This Fourth of July, celebrate with a behind-the-scenes tour from Untapped Cities. While many will be barbecuing and sitting on the beach this week, take the opportunity to go on an adventure and discover something new in New York City. From uncovering the secrets of such American icons as the Brooklyn Bridge, to exploring the abandoned halls of Ellis Island’s immigration hospital, check out all of the Untapped Cities tours and events happening this week:

Tuesday, July 2nd

The Secrets of The Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour

Image via @nulooks

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Discover the Brooklyn Bridge‘s secrets, including its old Cold War fall out shelter, the hidden champagne vaults, the bridge jumper survivor’s support group and so many others… *NOTE: we will not be going inside the shelter or vaults.*
• See an abandoned park hidden in plain sight as you explore the perimeter of the Manhattan anchorages of the bridge
• Uncover the hidden statue of the family of engineers who built the bridge
• Locate the site of the nation’s first White House
• Cross the bridge span, which offers one of the best vantage points in New York City

The Secrets of Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour

Inside Look at the Newly Opened Poster House with the Chief Curator

Photograph by Stephanie Powell, Courtesy of the Poster House

Untapped Cities Insiders are invited to explore New York City’s newest cultural institution, Poster House, during a private lunchtime tour. Poster House, which opens this June, will be closed to the general public during this tour and open just for Insiders! Meet the museum’s Chief Curator as she guides you through two opening shows that delve into the work of Alphonse Mucha in Belle Époch Paris, as well as early posters from design collaborative Cyan after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Poster House Director Julia Knight will also be on site to answer questions about the design and construction process of the 15,000-square-foot gut renovation of the old TekServe space.

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Already an Insider? Book here!

Saturday, July 6th

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

Secrets from Below: Underground Tour of the NYC Subway!

Inside the Chambers Street station in Lower Manhattan

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

Sunday, July 7th

Secrets of Prospect Park Walking Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Uncover the secrets and symbols of Grand Army Plaza, the monumental entrance to the park
• Learn about the park’s ingenious design and the monumental task of transforming it from a wasteland into a pastoral haven
• Hear about the secret tunnels beneath the park’s surface
• Visit the once-idyllic garden that devolved into a symbol of the park’s decay (and is being restored to its former glory!)
• Discover the innovative initiatives to combat storm damage and erosion, including recycling historic elements and employing a squadron of livestock
• See the private cemetery within the park – home to a Hollywood legend
• Stroll Brooklyn’s last remaining forest and discover Olmsted’s hidden tricks to enhance the woodland
• Hear about mysterious happenings inside the park, including mystic rituals and supernatural park-goers

Secrets of Prospect Park

Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Walk the city’s original coast line
• See the remains of Manhattan’s first City Hall
• Discover the original Dutch fort, wind mill and battery
• Trace the streets of Manhattan in 1667 with Manhattan’s first map in hand
• Physically touch history as we spend time finding out why Bowling Green has its name and why it’s been so important in our city’s history

Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam

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