New York City, The City that Never Sleeps! Although New York is a hustling bustling city, it is also a great experience for families. For your next family outing, you might consider a trip to the Big Apple where you can take in hundreds of sights. For instance, while there you could take a trip to the top of the Statue of Liberty, visit Ground Zero where 09/11 occurred, enjoy a ferry ride around Staten Island, and much more. One of the new options is the Skyscraper Museum, which is located in Battery Park City at 39 Battery Park.
This particular museum opens its doors at 12:00 noon and stays open until 6:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Best of all, general admission is just $5 and for students and seniors, only $2.50. With so much to experience and with a price like that, you certainly want to add it to your list of things to do and see while in New York. The Skyscraper Museum first opened 10 years ago and today, it remains a private, non-profit organization. This museum specializes in education of high-rise buildings – both designs from the past and those being considered for the future.
The architectural style of the building is unique and once inside, the entire family will marvel at how far we have come in the design and construction of skyscrapers. The museum features many wonderful programs and exhibits that look specifically at technology, construction, investments, and so on. While parents will enjoy the tour, we recommend this for older children or teenagers, especially those interested in becoming an architect. They will learn so much that can be applied further in life.
While there, you can experience the visually based interface using a 3D computer model of Manhattan, New York. With this, you simply click on the map and you can watch the transformation of the city right before your eyes. The key here is that graphic representation is crucial in future building construction, meaning that up and coming architects need to see and understand the value of computer modeling with actual hands-on work.
Some of the specific buildings highlighted in the tour are the Chrysler Building, Woolworth Building, and the Flatiron Building. Then of course, you have the famous Empire State Building, Lever House, RCA Building, Rockefeller Center, McGraw-Hill Building, UN Secretariat, and the CBS Building/Black Rock. As you make your way through the tour of the Skyscraper Museum, you will learn all kinds of information that you never knew before. As you can see, the trip is both enlightening and educational. For special youth and family programs, you can contact the museum at 212-945-6324 or request information online at education@skyscraper.org.
Just to give you an idea of what to expect, the following are some of the more popular choices:
Tall Tales – From January 21 through March 4, the younger children would enjoy skyscraper storytelling.
Energy Savers – On February 4 and then again April 22, this program teaches people how to create buildings that are energy efficient.
Archikids Workshop – This special workshop will be held on March 18, April 29, and then again on May 20. The workshop is free and designed for children age 9 to 13. During class time, they will learn about and work on a hands-on building project that they can take home.
Shape and Strength Workshop – For the older kids age 10 to 14; this workshop provides them with a chance to complete three projects that are geared toward shape and strength using paper and cardboard.
Skyscrapers – The Ultimate Structural Challenge – Held on June 11, you have a team consisting of the entire family that builds and competes for the tallest, strongest skyscraper. This family project is a great way to spend an afternoon. The workshop starts at 11:00 a.m. and goes until 4:00 p.m.
Keep in mind that Battery Park is a popular tourist area so the price of hotels can be a little more than other locations. If you want to splurge while on vacation, you could always stay at the Ritz Carlton but for those on a tighter budget, many lower cost but nice hotels can be found in the area. For instance, the Seaport Inn is near Battery Park. This historic hotel is conveniently located to just about everything and the prices are affair. Then there is the Battery Park Hotel, a nice but affordable option.
If you plan to visit New York City in the winter, make sure you take warm clothing, as the temperatures can be fierce. The summers, although hot, are tolerable. Regardless of the season that you go, make sure you and the kids have comfortable shoes since you will likely be walking a lot. You can hail a cab but from the Battery Park location, you will have many wonderful opportunities of things to see and do in addition to the Skyscraper Museum.