Join one of the specialists from A Friend in New York for an in-depth focus on your own special interests. Each session features an experienced lecturer (and licensed by the City of New York) in the New York specialty you choose. Our experts' specialties range from Art to Zoology.

Art

An Artist's Demonstration: Paint on Canvas
Understand the creative process. Your internationally-exhibited artist/specialist will escort you through artist studios and galleries for an understanding of the relation of art and the artist.
A Tour of Ceramics Studios and a Hands-on Class
The Glass Arts of New York City: Stained Glass to Contemporary Glass
Studios and Galleries of the Chelsea Art Scene

The World of Contemporary Art: Artist Studios and the Museum of Modern Art
Great Corporate Collections
American Impressionism: New York's Best Collections
The Gallery Business
How to Collect Art

Books and Prints

A Book Lover's New York
If there is one thing New Yorkers are known for, it is book shopping as a social visit or pastime, and one of the great first dates in New York is used book shopping. We will meet sellers and collectors of rare and unusual books, then find the shops where New Yorkers spend the day poring over the shelves for lost treasures, favorites and new interests. This tour will include a small lecture from one of the noted collectors book sellers. A tour of the used book neighborhoods and a visit to the gallery that works with illustrators, whose work makes the books come alive.
The Intimate Edition: Artist Books and Small Presses

Collectibles

Collectors are interesting people and New York is a catch-all for all kinds of collectibles from dolls to deco furniture. With your guide, we will set out to find the best collections, dealers and galleries. Afterwards, we will visit the city's greatest flea markets and antique markets.
Collectible Prints and Posters: With an Eye on Budget
Illustrator's Tour of New York: One of the Currently Collectible Art Forms
Vintage Clothing and Accessories

Design

The Decorative Arts World of New York
Silver and its Uses: Georgian versus Edwardian, Sterling versus Plate, What Silver Marks Mean Beyond the Diamond District: Young Jewelry Designers
Antiques in Interior Design - Choose Your Preference: English, French, American Designs
Join our expert for a tour with a professional's eye. Possibilities can range from architectural salvage yards to the antique centers, from architectural details to fine furniture. Visit places that you can't find on your own where craftspeople who reinvent uses for found objects or studios that create the details that make all the difference in collecting.

Ethnic New York

Our specialists will bring you to a Chinatown and Little Italy you didn't know existed; uncover for you Irish New York, Then and Now; escort you around the changing historic Lower East Side; take you on a visit to historic Ellis Island; find for you an urban Polish village in Greenpoint; or introduce you to the many sides of historic and contemporary Harlem. Day includes minivan and driver, water transportation as necessary, tour director, taxes and gratuities. Appropriate lunch optional. Half-days available.

Firemen and Policemen

Our Finest and Bravest
You will share in the rich history of museum dedicated to New York's Finest. Learn about how the term "cop" came into being and how some of the rules and operations created decades ago are still in effect today and how today's technology keeps us more secure. Your guide will accompany you to the Fireman's museum in SoHo. Fire was the most destructive and threatening problem in New York, going back to the early settlers days. Here you can see first hand the prevention measures taken to keep the most devastating emergency under control. A fascinating tour for people interested in the working history of cities.

History

Join one of our specialists in New York City history and architecture for a fascinating day getting truly
close up with New York's past and see how the past created the present. We recommend:
New York's Colonial Heritage: Richmond Town Restoration
The Industrial Revolution in New York: SoHo and the Cast Iron District
Historical Collections: Morgan Library, New York Historical Society, Museum of the City of New York
The Creation of Midtown 1890-1940: Beaux-Arts and Art Deco New York
Historic Ladies Mile: The Flatiron District Yesterday and Today

Insiders

Find the New York that makes it New York, the worlds behind the world we all know and love.
Our specialists will tailor half- or full day tours for you and your group on a myriad of subjects.
New York's Private Clubs and Historic Houses
The Capital of Fashion
The Magic Backstage
Tasting New York
The Lincoln Center Behind the Stages
New York Women in Literature and the Arts

Jazz

Find the clubs and visit Harlem where it all got started.

Knowledge

Scholarly New York
Visit the intellectual hothouses of New York. We will learn about Columbia University and the Cathedral of St John the Divine, see the Gothic Quadrangle of the CCNY campus. After lunch, we will visit some of the world-renowned scholarly resources of the city: the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Morgan Library, Library for the Performing Arts, and the great New York Public Library.

