New York City - just the thought of taking a class to visit the Big Apple can seem daunting. With so much going on, how can you decide what to visit? Where are the best family-friendly places to take students? How can you maneuver a group of teenagers through all of those people?
Not to fear! When you come to New York with GL Travel, we can help take the burden off of your shoulders and help you focus on what’s most important: the student experience.
When you think of the big apple, you probably imagine the bustling boroughs of lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn or one of the many historical places like Harlem, Chinatown, Queens or Chelsea, or fifth avenue, the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Chelsea Piers, the High Line, New York botanical garden, Coney Island, and Chelsea Piers.
For younger students, you might consider the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Bronx Zoo, the Children's Museum of Manhattan, the New York Aquarium, and the space museum. For older students and groups with a specific interest, visiting specific neighborhoods like hells Kitchen, Williamsburg, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, Soho, and the Upper East Side of the West side gives a true New Yorkers perspective. No matter what comes to mind when you think of New York City, one thing will always be true: the city is host to countless activities perfectly suited to class trips. And while traveling on your own can be fun, there are a few perks you can get from working with a student travel operator.
For example, check out these awesome experiences GL Travel offers...
Enjoy Exclusive Access to Broadway
Everyone knows that one of the highlights of a trip to New York is catching a Broadway performance in midtown. Seeing a show is one thing, but what if your students could enjoy a full workshop with one of Broadway’s finest?
One of GL Travel’s featured activities is setting up a workshop for your students to practice their theatrical skills under the instruction of a performing arts Broadway show professional. Acting, and singing - are all of the skills that make up the professional theater experience. They’ll learn all about the theater industry and return home having honed their thespian skills!
Visit Ellis Island
To truly understand our nation’s history and the character of New York City as a whole, a visit to Ellis Island and lady liberty is a must.
From 1892 until 1954 this small island in New York Harbor served as the main federal immigration station in the United States. Over the course of those 62 years over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island. They came from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and came from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds. They came here seeking a better life. While many immigrants were able to pass the inspections and start their new lives in the United States, others were not as fortunate. Some were turned away due to medical or legal issues, while others were detained on the island until they could be sent back to their home countries.
Your students will be able to visit the intake center, just like those coming to our shores for the first time. What was their experience like? Imagine arriving at a place you’ve only heard of, not knowing if you would be able to pass the inspection, and not knowing anybody here in the US. Sometimes, they wouldn’t even know the language. Your students might even be able to find one of their ancestors logged in the manifest!
A visit to Ellis Island starts at Battery Park, cruises the Hudson River, and includes a stop to see the Statue of Liberty. There are few things more iconic in this country than seeing that torch held aloft 300 feet into the sky. Visiting the Statue of Liberty in person can aid your students in understanding how it became a beacon of freedom and democracy all over the world.
Explore Times Square
When people think of New York they almost always picture Times Square. One of Manhattan’s most well-known attractions, it’s filled with must-do attractions and interesting places. Your travel guide will take you on a walking tour of the top sights, and teach you about the history of the area as well. You’ll see the iconic ball that drops on New Year’s Eve and witness the vibrant billboards scattered across the Square. Perhaps you can take your class for a picnic in Bryant Park next to the square, grab a meal at the Hard Rock Café, or visit Madame Tussauds. No matter how you visit Times Square, you’ll leave without understanding why over 50 million people a year pass through this legendary intersection.
That’s Not All…
While Times Square, Ellis Island, and Broadway experiences are all GL Travel specialties, they are by no means the only things to do in Manhattan. Consider adding some of these other attractions to your trip to supplement your students’ hands-on learning experience.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an absolutely stunning museum located in the heart of New York City. It is the largest art museum in the United States, with a collection that includes over two million works of art from around the world. The museum is home to an impressive array of art from a wide variety of cultures and historical periods, including European paintings and sculptures, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, American art, Asian art, African art, decorative arts, costumes, and textiles.
One of the things that make the Metropolitan Museum of Art so special is the sheer size and scope of its collections. It is truly a treasure trove of art and cultural history, with something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're interested in ancient Egyptian artifacts or modern American paintings, you'll find them at the Met.
In addition to its permanent collections, the Metropolitan Museum of Art also hosts a variety of special exhibitions throughout the year. These exhibitions showcase works of art from the museum's collections and from other institutions around the world and offer visitors the opportunity to see some truly unique and amazing pieces of art.
