Most of NYC museums charge a donation to see the treasures inside. Well worth the $20 they ask when you consider the priceless artifacts you get to see, but The Museum of the American Indian, however, is FREE! Its part of the Smithsonian and it's built inside the Alexander Hamilton Customs House, which is an amazing Beaux-Arts building constructed in 1907. The museum is great but the venue will blow you away! As a customs house, you can see all the fantastic murals dedicated to shipping and industry all around you. The giant glass atrium above you is inspiring and may be remembered from the movie Ghostbusters II. In the movie, the Statue of Liberty comes to life and walks through the harbor, then smashes her torch through the atrium to allow the Ghostbusters to get inside. Outside you will see sculptures of the four seafaring nation of Aisa, Africa, Europe and America. The figures were created by Daniel Chester French who also carved the likeness of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. If you're in the area of Battery Park and have an hour to kill I highly recommend it. Did I mention its FREE?!Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Museum of The American Indian
Most of NYC museums charge a donation to see the treasures inside. Well worth the $20 they ask when you consider the priceless artifacts you get to see, but The Museum of the American Indian, however, is FREE! Its part of the Smithsonian and it's built inside the Alexander Hamilton Customs House, which is an amazing Beaux-Arts building constructed in 1907. The museum is great but the venue will blow you away! As a customs house, you can see all the fantastic murals dedicated to shipping and industry all around you. The giant glass atrium above you is inspiring and may be remembered from the movie Ghostbusters II. In the movie, the Statue of Liberty comes to life and walks through the harbor, then smashes her torch through the atrium to allow the Ghostbusters to get inside. Outside you will see sculptures of the four seafaring nation of Aisa, Africa, Europe and America. The figures were created by Daniel Chester French who also carved the likeness of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. If you're in the area of Battery Park and have an hour to kill I highly recommend it. Did I mention its FREE?!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Geocaching: a GPS treasure hunt!
Geocaching is a wonderful way to see all the nooks and crannies of NYC with out spending a dime on entertainment! It's basically a treasure hunt using a gps to find "Caches" hidden all over the city. And they are EVERYWHERE! The caches are different sizes and there are different levels of difficulty based on terrain and location of the treasure. Inside the caches you will find trinkets you can keep and replace with your own treasures for the next explorer. I've done this for years with my daughter and it's a great, FREE, informative trip around the five boroughs. You look up the caches online, which has the coordinates and hints to it whereabouts and they take you to fantastic places. See the restaurant where the cast of Seinfeld hung out, go to the pier on the Hudson river where the Carpathia docked with the survivors of the Titanic. Many locations in history and pop culture you would walk by with out knowing. Don't have a GPS? No problem, as you might imagine, there's an App for that! Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Central Park's 'Secret' Butterfly Gardens!
Butterfly! Butterfly! You hear that exclamation at the end of Puccini's Madame Butterfly when Ciocio-san takes her own life...but on a lighter note, you also here that exclamation from scores of children in Central Park during July and August as families stroll through the Shakespeare Gardens and the Conservatory Gardens. These gardens, as well as some spots in the North Meadow are teaming with these beautiful creatures. Some of the butterflies sighted in the Park include: question mark, zabulon skipper, red admiral, silver-spotted skipper, summer azure, banded hairstreak, American lady, mourning cloak, eastern comma, pearl crescent, spicebush swallowtail and peck’s skipper! You had no idea there were so many butterflies did you! Well, that's what I'm here for. Of course it goes with out saying that butterflies are FREE and a wonder to behold. Please take some time to smell the flowers in the park, just watch out for the bees!Find peace HERE
TLC for FGT
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Summer Block Party!
This weekend and the next is the the Fifth Annual Summer Streets! From the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park you can walk, bike or run up Lafayette St and Park Avenue in all it's splendor. From 7am to 1pm, 7 miles of city streets will be opened to pedestrians with lots of activities to chose from. New Yorkers and tourists alike can ride a zip line through Union Square! There will also be rest stops along the way with water stations and FREE bike and roller blade rentals! This is the biggest block party in the world and you're invited!! Click HERE
TLC for FGT
Friday, August 3, 2012
Sony Wonder Technology Lab
Sony Wonder Technology Lab is a wonderful place in Manhattan to kill a few hours with inquisitive kids who love to explore the latest technology! Did I mention it's FREE! There are robots, signal stations, dancing motion captures, virtual surgeries, and many other exhibits to spark the creativity in younger minds. You even get to go on camera and see whats it's like to be a real newscaster! Check the calendar for a wide array of family events and workshops to suit every interest. Escape the summer heat and explore your inner child.Check it out HERE
TLC for FGT
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