Join us this week as we explore the diverse languages of NYC, uncover remnants of the World’s Fairs, 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!
Remnants of the World’s Fairs
Thursday, April 25th – TALL TIMBER Exhibit Tour at the Skyscraper Museum
Join Skyscraper Museum Director, Carol Willis, for a gallery tour of TALL TIMBER: The Future of Cities in Wood! Guest on this tour will touch a 500-year-old heavy timber sample salvaged from the Terminal Warehouse, see award-winning models by renowned architecture firms, and learn all about the production and potential of new mass timber building materials!
This event is free for Untapped New York Insiders! Not an Insider? Become a member today with code JOINUS and get your first month free!
Saturday, April 27th – 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, staff house, and more spaces as you walk in the footsteps of the immigrants who were there a hundred years ago.
This tour runs on Saturdays and select Sundays!
Saturday, April 27th – Stroll Along 5th Avenue’s Gilded Age Mansions
Stroll along the illustrious Manhattan thoroughfare of 5th Ave as you listen to scandalous tales of 19th-century high society and visit the sites where they transpired. You’ll stop outside opulent mansions that still stand from that time, and examine stunning photographs of those that have been lost. You’ll even get to step into a grand home designed by noted architect Stanford White (and now contains a hidden bookstore!).
Saturday, April 27th – Ride Through NYC’s Oldest Subway Stations
Use the subway car 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.
Sunday, April 28th – Locate Remnants of NYC’s World’s Fairs
Tack down abandoned structures, buried time capsules, ancient relics, and more souvenirs left over from the two World’s Fairs hosted at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1939-40 and 1964-65! You’ll walk on the street grid laid out for the first fait and learn about the park’s amazing transformation from ash heap to global destination.
Sunday, April 28th – Revisit Gritty Old Times Square
Discover the personalities and places that made the 1970s and ’80s Times Square a gritty red-light district of the city. Meet the King of the Peeps; the woman who built a gay and S&M porn empire; and the Catholic priest who flew too close to the neon sun and crashed and burned while stopping at sites of former peepshows, grindhouses, adult book stores, dive bars, hotsheet hotels, sex clubs, porno theaters, and more.
Monday, April 29th – Off-Hours Tour of the Pan Am Museum: In-Person and Virtual Tour
Explore the legacy of the groundbreaking airline, Pan Am at Long Islan’ds Cradle of Aviation! Learn about all of the airline’s first, and see some of the iconic flight attendant uniforms, airplane models, and artifacts dating back to the airline’s early days in the 1930s.
This tour and live stream are both free for Untapped New York Insiders!
Tuesday, April 30th – 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!
Wednesday, May 1st- AṢẸ: Afro Frequencies Immersive Experience at ARTECHOUSE
Gain free admission to ARTECHOUSE NYC’s newest immersive experience, AṢẸ: Afro Frequencies, a $28 value! The spirit of aṣẹ — a powerful affirmation and philosophical belief held by the Yoruba people of West Africa, meaning “so will it be” — reverberates throughout this vibrant and meditative exhibition. As you enter this innovative art space in the basement of Chelsea Market, you’ll be enveloped by the vibrant Afrosurrealist work of London-based digital artist Vince Fraser along with poetry by Ursula Rucker.
This event is free for Untapped New York Insiders!
Thursday, May 2nd – How to Save the Endangered Languages of NYC
Hear samples of a handful of the more than 700 languages spoken in NYC and find out what threatens their survival. Language City author and linguist Ross Perlin gives us an inside look at what goes on inside the Endangered Language Alliance office, explains what it means for a language to be endangered, and what all New Yorkers can do to help preserve the city’s incredible linguistic diversity.
This live, virtual talk is free for Untapped New York Insiders!
Next, check out Exclusive Insider-Only April Events