New York History Tour

Along with the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building is one of those iconic New York landmarks that should be included in any tour of the city. Completed in 1930 it was until 1970 the highest building in the World until the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre surpassed it. The building is famous for its art deco styling and the 86th floor Observation Deck has been the scene of many Hollywood Movies.

Situated in the heart of midtown Manhattan and adjacent to Saks Fifth Avenue, the observation deck on the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Centre is known as the Top of the Rock. Many consider the views to be superior to those from the Empire State Building, and the timed entrance ticket means that there is normally minimal queuing.

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous American icons. A gift from France, it was meant to symbolise the political freedom and democracy which had be won during the Civil War. You take the ferry to Liberty Island where you can visit the statue pedestal and explore the Museum. You then continue to Ellis Island where the Immigration Museum records the important role this island had in the processing most of the immigrants to the USA during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Ellis Island is visited on the same tour as the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island was the main arrivals point for immigrants arriving in the USA, mainly from Europe and Russia, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was the largest human migration in history where over 26 million people came to make a new life. The Immigration Museum records the important role this island had in the processing of these new Americans.

The Lower East Side was home to the original Jewish Ghetto which existed at the turn of the twentieth century. Although the area is now home to many Latin Americans and Chinese, it still has many synagogues including the historic synagogue and Museum at Eldridge Street which offers an intimate, authentic portal to the past. Our walking tour focuses on the century of Jewish settlement in the Lower East Side and incorporates the history of Jewish migration to America. You also learn how the area has changed, both ethnically and physically, over the past 100 years.

The Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street documents the lives of the immigrants who came to the United States at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Over this short period, more than 26 million people came to the USA, the majority of them entering through New York. This was and remains the largest population migration in human history and the story these people tell is entwinned with the creation of modern America. The museum's exhibits include restored apartments that were home to an estimated 7,000 people from over 20 nations between 1863 and 1935.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum is located at Ground Zero and is built into the original foundations of the Twin Towers. The museum documents the events of September 11, 2001 using artefacts from the towers and rescue services, as well as personal testimony, both written and recorded.

The skyline view of New York from Brooklyn Bridge Park is unforgettable, and after taking photos you can walk the pedestrian walkway across the bridge and back into Lower Manhattan. This is a boardwalk which runs above the traffic and so there is no traffic to worry about. Spend your time on this and savour the views which are probably at their best as evening approaches and the sun begins to set.

The distinctive headquarters of the United Nations is situated by the East River and within walking distance of Grand Central Station. This fascinating tour is led by a UN staffer and gives you a detailed overview of the work of the UN, covering its three principal pillars: Peace & Security, Human Rights, and Development. The tour includes visits to the Security Council and the General Assembly Hall.

Housed in the iconic Frank Lloyd-Wright building, the museum grew out of the art-collecting of its patron and founder Solomon Guggenheim who was heir to a vast mining fortune. The vast atrium and ramp allow each of the six floors to flow into each other. The museum houses a collection of Kandinsky as well as works by surrealists and cubists such as Picasso, Paul Klee and Joan Miro. There are also exhibitions of many contemporary artists and photographers such as Robert Mablethorpe.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue is known by all as the Met. The museum contains art from Antiquity to Jackson Pollock and is so much more than just an art museum. It is so large and its collections so extensive that it is impossible to do it justice in one single visit, so any tour here should include a well-structured plan. Art students may be particularly interested in the excellent Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections, but you will also discover neoclassicism and there are also many important works by leading Renaissance artists including Raphael and Caravaggio.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is one of the World’s great modern art museums. The state-of-the-art building is laid out over five floors, although it is not so large that you cannot explore it all. Start at the top with the Impressionists where you can see works such as Monet’s Water Lilies, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Henri Matisse’s Dance. Descending through the floors brings you into the realm of contemporary art including Jeff Koon’s iconic Pink Panther and Jasper Johns Flag. There is an excellent free audio guide to help you navigate through the collection.