle escort.
- Please have your Real ID (required), Insurance Card and Registration ready to show guard(s) at the Security Booth by the Visitor Center at the Picatinny Main Gate.
- Follow directions given by email, signs will also be pointing out the tour directions on the installation.
- Questions/concerns, please reach out to 973-724-3664.
