Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are carved in granite. The memorial's location on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island also affords close-ups of
the ruins of the 1856 Renwick Smallpox Hospital.
Southern tip Roosevelt Island.
212/204-8831.
www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org
.
Daily sunrise-sunset. Subway: F to Roosevelt Island; Roosevelt
Island Tram (p. 115).
General Grant National Memorial
Manhattan is home to the nation's largest mausoleum, the graceful
1897 structure that houses the remains of General Ulysses S. Grant. (For punch-line sticklers, Mrs. Julia Grant is
interred here as well.) The hushed interior conveys peaceful repose. There's a small on-site museum where you'll
be surprised to discover the huge deal Grant's funeral was in New York. The tomb itself was once a popular at-
traction, but tourists have found more pressing enticements, and the memorial feels secluded, nearly forgotten.
Free talks are given at 11:15am, 1:15, and 3:15pm daily.
Riverside Dr., at 122nd St.
212/666-1640.
www.nps.gov/gegr
.
Daily 9am-5pm. Subway: 1 to 125th St.
Hall of Fame for Great Americans
You'd think a gigantic monument designed by Stanford White, with
tablets by Tiffany Studios, memorializing American heroes like Mark Twain, Abe Lincoln, and Susan B. Anthony
would be a major draw, but this oddball attraction is sadly overlooked. The distant location, on the Bronx Com-
munity College campus, might be part of the problem. If you're in the area, stop by, because the open colonnade
with its 102 bronze busts and classical architecture is a wonderful surprise.
Hall of Fame Terrace, 181st St. and University Ave., the Bronx.
718/289-5161.
www.bcc.cuny.edu/hallofame
. $2 suggested donation. Daily
10am-5pm. Subway: 4 to 183rd St.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
Federalist Paper author and first secretary of the treasury Alex-
ander Hamilton started construction on his Federal-style country home in 1800. Harlem is not so country any-
more, but the National Park Service recently moved the house around the corner to St. Nicholas Park, which bet-
ter reflects the structure's origins nestled among the hills and trees of a vanished Harlem. (Fittingly, the current
site was within the boundary of Hamilton's original 32-acre estate.)
You can tour the period-furnished
rooms with a ranger at 11am, noon, 1, 2, and 4pm; remaining hours are set aside for self-guided visits.
414 W. 141st St., btw. Convent and St. Nicholas aves.
646/548-2310.
www.nps.gov/hagr
. Wed-Sun 9am-5pm. Subway: 1 to 137th St.; A/B/
C/D to 145th St.
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum
Multiple galleries display assorted Juda-
ica along with contemporary artwork of a Jewish bent. The historical exhibits are particularly interesting, like
explorations of the Albanian Muslim rescuers of the Holocaust, or the internment of Mayor LaGuardia's Jewish
sister at Ravensbrück. Shows change regularly, with 8 to 10 moving through each year.
A photo ID is
required to enter.
1 W. 4th St., btw. Broadway and Mercer St.
212/824-2205.
www.huc.edu/museums/ny
. Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm; Fri 9am-3pm; selected Sun
10am-2pm. Subway: N/R to 8th St.; 6 to Astor Place.
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
The two galleries here are dedicated to thoughtful exhibits
that bring alive eras you may not realize existed. I was astounded by the Kazakh gold work at the recent Nomads
and Networks show, which also included a 2,000-year-old embroidered saddle, a wooden pillow, and a bong.
Scholarly texts provide insight into the objects.
15 E. 84th St., btw. Madison and Fifth aves.
212/992-7800.
www.isaw.nyu.edu
.
Tues-Sun 11am-6pm; Fri 11am-8pm. Subway: 4/5/6 to 86th
St.
Irish Hunger Memorial
This large-scale sculpture on the downtown Hudson waterfront memorializes the
Irish famine of 1845 to 1852. The center of the installation is a famine-era cottage moved stone by stone from the
old country, resting on a field of blackthorn and heather. Take the path to the memorial's top and watch it open
up to sublime views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Vesey St. and North End Ave.
212/967-9700.
www.batteryparkcity.org
. Daily 6am-1am. Subway: 1/2/3 or A/C to Chambers St.
