Every week, Untapped Cities offers a variety of tours that provide a behind-the-scenes view of New York City’s most iconic sites, infrastructure, history and attractions. This week, uncover the secrets of Brooklyn’s famous Prospect Park, climb to the top of a historic lighthouse tucked underneath the George Washington Bridge, experience the diverse flavors of uptown Manhattan, go inside one of New York City’s oldest houses, and discover more ways to explore this week!

Wednesday, June 5th

Special Access Tour of the Player’s Club

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Learn about the history of the Club and its members
• Visit the room in which actors met secretly in 1913 to form the Actors Equity Association, and walk inside Edwin Booth’s bedroom, where you can find the skull that was used in his famous 100 consecutive performances of Hamlet
• Visit the Hampden-Booth Theatre Library, which contains a vital collection of books, plays, theatre magazines and other artifacts of 19th and early 20th century American and British theatre history
• View the Players Club’s impressive art collections, including portraits by Everett Raymond Kinstler, Edwin’s theater costumes, and more
• Get a close look at Mark Twain’s poker table.

Insider Tour of the Players Club on Gramercy Park

Friday, June 7th

Climb to the Top of the Little Red Lighthouse

Go inside the historic “Little Red Lighthouse” in Fort Washington Park on a private tour for Untapped Cities Insiders led by an Urban Park Ranger. While you climb the long iron staircase to the top of the tower, a Park Ranger will provide information about the history of this unique landmark, which is rarely open to group tours. You will also learn about the natural and human history of the surrounding area including Fort Washington Park, The George Washington Bridge and the Hudson River as you walk down to the lighthouse from Washington Heights. You can join this free tour if you are an Untapped Cities Insider. Not an Insider yet? Become a member today to gain access to free behind-the-scenes and off-limits tours as well as special events all year long!

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Already an Insider? Book here!

Saturday, June 8th

Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Abandoned Hospital Complex at Ellis Island

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

Tour the Historic Dyckman Farmhouse and Enjoy the Taste of Uptown Food Festival

Enjoy a day out exploring uptown uptown Manhattan with this two-for-one event. This experience will include a tour of the historic Dyckman Farmhouse as well as free access to Taste of Uptown, a brand new food festival that celebrates the diverse restaurants and culture of Uptown. These events will showcase the history as well as the vibrant cultural scene of the area today. On a docent led tour of the Dyckman Farmhouse, one of the oldest homes in Manhattan, you will discover what early 19th century life was like on a northern Manhattan farm through the story of the Dyckman family. After this tour, you will enjoy a short walk to the Taste of Uptown food festival to enjoy free foods from local restaurants. Over fifteen different restaurants will be represented including: Pat’e Palo, Tipico Dominicano, H Bar and Grill, Empanadas Monumental, and Pop and Pour. You can attend this event for free if you are an Untapped Cities Insider.

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Secrets from Below: Underground Tour of the New York City 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 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

Attend the Chelsea Music Festival

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Photograph by Ryan Muir, courtesy of Chelsea Music Festival

Attend a special two-part concert during the annual Chelsea Music Festival. Experience the stunning visuals and acoustics inside the German Lutheran Church of St. Paul’s while hearing music from the GHOSTLIGHT Chorus and the jazz piano stylings of husband and wife pianists, Adam Birnbaum and Katsura Tanikawa. The evening will begin with The Blue Sea Slumbers, a concert that will highlight the great heritage of choral singing with performances of music from Clara Schumann and Johannes Ockeghem paired with J.S.Bach’s masterful motet for double chorus. The GHOSTLIGHT chorus will join Festival musicians in Binna Kim’s Festival Commission stacked emotions and the World Premiere performance of Requiem by Kathryn Salfelder.

The second half of the evening is Late Night Jazz: Two Pianos Under One Roof. Birnbaum and Tanikawa, inspired by the intimate partnership and love between Robert and Clara Schumann, will perform selections from Robert’s beloved Myrthen and Liebesfrühling song cycles, readings of entries from the Schumann marriage diary, and their own take on Clara’s Variations on Theme by Schumann, Op. 20. If you are an Untapped Cities Insider, you can attend for free! You can also get 10% off tickets to any other concert performance (excluding the June 8th concerts) by using the code seen seen on this page!

Untapped readers have the chance to win a pair of free tickets to the June 8th concert by entering our raffle here!

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Sunday, June 9th

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 Olmstead’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 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 out full list of Insider events and upcoming public tours!