Every week Untapped Cities offers a variety of experiences aimed at helping you rediscover your New York City. This week, uncover the hidden histories of the city’s most famous park, gain access into the lobby of a stunning Gothic skyscraper, travel through the underground subway network of current and abandoned stations, and find more ways to explore:

Tuesday, May 14th

Special Access Tour of the Woolworth Building

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Special Access inside the Woolworth Building, which is normally off-limits to the public
• Learn about the history of the building, how it was created and has been restored over the years
• Visit the spectacular “cathedral-esque” lobby and mezzanine of the building, nicknamed the “Cathedral of Commerce”
• Explore the cellar level where you will see an abandoned bank vault and entrances that once had direct access to the NYC subway
• Contemplate many Art Deco details including the gorgeous mailboxes and elevators

Insider Tour of the Woolworth Building

Thursday, May 16th

Tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Learn about the secrets of one of NYC’s most iconic buildings
• See Grand Central’s hidden tennis courts
• Peek into the entrance of the glass walkways
• Learn about the design flaw as large as Grand Central Terminal’s main atrium
• Discover a multi-million dollars jewel hidden in plain sight and more!

Tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

NYCxDesign: Discover El-Space in Long Island City

Rendering for Dutch Kills, Courtesy of NYCDOT

Preview a new public art project at NYCxDesign, El-Space, created by the Design Trust for Public Space and the New York City Department of Transportation. El-Space in Long Island City. Guest will see the latest pilot installation in Long Island City and preview the planning framework which will apply to millions of square feet of El-Space across the five boroughs. Meet Design Trust and NYC DOT employees who can answer any questions you may have about the project then attend a panel discussion. This event is free and you can reserve a spot with Untapped Cities Insiders.

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Saturday, May 18th

Tour the Remnants of Penn Station

Image from Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Get a comprehensive history of the past, present and future of Penn Station
• See over a dozen indoor and outdoor old-station remnants hidden in plain sight
• Learn insider navigation tips for one of the most cramped and complicated transit hubs in North America
• See never-before-seen old station photos from the collections of three photographers who photo documented Penn’s life and demolition
• Each guest will also receive a framable, reproduction ticket of the first commuter ride into Pennsylvania Station from 1910

Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station

Behind-the-Scenes Hard Hat Tour of the Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Explore the over 100-year-old contagious disease hospital, which has been abandoned since 1954
• See an exhibition by the world-renowned artist JR, who has placed life-sized historic photographs of Ellis Island immigrants on interior walls of the hospital buildings
• Visit the Laundry Building, where 3000+ pieces of laundry were washed and sanitized daily
• Discover the kitchen, autopsy room and other usually off-limits places
• Get special access inside the original morgue and long abandoned FBI offices

Behind-the-Scenes Hard Hat Tour of the Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital

Tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

The story of Grand Central Terminal is that of New York City itself: the structure embodies the social, cultural, economic and technological evolution around it. It is one of great men, feuding architects, ingenuity, rejuvenation, secrets and surprises.  On this tour, we will tell you these stories – about what once was, what could have been, and what can be; about the struggle to save and restore Grand Central as a preserved icon of the past, and of challenge to ensure that it serves New York’s future. We will show you what it was like in the booming age of the railroad, as a rundown embarrassment, and as a renovated jewel at the center of the city. Together, we will explore the interesting and unique spaces produced for and by it. Whether you pass through it every day on your morning commute or stroll through the Beaux Arts beauty for the first time, you are sure to leave having learned, seen, or experienced something new and extraordinary.

Tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

Secrets from Below: Underground Tour of the NYC Subway!

Photograph by Jochen Enderlin

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Explore City Hall Park as the birthplace of the NYC subway system, including elements of the famed, decommissioned City Hall Station you can see right in the park
• Learn about the comically short route of the mythical “Subway before the Subway,” Alfred Ely Beach’s Pneumatic Transit System
• See the architectural ghosts of the now nearly forgotten, and partially abandoned, Chambers Street station then nicknamed the “Grand Central of Downtown”
• Use the 6 train as your own time machine as you ride through abandoned subway stations
• Discover the remnants of Union Station as you learn about a hidden art installation thousands of riders walk by everyday

Underground Tour of the NYC Subway

Sunday, May 12th

Secrets of Central Park Walking Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Hear about the massive civic project that transformed a wasteland into an urban pleasure ground
• Learn about the curious origins of the Central Park Zoo and the corruption scandal that caused a riot
• Uncover the hidden meaning in Bethesda Terrace’s sculptures and the forbidden love that inspired the park’s most famous statue
• See the secret bolt left behind from the creation of Manhattan’s street grid
• Discover the secret navigational device that keeps pedestrians from getting lost on the park’s winding paths

Secrets of Central Park Walking Tour

Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Walk the city’s original coast line
• See the remains of Manhattan’s first City Hall
• Discover the original Dutch fort, wind mill and battery
• Trace the streets of Manhattan in 1667 with Manhattan’s first map in hand
• Physically touch history as we spend time finding out why Bowling Green has its name and why it’s been so important in our city’s history

Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam

See our full list of Insider events and public tours!