DESTINATION:
New York
New York's art museums are justly famous and include the encyclopaedic collections of the Metropolitan and MOMA museums, glorious Renaissance art of the Frick Collection, and remarkable collections of the Guggenheim Museum in Frank Lloyd Wright’s gleaming building. The city is an architectural wonderland, and during our special tour we will discover New York’s splendid Beaux Arts constructions, as well as the decorative exteriors and interiors of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.
Recommended duration - 5 nights/6 days (minimum)
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- PANORAMIC TOUR OF THE ARCHITECTURAL HIGHLIGHTS (by coach) – to include the Custom House and the gigantic Brooklyn Bridge, with further exploration of some of the city’s districts in more depth. The variety in styles is no more evident than in the contrast between bohemian Greenwich Village and the lightless canyons of the Financial District, whose skyscrapers compete for height and prestige.
- MORNING CIRCLE BOAT TOUR AROUND MANHATTAN ISLAND – to view the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (we do not get off). Located in New York Harbour, the STATUE OF LIBERTY was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. It was dedicated on 28 October 1886 and was designated a National Monument on 15 October 1924. The Statue was extensively restored in time for her spectacular centennial on 04 July 1986. ELLIS ISLAND has become the symbol of America’s immigrant population and the museum tells the poignant story of 12,000,000 people who landed here between 1892 and 1954 in their search for freedom of speech and religion and for economic opportunity in the United States.
- ST JOHN THE DIVINE – although work on St John the Divine began in 1892, the cathedral has still not been completed, although once finished it will be the biggest cathedral in the world.
- ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL – the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York.
- METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART – founded in 1870 by a group of artists, philanthropical industrialists and financiers, the museum opened two years later with a modest collection of 174 Dutch and Flemish paintings and some antiquities. The grand façade on Fifth Avenue, added in 1902, is a splendid edifice of beaux-arts architecture by Richard Morris Hunt and McKim, Mead and White. The encyclopaedic collections of ‘The Met’ are now so vast as to make this possibly the largest art museum in the western world, with most of the 19 curatorial areas of the permanent collections exhibited on two main floors. European painting, sculpture and decorative art occupy the central part of the museum on both floors. In the galleries which radiate out from the centre on both levels are notable collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, medieval sculpture, decorative and fine arts in the American Wing, Asian art, and pre-Columbian treasures in the Americas wing.
- CLOISTERS MUSEUM – a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters Museum is composed of architectural monuments from five French monasteries, plus a Romanesque chapel and extensive gardens, including a beautiful herb garden. The famous Unicorn Tapestries are displayed here, as are numerous paintings, sculptures, glorious stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, and other objects from medieval times. The splendid medieval complex also affords some stunning views of the Hudson River.
- MUSEUM OF MODERN ART – founded by wealthy patrons in 1929, the Museum continues to set the standards for other museums of its kind. It houses approximately 100,000 works of art, notably a collection of Post-Impressionist classics. MOMA extends the boundaries of art to include many disciplines unrecognised by other galleries, and among its rich and varied collection are fine examples of design in addition to early masterpieces of photography and film.
- GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM – home to one of the world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art, the Guggenheim building itself is a work of art. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1959, the building has been likened to a giant white shell and is the only building by Wright in New York. The permanent collections include works by Leger, Chagall, Kandinsky and Modigliani and the Small Rotunda shows some of the museum’s celebrated Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. On the fifth floor, a sculpture terrace overlooks Fifth Avenue and Central Park. The Great Rotunda has been restored to its former glory, and the replaced glass panes of the dome let in a flood of natural light.
- FRICK COLLECTION – steel magnate Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) amassed a priceless collection of paintings and decorative art, a collection which is displayed in the residential setting of his Fifth Avenue mansion. Intended as a memorial to himself, the mansion and its contents were bequeathed to the nation, and the opulence of the residence and its treasures offer a rare view into the lifestyle of New York’s extremely wealthy elite during the Gilded Age. The art displayed throughout the mansion is of exceptional quality and includes works by Vermeer, Hals and Rembrandt; Titian, Bellini and Holbein; Turner and Gainsborough, amongst many others.
- CENTRAL STATION – built for the New York Central Railroad, it is the largest station of its kind in the world with 44 platforms servicing 67 tracks. It has been commonly known as Grand Central Station since 1913.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- PIERPONT MORGAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM – founded in 1906 to house the private library of J.P. Morgan, it is now a scholarly research centre and museum exhibiting artistic, literary, and musical works ranging from ancient times to the present day. The library also boasts a great range of original as well as illuminated manuscripts, prints, and rare examples of bookbinding.
- LINCOLN CENTRE of performing arts – a base for 12 different arts companies and one of the city’s most important cultural venues for dance, music, and theatre. It is home to the Metropolitan Opera House, New York State Theatre and Avery Fisher Hall, amongst others, and is particularly noted for its state-of-the art jazz facilities.
- CENTRAL PARK – located in the very heart of Manhattan, it is the most famous and most visited of America’s parks and was created in 1856 by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The park covers an area of 843 acres and contains several lakes, fountains, walking tracks, skating rinks, sports fields, playgrounds and even its own zoo!
- GREENWICH VILLAGE – beginning at Washington Square Park at the end of Fifth Avenue. Greenwich Village was once just a village and completely separate from New York. Its narrow winding intertwining streets and alleyways are in stark contrast to the grid-like formality of the rest of Manhattan. The area is now very fashionable and bohemian, and particularly popular with artists, actors, and writers.
- EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – this wonderful 102-storey art deco creation was completed in 1931, taking only 1 year and 45 days to build. It reaches a height of 1253 feet and was once the world’s tallest building. The observation platform on the 86th floor affords spectacular views across the whole city.
- CHRYSLER BUILDING – built as a status symbol for the car manufacturer, Walter P Chrysler, who wanted to create the tallest building in the world. This title was achieved on its completion in 1930, but not for long as the following year saw the unveiling of the Empire State Building! The Chrysler Building is easily recognised by its stainless-steel spire and art deco architectural style.
- CARNEGIE HALL – New York’s first great concert hall dating from 1891. The hall has hosted some of the world’s most famous performers, from Tchaikovsky to Gershwin. It is one of the most famous concert venues in the world and is particularly renowned for its magnificent acoustics.
- RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL – the largest indoor theatre in the world, which is located within the spectacular ROCKEFELLER CENTER and opened in December 1932. This ‘showplace of the nation’ is used for numerous concerts and special events and is also home to the Rockettes Dance Company and the annual New York Christmas Spectacular.