This week in New York City, learn how landmarking affects a neighborhood, celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, uncover the secrets of the city’s landmarks and so much more with our Untapped picks of things to do.

Friday, November 1st

Celebrate Dia de Muertos, a holiday observed throughout Mexico that celebrates loved ones we have lost at the Museum of the City of New York. Artist Juan Bautista Climent will lead Bones Out!, a skeleton puppet-making workshop. Afterward, enjoy a special treat of pan de muerto, a traditional sweet roll served during this special time. All families and friends are welcome. Activities are designed for adults and children to complete together and are free with Museum admission. Registration suggested, but not required.

Saturday, November 2nd

Uncover the Secrets of the Brooklyn Bridge on a walking tour across the iconic span led by a licensed New York City tour guide. On this Untapped New York adventure, discover stories of secret chambers inside the bridge, see an abandoned park and the forgotten location of the country’s White House, learn about the family of engineers who designed the bridge and discover so much more you never knew about this landmark.

The Secrets of Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour

Go inside one of the oldest columbariums in the United States with the President of the U.S. Columbarium Company at Fresh Pond Crematory, J.P. DiTroia. You will even get to meet Gina the bereavement dog! Admire the architecture and beautiful stained glass throughout the building which dates back to 1884 as you learn about the history of cremation and see memorials that have been at Fresh Pond for more than 100 years. You can join this tour is you are an Untapped New York Insider! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today to gain free access to behind-the-scenes tours and special events all year long!

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Sunday, November 3rd

The old-growth forest at the New York Botanical Garden will come alive with sound this weekend as composer-in-residence Angélica Negrón premieres a brand new site-specific musical work Chorus of the Forest. This immersive choral experience will consist of six musical vignettes featuring robotic and percussion soundscapes designed by Ms. Negrón and instrumentalist Nick Yulman. Vocalists from numerous NYC choral groups will provide vocal harmonies and lyrics that examine our connections—and disconnections—with nature.

Spend your Sunday Killing an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe. At this “Spirited Event” inside the Merchant’s House Museum, performer Kevin Jones brings to life Poe’s most thrilling tales, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Raven,” just blocks from where the master of horror once lived.

Monday, November 4th

Join Open House New York for  for a special presentation, The Moving City: Transportation Conversations -NYCDOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and Trottenberg has led and maintained the agency’s strong focus on safety, equity, sustainability, and economic growth–including championing New York City’s Vision Zero initiative, addressing curbside management, building a cycling network of over 1,200 miles, and doubling the country’s largest bike-share program. A conversation with Gregory Wessner, Executive Director, Open House New York, will follow.

LEarn how landmarking can shape a neighborhood with Village Preservation at their expert led panel discussion, 50 Years of the Greenwich Village Historic District: How Landmarking Has Shaped and Preserved a Neighborhood. At this event, panelists including Village Preservation Executive Director Andrew Berman and former Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission Kent Barwick, will consider what has changed over the last half-century, what might have changed had it not been for landmarking, as well as reflect on what the district’s future might look like.

Tuesday, November 5th

Discover the hidden treasure of Grand Central Terminal on Untapped New York’s signature walking tour. Whether you are visiting for the first time or commute through the station everyday, there is something new to learn on this expert led tour. From the hidden tennis courts to a speakeasy style bar, uncover the secrets of Grand Central!

Tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

Wednesday, November 6th

Unearth secrets of the subway system on Untapped New York’s Underground Subway Tour.This tour will make you want to spend time in the subway as you discover art installations hidden in plain sight, ride through abandoned stations including the famed City Hall Station, and learn about the history and evolution of the world’s largest rapid transit system from one of our expert, licensed tour guides.

Underground Tour of the NYC Subway

Get free photo-taking tips from a professional travel photographer and documentary filmmaker on Sony’s Fall Wonder Photowalk through Central Park with Mic-Anthony Hay. The walk is free and open to all skill levels. The trip will depart from Sony Square NYC at 5:30 pm after a brief intro and head to Central Park by subway. Sony cameras will be available to loan out on a first come first served basis.

Thursday, November 7th

Image Courtesy of Abrams Books

Join Friends of the Upper east Side Historic Districts and art historian and New York City Municipal Archives conservator Cynthia Brenwall for an illustrated book talk on her latest release, The Central Park: Original Designs for New York’s Greatest Treasure. Attendess will get to see previously-unpublished designs, notes, maps and materials from the NYC Municipal Archives featured in Ms. Brenwall’s new book, to get a more complete understanding of the development and early history of Central Park. In this illustrated lecture, Brenwall will give us a lush look at the park’s creation, and show off early examples of Olmsted and Vaux’s extraordinary vision. If you are an an Untapped New York Insider, you can attend this event for free!

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Experience four centuries of Brooklyn’s built environment with Cornell professor and urbanist Thomas J. Campanella at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s talk Built and Never-Built Brooklyn: An Exploration. In his book Brooklyn: The Once and Future City, Campanella brings us from sleepy colonial settlements, to the electric playground of Coney Island, and everything built in between. In addition to sharing what we’ve built and what we’ve lost, this epic story highlights some of the never-realized dreams of Brooklynites through time, from abandoned plans for the world’s tallest building to failed designs to make Jamaica Bay the largest deep-water seaport on Earth. Editor at Curbed Amy Plitt joins Campanella for this urban exploration. If you are an an Untapped New York Insider, you can attend this event for free!

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Join the River Project for the annual Release of the Fishes. This final event marks the closing of the Wetlab for the year. Visitors can choose a fish from the aquarium and accompany it as it is released into the river by staff. Food and drinks from local establishments are provided and donated prizes are raffled. All donations and proceeds will go toward The River Project’s education and research programs.

Check out our full list of upcoming Untapped New York public tours and Insider events!Â