Love

Romantic New York in Fiction and Reality
Let us help you find the places to remember while you spin dreams of the romantic past

Museums

A Friend in New York offers guided museum tours arranged by the full day sessions. In the morning there is a brief lecture on the sights that we will visit, with an overview of the collections and the history of the institutions.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim.
You will have a chance to become familiar with the far-ranging Met collection. Later, we can compare and the vision of the modern art movement housed in the Guggenheim, the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in New York.

The American Museum of Natural History and Rose Center for Earth and Space.
Meet some of the scientists and curators behind the foremost exhibits of the world around us.

Photographic Images.
We start with a visit to the International Center of Photography, with a tour of the Museum of Modern Art in the afternoon. MOMA was one of the very first fine art centers that included photography as an art form or go to see the historic Alice Austen House home of the first great female photographer.

The Frick Collection and the Cloisters.
The Frick was a private home, and houses the family collection of art that was very carefully curated by Mr. Frick and his advisors. They reflect the collection tastes of his day. Afterwards, we will visit the Cloisters. This museum was assembled with the ruins of several cloisters and abbeys that housed religious orders in medieval times, and houses the most important collection of medieval and early renaissance art in the Western Hemisphere.

Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, taxes and gratuities and appropriate lunch.
Half-days available with appropriate lunch optional.

Neighborhoods

The New York Financial District
We provide two Financial District tours. Any changes in these can be created with enough lead time to plan. These tours are limited to 8 people. A visit to the Federal Reserve or the Stock Exchange will require that we book early and arrange the tours and security clearances accordingly. Business attire is required.
One tour gives the history of downtown New York from the small trading colony of New Amsterdam started by the Dutch West India Company through the American Revolution. This is a descriptive walking tour of the area with visits to landmarks such as the Fraunces Tavern Museum, Trinity Church and the South Street Seaport.
Another tour is geared to the development of the New York Financial Center as seen through its architecture and history, from the time when Trinity Church was the tallest building in New York, though
the banking and commerce skyscrapers of the Beaux Arts and Art Deco movements.
We also offer and recommend:
Greenwich Village and the East Village from Early Suburbia to Cradles of Bohemia
Gothic Manhattan: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Riverside Church and The Cloisters
Historic Harlem: Life and Culture from the American Revolution through the Current Renaissance
The Upper West Side and Lincoln Center
SoHo - America's Largest Cast Iron District
The Upper East Side, Wealthy Homes and Social Lives

Outdoor New York: Urban and Not-So-Urban Horticulture

Our adventures in the flora of New York are half-day excursions that can be combined for a full day of nature in the city. Full day includes transportation fees, minivan and driver, tour director, lunch, admissions, taxes and gratuities. Lunch optional for half-day tour.
The New York Botanical Garden
Explore one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the world, a museum of plants and a world leader in botanical research, with 250 acres of gorgeous grounds, 48 gardens and plant
collections (such as daylilies, herbs, native plants, perennials, alpine plants, roses, annuals, magnolias, and tulips, as well as thousands of shrubs and trees), 50 acres of the Forest that once covered all of New York, and the spectacular Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
Wave Hill: An Oasis of Serenity
A spectacular public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades.
Central Park, New York's Backyard and Glory
Gothic Gardens of New York: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Riverside Park and The Cloisters
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum
Rhododendrons and Reptiles (Staten Island Botanical Garden and Zoo)
If Auntie Mame offered us "Rattlesnake, anyone?" at one of her parties, we would know that she wanted us to whisk her off to the Staten Island Zoo, where the Serpentarium houses an internationally renowned display of reptiles including one of the most extensive collections of North American rattlesnakes. Also here is the new "African Savannah at Twilight" exhibit, which highlights leopards, baboons, lizards, and antelope and several lesser known species in a amazingly realistic representation of the grasslands of central and southern Africa. From the savannah, we will walk through a representation of a South American tropical forest, an endangered habitat with an exciting combination of flora and fauna. At the Staten Island Botanical Garden, we will visit the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, the only authentic garden of its kind in the country and meet one of its designers, and quietly enter the Connie Gretz Secret Garden, modeled after the children's classic.

