6. Listen Closely at the Whispering Bench

Columbia’s very own Whispering Bench was donated by the class of 1886 on its 25th reunion. Inside the semicircle, the world grows almost silent, and you can hear someone speaking in a low voice from the other side of the bench.

As Untapped Cities editor Samantha Sokol describes, “It’s amazing when you’re sitting in it, the acoustics are totally different. It sounds like you’re in a tunnel, or your ears are clogged. My friend and I had a quiet conversation on opposite sides of the bench. Once I stood up, I couldn’t hear a thing she was saying.”

The bench is located between St. Paul’s Chapel and Low Library. Its inscription reads, “To Fellowship and Love of Alma Mater, Class of 1886 Arts, Mines, Political Science: 25th Anniversary.” The Mines is in reference to the fact that what is now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, was originally called the School of Mines.