Visited: Saturday, April 2, 2016
This is where you buy tickets to go to the Statue of Liberty, if you didn't already get them online.
Unfortunately, that's most of what the site is, today. The history of the site - presented in one small room - is really quite interesting; built to help defend New York City, it never actually served in that was, but became part of the NY social scene, then a key immigration point, then an aquarium. Restored to the historic look, in many ways site feels much more authentic than Federal Hall.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
101) Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island
Visited: Saturday, April 2, 2016
Both Megan and I had been to the Stature of Liberty before - over 30 years before - at a point when continuing on to Ellis Island after wasn't an option. It was still very impressive to see the statue up close again - and the ranger who lead a talk about the statue was excellent, giving insight into the groups (women and African Americans) who felt left out of the promise of liberty.
Ellis Island was fascinating. We took the hard hat tour, and it was excellent - it's the only way to get to see the hospitals, which are really fascinating; the infectious disease ward has held up better than the general hospital, but both are very interesting places. The care afforded immigrants was really quite impressive - while there was a desire to not let diseases into the country, there really wasn't a desire to punish folks for being ill - just a desire to heal them.
Both Megan and I had been to the Stature of Liberty before - over 30 years before - at a point when continuing on to Ellis Island after wasn't an option. It was still very impressive to see the statue up close again - and the ranger who lead a talk about the statue was excellent, giving insight into the groups (women and African Americans) who felt left out of the promise of liberty.
Ellis Island was fascinating. We took the hard hat tour, and it was excellent - it's the only way to get to see the hospitals, which are really fascinating; the infectious disease ward has held up better than the general hospital, but both are very interesting places. The care afforded immigrants was really quite impressive - while there was a desire to not let diseases into the country, there really wasn't a desire to punish folks for being ill - just a desire to heal them.
100) African Burial Ground National Monument
Visited: Friday, April 1, 2016
We hadn't really planned to visit this site, but after being underwhelmed by Federal Hall, we decided to give it a go. And went through the most thorough security screening I recall; I had to remove my glasses to get through.
The site was excellent, and a very fitting 100th NPS site to visit. Rediscovered when a federal building was being built here during the 1990s, the burial ground was called one of the most important archaeological digs of the 20th century, providing unique insight into the early life of free and enslaved Africans in New York. Most touching is the memorial, a tribute to those whose graves were disturbed when the site was discovered.
We hadn't really planned to visit this site, but after being underwhelmed by Federal Hall, we decided to give it a go. And went through the most thorough security screening I recall; I had to remove my glasses to get through.
The site was excellent, and a very fitting 100th NPS site to visit. Rediscovered when a federal building was being built here during the 1990s, the burial ground was called one of the most important archaeological digs of the 20th century, providing unique insight into the early life of free and enslaved Africans in New York. Most touching is the memorial, a tribute to those whose graves were disturbed when the site was discovered.
99) Federal Hall National Memorial
Visited: Friday, April 1, 2016
The site of Washington's first inauguration, and the initial home for congress and the federal government - in a building that was demolished over 200 years ago And where a new building was built - and eventually became an NPS site due to the importance of the site. Really not the most interesting of NPS sites, so we decided to move on.
The site of Washington's first inauguration, and the initial home for congress and the federal government - in a building that was demolished over 200 years ago And where a new building was built - and eventually became an NPS site due to the importance of the site. Really not the most interesting of NPS sites, so we decided to move on.
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