Join us this week as we explore the oldest thoroughfare in Manhattan, dive deep into The Met Archives, revisit gritty old Times Square and more. Don’t forget, Untapped New York Insiders now get $10 off any Untapped New York public walking tour!
Secrets of the Bowery Tour
Thursday, May 16th – Death of Artists Book Talk
Join author Jim Moske for a virtual journey deep into the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Hidden in the archives, Moske found two mysterious scrapbooks filled with the obituaries of famous and obscure artists. Learn about Moske’s quest to uncover who collected the obituaries and for what purpose, and discover the tragic, grisly, and mundane ways legendary artists and those less famous met their demise.
This live virtual talk moderated by Untapped New York Founder Michelle Young is free for Untapped New York Insiders! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today with promo code JOINUS and get your first month free!
Friday, May 17th – Uncover the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal
Peer into hidden tennis courts, find out what’s hiding beneath the iconic clock at the center of the main concourse, visit an office-turned-speakeasy, and uncover more secrets of this historic train terminal! Though one of the most iconic landmarks of NYC today, Grand Central was once threatened by demolition much like Penn Station. Learn about the rise, fall, and redemption of this grand building!
This tour runs every day of the week!
Saturday, May 17th – Secrets of the Bowery Tour
Visit an abandoned opera house, Manhattan’s oldest brick home, the site of P.T. Barnum’s first store, and more significant sites on NYC’s oldest thoroughfare! As you follow your guide along the Bowery, you’ll pass the site of the famous Bull’s Head Tavern on Canal Street where George Washington set up headquarters, learn about The Bowery’s infamous flophouses, and uncover a rare Beaux-Arts treasure hidden in plain sight.
Saturday, May 18th – Hard Hat Tour of Ellis Island’s Abandoned Hospital
Explore the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital complex which has served as a medical facility, a US Coast Guard base, and an FBI detention center, then was left to decay for nearly 60 years. Now, Untapped New York has partnered with Save Ellis Island to create an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour where you will explore the laundry building, contagious disease wards, autopsy rooms, and more off-limits spaces.
This tour runs on Saturdays and select Sundays!
Saturday, May 18th – Fifth Ave Gilded Age Mansion Tour
Take a stroll along 5th Avenue and see it as it was during the Gilded Age when the grand mansions that line this illustrious street were occupided by the country’s first millionaires and New York City’s high society! Your expert guide will regale you with society gossip of the time, sharing stories of lavish costume balls and more goings-on inside each opulent home.
Sunday, May 19th – Gritty Old Times Square Tour
Revisit the days when 42nd Street was the Deuce, the Great White Way was a red-light district, and the Crossroads of the World was XXX-rated! You’ll learn about the largest sex emporium, the freak show where Diane Arbus found inspiration, and the last hot sheet hotel and live peep show while hearing stories of the personalities who made Times Square what it was: the King of the Peeps; the slumlord with two suitcases filled with gold and five wives; and the Catholic priest who flew too close to the neon sun and crashed and burned.
Tuesday, May 21st – The Lit Salon: Living Constitutionally Book Launch Party
A.J. Jacobs learned the hard way that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket will earn you a lot of strange looks. In The Year of Living Constitutionally, Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. Hear from Jacobs at the next Lit Salon where we’ll serve Martha Washington’s Rum Punch and Colonial-era desserts while wearing Revolutionary-era outfits Jacobs will also gift a goose quill (carved by him) and ink to anyone who attends!
Wednesday, May 22nd: Five Stories: Family Histories on the Lower East Side with Illustrator Ellen Weinstein
Get behind-the-scenes insight into how Weinstein wrote and illustrated the multi-generational family histories featured in her new picture book, Five Stories. Learn about the daily lives of families in different decades throughout the 20th century, see a visual timeline of a changing street, and take part in a Q&A with the author.
This live virtual talk is free for Untapped New York Insiders! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today with promo code JOINUS and get your first month free!
Saturday, May 11th – Uncover Secrets of the Subway
Use subway as your own personal time machine as you travel through abandoned stations and trace the evolution of the transit system from its earliest days to the present. Along the way, uncover hidden art installations, forgotten passageways, and quirky historical anecdotes. You’ll also stop at the partially abandoned Chambers Street station, soon to be renovated by the MTA.
Next, check out Exclusive Insider-Only May Events!