Parks, Gardens and Our Public Art

Central Park, New York's Backyard and Glory
In the middle of Manhattan, lies an 840 acre oasis that was among America's first major urban parks, and remains one of landscape architecture's most impressive achievements. Quiet overlooks and intense activity, sculpture and nature, characterize Central Park, an ever-changing yet everlasting tableau of New York's people and interests.
Battery Park: The Meeting Point for Horticulture, Public Art, Architecture and History
Greenwich Village, Its Parks and Gardens
The Four Squares: Madison Square, Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Square and Union Square
Statuary New York: an Introduction to Outdoor Sculpture in the City

Queens

No longer the "hometown" of Archie Bunker, Queens is now known as the most diverse borough of New York City, and its many attractions in the arts and sciences reflect that diversity. We will take in the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, a comprehensive collection of artwork by sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) in a tranquil setting created by the artist; the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art; Socrates Sculpture Park, the only site in the New York area specifically dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and exhibit large-scale work in a unique public; and the American Museum of the Moving Image, the nation's largest permanent collection of artifacts on the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. We will also sample Queens' long history: Bowne House (1661), home of John Bowne, who was arrested by Peter Stuyvesant in 1662 for letting Quakers worship in his house, and secured the right of religious freedom in colonial New York; the Quaker Meeting House, New York City's oldest house of worship, used continuously since 1694; King Manor Museum, the former home of Rufus King (1725-1827), antislavery stalwart and member of the 1787 constitutional convention, a 200-year-old estate surrounded by 11 acres of original farmland, and housing King's 5,000 volume private library. Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, taxes and gratuities and appropriate lunch. Half-days available with appropriate lunch optional.

Roaming outside Manhattan

A Visit to Hoboken
Just across the Hudson lies Hoboken, a square mile city of its own in the morning shadow of Greenwich Village, so close to New York City it has sometimes been called "the sixth borough." Hoboken has become a mecca for artists, students and Wall Streeters on the rise, while retaining its traditions, family histories and strong and unique identity. We'll enjoy a ferry ride across the Hudson to the restored 1905 Lackawanna Railroad Terminal, which predates Grand Central by a decade, and was the major point of embarkation for trains west and debarkation for American troops to Europe in the World Wars. Many of the scenes for On the Waterfront were filmed here, and we'll revisit one of the film sites and see the new waterfront where our photo opportunities are boundless. We'll tour Stevens Institute of Technology, one of the top engineering schools in the country. After lunch at one of the dozens of Hoboken's well-known restaurants, we'll visit some artists working in their studios, and get a taste of some of the unique breads at a family-owned bread bakery Hoboken is known for (some say it's the water; others the coal-brick ovens)? On our return to New York by van, we will stop by the bluff in nearby Weehawken (lots more photo ops with a New York City view) where Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in America's most famous duel in 1804. Day includes transportation fees, minivan and driver, tour director, lunch, admissions, taxes and gratuities.

Fabled Estates of Long Island
We will ride out to Long Island's Gold Coast, where turn-of-the-century tycoons such as the Vanderbilts, Phipps and Guggenheims summered in opulent mansions and gardens, and F. Scott Fitzgerald located The Great Gatsby. Our visits may include the historic Sands-Willets House (ca. 1735) which predates the invention of the Gold Coast; Chelsea Center (except March); Coe Hall and the Planting Fields Arboretum (April to September only); Coindre Hall Park (mid-September to October only), Old Westbury Gardens, the Phipps estate; May to December only); the C. W. Post College campus including the former homes of E. F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriwether Post, Nassau County Museum of Art (the Frick estate), Sands Point Preserve (the Guggenheims; May to October only), Wiley Hall (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; except July and federal holidays); and Teddy Roosevelt's stately summer home, Sagamore Hill. (The selection of mansions to be visited will depend upon the day and season of the tour.) Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, admission fees, taxes and gratuities. Lunch is included.

Exploring the Hudson Valley
These full day tours focus on the great estates in the Hudson Valley and their art collections and extensive gardens, most with unforgettable views of the River. Mansion tours may not be available at all times, as many homes are not open for visitors in all seasons or on all days. Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, Lunch, admission fees, taxes and gratuities.


Hyde Park
We will visit Springwood, the historic home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and site of the Roosevelt Presidential Library, the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, an opulent, classical mansion in the grand European scale, where Vanderbilts entertained guests arriving via the Hudson; and the Mills Mansion, (April to September only) a neo-classical, Stanford White work, furnished in formal Louis XV and XVI styles with romantic gardens leading to the Hudson, currently in the process of restoration.