Where else will your students have a chance to see “The Starry Night” by Van Gogh, or Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory? Or, for something a little more classical, they can see “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli. If that doesn’t inspire them, you can always visit the Egyptian wing to pay your respects to the mummies and finish at the dramatic Temple of Dendur.
Overall, the “Met” is a must-see destination for anyone visiting New York City. It is a world-class museum with something for everyone and is a truly awe-inspiring place to visit.
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station has served as a transportation hub ever since construction was completed in 1913. Today, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority estimates that on an average business day over 750,000, people pass through Grand Central Terminal!
What many people don’t realize is that Grand Central Subway Station is one of the most beautiful buildings in New York. Walk your students into the main hall and they’ll quickly understand why it became such an important architectural landmark to all New Yorkers. While there, you can take the time to talk through the history of transportation, the rise of the steam engine, and why so many people still opt for train travel today.
Grand Central Subway Station also has its fair share of secrets. Your travel guide can tell you why there’s a secret apartment inside and take you to visit the Whispering Gallery. With the help of some quirky acoustics, a quiet whisper can be heard clearly from over 40 feet away, even in the middle of such huge crowds
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is another popular NYC destination that draws a crowd year-round. With 19 commercial skyscraper buildings arrayed over 22 acres of the cityscape, this business complex is host to a number of major corporations, of which NBC studios are the most famous.
Named for John D. Rockefeller Jr, who oversaw the entire project, the Rockefeller Center was built in the early 30s, in the midst of the Great Depression. At a time when jobs could be hard to come by, over 40,000 people were employed in building this city-within-a-city. Today, tens of thousands work in the businesses spread throughout the Center.
While visiting Rockefeller Center is popular any time of the year, the most popular time to visit is at Christmastime when it’s covered in over-the-top decorations. The highlight is the larger-than-life Christmas tree, which is usually between 70-100 feet tall each year. Below the tree lies the world-famous ice skating rink, where skating beneath the holiday lights is one of New York’s quintessential winter experiences.
Central Park
Nestled in the heart of Manhattan is one of the world’s most famous green spaces: Central Park. At a little over 843 acres, this huge park is full of fun things to do for the whole family.
Your students can stroll through the Great Lawn, the city’s most popular spot for picnics, sports, playgrounds, carousels, and sunbathing. Along the way you can visit Strawberry Fields, a small but popular memorial to John Lennon who was tragically killed while coming out of the Dakota apartment building nearby. Your class can learn about Seneca Village, a predominantly African-American community that was razed to create the park.
If you’d rather trade history for beautiful views, a stop at Bethesda Fountain is always a good idea. Or maybe take some pictures from the nearby Belvedere Castle.
If it’s activities that are needed, your class can spend part of the day in the Central Park Zoo and whiteness the wildlife and their natural habitats. Or they can visit the Loeb Boathouse to rent rowboats to explore New York’s most peaceful body of water, simply known as “The Lake.” Another favorite stop is to grab an ice cream and enjoy the bucolic sites.
With so much going on in Central Park, it’s easy to forget the true purpose of the park: relax! A park is a place to forget about the hectic pace of city life and to catch your breath among the beautiful trees and wide open spaces. That makes it a perfect place for a group picnic as well.
Famous Viewpoints
At least once during your time in New York City, you need to see the city from a new perspective: from above! The city is full of iconic locations featuring excellent views of the city hundreds of square feet above street level. You might visit One World Observatory, and tie it in with a visit to the 9/11 Memorial site of the former world trade center and discuss how that fateful day changed America forever. Or maybe you’ll visit the newest viewpoint in Hudson Yards, the Edge. At 1130 feet, it’s the highest sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Top of the Rock in Rockefeller Center is a hugely popular spot, with 2 floors of outdoor viewing space on top of the building. It’s the best view of Central Park in the entire city! And of course, there is the classic viewing platform at the Empire State Building. More than any other structure the Empire State Building has defined New York City for people all over the world.
It’s Time to Travel!
New York City is full of fun, history, and exciting attractions like amusement parks. It’s a great place to take your students for a fun trip that has lots of “wow” factors. They’ll be visiting places that they’ve been seeing on TV and in movies for their entire lives. And that gives you a perfect opportunity to help them understand why these places are so ingrained in the national consciousness.
At GL Travel, we know how hard you work to create a great experience for your students every single day. And we don’t want to add extra stress to your plate. Quite the opposite! That’s why all of our trips come with detailed itineraries and a trained travel guide, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the trip!
To learn more about our trips and how they work, reach out to us! We’d love to talk you through our process and match you with the best trip for your class.