Join Untapped Cities this week to explore some of New York City’s most iconic and little known locations on our behind-the-scenes tours. Every week we offer exciting, expert led experiences designed to help you rediscover your city. Check out all of the tours offered this week:

Friday, January 18th

One Place, One Face Photography Workshop

Take part in a special photography workshop conducted in the New York City subway. This experience will start with a two hour tour of one of the world’s largest public art galleries: the New York City subway system. Led by underground art experts Justin Rivers and Aaron Asis, you will discover works of art from Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Godard, Tom Otterness and Mary Miss just to name a few. While taking this tour you will start working on your photography skills with renowned photographer Stephanie De Rouge, using Justin and Aaron. After the tour you will have the privilege to photograph Mary Miss, the artist behind the 14th St. Union Square station art installation. Mary is a world-renowned American sculptor, considered to be a pioneer of site specific art, and her work has been shown in the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA P.S. 1, Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum, and the Tate Gallery in London just to name a few.

Saturday, January 19th

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

Underground Tour of the NYC Subway

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

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

See all upcoming Untapped Cities Behind-the-Scenes Tours!