Every week Untapped Cities hosts a series of behind-the-scenes tours aimed at helping you rediscover New York City. On our expert led experiences we show guests hidden gems, little known stories and special places that even that most seasoned New Yorker would be surprised by. Join us this weekend to explore the secrets of the subway, wander through an abandoned hospital on Ellis Island, uncover the hidden treasures of Grand Central Terminal and more!

Saturday, August 31st

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

Behind the Scenes Tour in Freshkills Park Construction

Rendering of Freshkills Park. Photo via Freshkills Park and the City of New York

Go inside the construction of Freshkills Park, the largest landfill-to-park project in the world. As the 2, 200 acre park is built gradually in phases, NYC Parks has offered Untapped Cities Members early access to visit sections of Freshkills Park that are currently closed to the public. The tour will provide a chance to go behind the scenes and discuss the topics that the park project addresses, including waste management and urban ecology. If you are an Untapped Cities Insider, you can join this tour for free! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today to gain access to free behind-the-scenes tours and special events all year long. are invited inside to explore its collections.

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Secrets from Below: 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

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

See our full list of upcoming public tours and Insider events!