An absolute must-see on your group’s NYC getaway, this over-the-top, mega-toy wonderland was originally founded in Baltimore under the name “Toy Bazaar” by German Immigrant Frederick August Otto Schwarz; two more locations soon followed-one in Philadelphia, and one in Boston. In 1870 Schwarz opened a New York City store known as the “Schwarz Toy Bazaar; ” ultimately, through decades and seasons of tremendous growth and change, it became known as the largest toy dealer in the city-“The original Santa Claus Headquarters.” In 2001, the flagship store was redesigned; shoppers are treated to a fabulously magical dynamic LED light show and greeted by live “Toy Soldiers” as they pass through the Grand Hall-styled entrance. FAO Schwarz , today, is known for its unsurpassed assortment of beloved high-end and limited edition plush animals, unique luxury gift items and veritable universe of toys for all ages; the store includes a concierge and first-class personal shopping service to assist discerning clients with finding the perfect gifts for good little girls and boys, as well as an amazing array of in-store interactive experiences and customizable toy shops! FAO Schweetz, a magnificent 6000 square foot candy mall full of every treat imaginable also offers as-you-like orders of its wonderful, whimsical wares; FAO Café serves famished toy hunters a delightful assortment of sweet and savory delights from NYC eateries like Crumbs Bake Shop, Jumbo Bagels, Sigmund Pretzel Shop and Donut Plant. Ride-on plush lion, $1500.00 Jewel-encrusted Etch-a-Sketch or Big Piano Dance Mat, anyone?

Set on remarkably beautiful terrain that includes 50 acres of old growth forest-the largest remaining expanse of original wilderness that once covered all of New York City- and a fresh-water river rolling through a rock cut gorge, this fabulous display of 50 living plant collections arranged in glorious gardens and natural landscapes, ever-changing seasonal shows, gardens and special exhibits had its illustrious origins during the civic movement of the nineteenth century to create in New York City a cosmopolitan “world capital” experience. The mission of the garden has always been three-fold: ongoing participation in plant research and conservation, maintaining/improving the gardens at the highest horticultural standard and using the garden itself as an educational venue, where visitors can learn about plant biology, horticulture and the natural world in general. Late-Winter blooms along garden paths make way for drifts of sunny daffodils that herald the arrival of Spring, when azaleas and rhododendrons burst with
vibrant pops of exotic color all through the grounds and the scent of lilac and cherry blossom fills the air; come Summer the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is a fragrant, award-winning, wonder. Relax for a bit on a warm bench in the lush and delightful Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden; wander the three acre Rock Garden or the naturally diverse Native Plant Garden; visit the Edith Haupt Conservatory-a Victorian Style glasshouse, where you and your group will take a fascinating world eco tour through 11 distinct habitats –roam a cacti-filled desert and lose your cares in a lush tropical rain forest! The Conservatory is gracious host to all the Garden’s seasonal shows and exhibits-the Holiday Train Show is a favorite of young and old alike, and the annual rare Orchid show in Summer is a celebrated event not to be missed! Year-round the park is alive with growing, blooming things and a wondrous display of quietly artful to exuberantly magnificent seasonal change-give yourself the gift of a day at the Botanical Gardens!

New York City’s living history village and museum complex with homes, shops, and public buildings from the 1690s to 1900s. Guides in period dress lead tours and participatory programs. Sept.-May W-Sun. 1-5 pm. June – Aug: Wed.-Sat. 10am – 5pm, Sun. 1-5pm. Closed year round Mon.-Tues.

Exploring America > U.S. Cities > New York City Tours

Ellis Island is famous today for being the portal to the American dream and opportunities immigrants did not have in their homeland, having admitted over 25 million people in its time. It was a symbol of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like the Statue of Liberty. Visit Ellis Island and learn not only about the history of America, but the history of your own family.
 
The name Ellis comes from the island’s owner, Samuel Ellis, who possessed the property in the 1770s. The Native Americans originally used the land to hunt oysters but since then it has evolved from a pirate hanging site to a harbor fort, an ammunition depot, and finally an immigration station. The original building burned completely, its record wholly lost, in a fire in June of 1897. The new station, a fireproof construction which now houses the museum, was opened in 1900.
 
The Ellis Island Museum, in the main building of the immigration station, has been restored to look as it did in 1918. Visitors are offered the rare chance of reliving the immigration experience as their ancestors may have, going through different checkpoints, baggage holds, and more. Children’s tours and in-depth tour options are available to teach visitors the history of Ellis Island with interviews, rare information, and more. Explore the stations and exhibitions holding artifacts, photos, videos, interactive displays, and an American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Look through the exhibit “Journeys: The Peopling of America – 1550s-1890″ to see a timeline of the earliest arrival, Anne Moore, to the last to be processed through the island. Watch the award-winning documentary “Island of Hope, Island of Tears” and marvel at the interactive collage, “American Flag of Faces,” where the stripes and stars of our flag are made up from the faces of immigrants.

New York is the historic home to many famous and influential American writers including the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Originally from Boston and later Richmond, Virginia, Poe moved several times during his forty years trying to find the literary recognition and fame he believed his work deserved. Poe was the leader of American Romanticism with works like “The Raven,” “The Black Cat,” “Annabel Lee,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, located in The Bronx, was Poe’s last home and is now open for the public to take a look inside the daily life of one of America’s finest and most misunderstood authors.

Believed to have been built in 1812, when Poe moved into the cottage in 1846 it looked over a pastoral landscape and down towards Long Island across the water. He chose this quaint farmhouse in the hopes to cure his ailing wife, Virginia, who was dying of tuberculosis. However, the fresh country air did not save Virginia’s life and two years later, Poe himself died under an air of mystery in Baltimore, Maryland. Though the neighborhood and views have changed, the cottage has been refurbished and is now decorated with period furniture and some pieces believed to have been owned by Poe and his wife.

