New dates have just been added for Untapped Cities’ Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station. This tour is only conducted once a month, so grab your tickets before spots fill up!
There are two things most commuters don’t realize about Penn Station: First, there used to be a gorgeous Beaux Arts station that was demolished in the mid-60’s. Second: Parts of that old station can still be found today. They’ve just been buried under the arena that landed on top of them.
On our tour of the Remnants of Penn Station, we’ll take you back inside this central transportation hub to discuss the past, present and future plans for the structure. Although Amtrak only acknowledges one remnant remaining, tour participants will learn about station history and discover remnants of the McKim, Mead & White building located in plain sight.
Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:Â
- 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 DETAILS:
- Price: $35 per person.
- What to know: The tour is 2 hours long; please consult with the MTA for weekend subway schedules and routing changes. No cancellations or refunds.
- What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes
WHAT OUR GUESTS SAY ABOUT THIS TOUR:
“I commute through Penn Station every day, have for a few years, and Justin opened my eyes to it in a whole new way. I recommend it to everyone who cares about NYC” — loish874, Trip Advisor
“As usual, Justin is terrifically knowledgeable and engaging. I will no longer look at PennStation the same way. Really fascinating stuff.” — M8199HPchristophera, Trip Advisor
“Justin Rivers is an articulate, engaging authority on the old bone of the original Pennsylvania RR Station. Having lived on Long Island and in New Jersey over 50 years, Penn Station is quite familiar, yet Justin revealed many secrets. Afterwards, I felt like a lot of pieces of a puzzle were put together. It seemed to me, the entire crowd was pleased with the tour. I highly recommend his Penn Station tour.” — Pamela V, Trip Advisor
“I was very impressed with Justin’s tour of the remnants of Penn Station. He is passionate, knowledgeable, and knows what he is talking about. This tour is wonderful for locals as well as tourists. Great thing to do with out of town friends. Would definitely go on another tour.” — Heather S, Trip Advisor
Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station
MORE ABOUT THIS TOUR AND YOUR GUIDE:
Justin Rivers started his career as a New York city middle school English/Language Arts teacher on the Lower East Side dragging his students to historic sites across the city in an effort to bring NYC’s lesser known stories to life. That’s how he became co-creator of The Wonder City, a graphic novel that re-imagines New York City’s entire history currently running as a serial on Untapped Cities. He was also the playwright and producer of The Eternal Space, an off-Broadway play that centered on the demolition of New York City’s Pennsylvania Station. It was with this production and one simple tweet that he fell head over heels for Untapped Cities whom he partnered with for his Remnants of Penn Station Tour. Now Justin is a licensed New York City tour guide and continues to develop and lead tours exclusively for Untapped Cities. When he isn’t deep in the bowels of NYC he is busy as Founding Director of the Character Connection Initiative, a non-profit organization that connects character education and mindfulness to middle school curricula.
Tours will continue to be supported by photographic presentations of the station by renown photographers Norman McGrath, Peter Moore, and Aaron Rose, along with the work of railroad aficionados Alexander Hatos, an employee of Pennsylvania Railroad and Ron Ziel, a railroad historian.
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THE TOUR:
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station