The Bronx Historical Society, which curates and restored the cottage to its original state, leads guided tours through the house to bring the history of an American genius to life. Learn about Edgar Allan Poe’s life, work, and motivations from the film presentation and from the highly knowledgeable guides. See the bed in which Virginia died, the rocking chair where Poe sat, and other artifacts that make the house seem as if the couple just left the room minutes before you arrived.

Trace immigration records for over 25 million Port of NY and Ellis Island arrivals 1892-1924. View individual passenger records, over 3 million ship manifests and over 800 ship pictures. Create electronic family history scrapbook. Shop Heritage Gifts.

The eight-acre Staten Island Zoo long ago garnered a rather strange claim to fame: It was the first zoo ever to assemble an exhibit of all 32 varieties of rattlesnakes known to occur in the United States; by the 1960s the zoo maintained the most complete rattlesnake collection in the world with 39 varieties on display! Ranked by Wall Street Journal as the best small zoo in New York City, Staten Island Zoo is home to an astonishing 350 different species including a gorgeous pair of the world’s rarest cats: Valeri and Kolya, Amur Leopard brothers! Mobs of Meerkats, frolicking Fossas, and precocious Red Pandas-your favorites are all here, but let’s not forget how it all started! Boasting an impressive menagerie of fish and reptiles, rattlesnakes are still a specialty; Wander into “Fear Zone” if you dare! A wonderful petting zoo encourages meaningful interaction with more docile warm-blooded and furry Kingdom Animalia residents –and a friendly and knowledgeable staff encourage and promote an entertaining as well as educational visit. Perhaps the zoo’s most famous resident is Staten Island Chuck, the official Ground Hog Day forecaster for New York City; the fine horses ridden by Parks Department Enforcement Officers while patrolling the parks and woods of Staten Island also call the Zoo home. Grab your group and hop a ferry for a fantastic “zooventure,” Staten Island Style!

Groups of nature lovers on Upstate Excursion will definitely enjoy seeing a stop at this outstanding educational resource and wildlife sanctuary at the top of their itinerary. New York City acquired the refuge land in segments, between 1974 and 2001; due to the hard work and dedication of concerned Staten Islanders, the area gradually saw its amazing transformation from a tragic wasteland filled with abandoned old cars to the gloriously peaceful wildlife refuge awaiting visitors today. Six kettle ponds formed by a retreating Wisconsin glacier teem with fascinating marine life – curve billed glossy ibis, black crowned night heron, wood duck, owls, osprey, water lilies and turtles – and the surrounding woods and wetlands are chock full of native species; nature enthusiasts regularly flock to the area to observe the thriving park ecosystem. A visitor’s center lies just inside the park entrance, and offers several classrooms, a library, exhibit areas and public restrooms, picnic tables, two observation decks and a mist net for bird banding – the ideal place for the bird watchers amongst you to partake of their hobby! Three different trails traverse the refuge, and broad strokes of wildflowers, including wild columbine, Black-eyed Susan and Jack-in-the-Pulpit happily tint the landscape. Urban Park Rangers and Friends of the Blue Heron-a fabulous community organization whose goal is connecting New Yorkers to the natural world in their own backyards through environmental education, outdoor recreation, wildlife management and active conservation – offer guests a wide variety of arts and educational activities and programming  including nature walks, crafts, zoo animals and special holiday events.

Long-time New York City landmark Bryant Park has seen centuries of growth and change since its original designation when it was still verdant wilderness by the Governor of Colonial New York as a “dedicated public space”; George Washington’s troops actually crossed the property in retreat from the Battle of Long Island in 1776. The continual repurposing of the almost ten acre property has seen it a poor man’s graveyard and a public park; during Civil War the land was used to conduct military drills; later, it was the site of the celebrated “Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations” that kicked off one of the first major tourist booms in New York City, drawing over a million visitors. After the construction of the Sixth Avenue Elevated Railway in 1878, the park fell into a state of neglect and considerable disrepair and was “deemed” disreputable; years later, in the 1930s, it was, once again, redesigned. That wouldn’t be the last time! Fast forward: Modern-day favorite Bryant Park is built entirely over an underground structure housing the New York Public Library’s archives and thrives as a privately managed public oasis; cited as a model for the success of private-public partnerships, it is the most densely occupied urban park in the world! A fine respite from the aggressive climate of the “concrete jungle “ year-round, this beautiful park is the go-to spot during the Holiday Season, when it’s transformed into a Winter Wonderland filled with whirling ice skaters, twinkling Christmas lights and busy shoppers buzzing the scores of food and goodie carts, eclectic little gift kiosks and arts and crafts vendors scattered throughout. The advent of warmer weather brings the bloom of thousands of fragrant daffodils and narcissus, deep purple hyacinth and Easter-egg colored tulips; Spring concerts fill the air above the grounds and gardens and HBO/Bryant Park Summer Film Festival brings Monday night movies beneath the stars! Year-round, visitors enjoy the reading room, free wi-fi, abundant, clean seating, (tiny tables with umbrellas and plenty of well-manicured green grass!) world-class rest facilities, lawn and tabletop games, (ping pong in the park, anyone?) a putting green, an old-fashioned carousel, a variety of dining choices and quirky little “shopportunities”! Bryant Park is the perfect pace to kick off your shoes and the cares of the day- right in the heart of the city!

The Tip of Manhattan, from West and Chambers streets south and west to the Hudson River 212/267-9700 Thirty acres of gardens, playgrounds, one-mile esplanade, public art, and views of the Hudson River.