Sleepy Hollow Neighbors
In the adjacent villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, made famous in the Washington Irving tale of the headless horseman, we'll visit Mr. Irving's own home as well as the estates of Jay Gould and the Rockefellers. Irving, who designed Sunnyside in 1835, called it "The Snuggery", which is apropos as it is nestled among the woodlands (March to December, except Tuesdays). Lyndhurst, is Jay Gould's gothic revival castle on the Hudson. At Kykuit, the grandest of the Tarrytown, estates, lived four generations of Rockefellers. We will begin the afternoon Philipsburg Manor, a pre-Revolutionary manor house and grist mill where17th-century Dutch merchants once lived, located at Kykuit's entrance, and serving as its visitor's center. From there, we will visit the house and exquisite formal gardens built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. for his father in 1913, art gallery influenced by Abbey Aldrich Rockefeller, an avid art collector while Nelson's influence is apparent in the 20th-century sculpture gardens. (April to October)

Boscobel and West Point
High above the Hudson River Valley, commanding a picturesque landscape, stands Boscobel, perhaps the most outstanding example of New York Federal domestic architecture remaining in the U.S. Across the river lies West Point. After lunch, we will visit West Point, one of the most popular tourist destinations in New York, where we will join the guided tour of the U.S. Military Academy. We will also see the West Point Museum, preserving 200 years of our military history. Photo identification is required of all visitors. (April through December except Tuesdays and holidays)

Frederick Church's Oleana and Antiquing in Hudson
Hudson, New York, in Columbia County, has quickly become the most important antiques center in the Northeast. Hudson's more than 60 dealers cater to a range of interests: fine and folk paintings and prints; American, English and European furniture; textiles; ceramics and porcelain; books and postcards; antique metalware; architectural and decorative accessories, garden ornaments and even old kimonos. In the morning, we will visit Olana, the Moorish-style country villa of Hudson River School landscape painter Frederic E. Church, built between 1870 and 1891. The house still contains its original furnishings and decor. After lunch, we will visit Hudson's antique shops, meet the dealers and exercise our imaginations.
It may be surprising to learn that Hudson, so far upriver, was a whaling center in the early 19th century, but many Nantucketers settled there. From the Curtiss House's view of the river, the whaling captain's wife could watch for her husband to return from the sea. (Tour available Thursday through Sunday; Oleana from April to October only.)

Surprising Staten Island
Costumed performers will reenact scenes of everyday colonial life for us at Historic Richmond Town, a living time capsule of 27 buildings on over 100 acres. Afterwards, we will travel to a Himalayan Temple on a Staten Island hilltop where the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art features sculpture, painting, ritual objects and musical instruments from Tibet and other Asian countries; contemplate the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, the only authentic garden of its kind in the country, and the Connie Gretz Secret Garden, modeled after the children's classic, at the Staten Island Botanical Garden; see the finest collection of Greek Revival buildings in the United States at Snug Harbor; and visit the 18th Century cottage home of Alice Austen (1866-1952), where are exhibited the works of the first female photographer to capture high and low society in America. Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, Lunch, admission fees, taxes and gratuities.

Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights
Brownstone-lined streets, cinematic views of the harbor and skyline, and major cultural offerings. Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are two of the world-renowned venues we will visit. (4-6 hours) .
Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, Lunch, admission fees, taxes and gratuities.

Shopping

Shopping in New York can be practically a profession. Our specialists will give you a leg up on becoming one of the cognoscenti on visits to "to-the-trade-only" showrooms and word-of-mouth specialists offering unique merchandise in unique ways.
Buying at Auction: Finding a Bargain, Trusting Your Eye and Watching Your Wallet
Fashion: Collections and Collecting
What is that Word "Retail"? Sample Sales and Discount Discoveries
New and Heirloom Silver
Porcelain and Fine China for the Table and Decor
Rare Books
From the Kitchen to the Table: Tools and Looks for Gourmets and Cooks
Antiques in Interior Design: Special Looks You Can Create
Doll Artists and Collectors
Flea Markets and Warehouse Tours
The Wholesale Flower Market
Urban Archaeology: Exploring the Salvage Companies for a Piece of New York

Theater, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts

Make your theater outing truly a special event

In Front of the Footlights: Broadway Yesterday and Today

Hosted by a leading theater historian and licensed New York City tour guide, learn the who, why, where and how of the Great White Way. On this walking tour, you will visit some of Broadway’s most historic theaters, landmarks and behind the scene locations. In  90 minutes, explore the personalities, creative and financial aspects of Broadway. Find out where the stars really dine. Explore the rich history of Times Square and experience the revitalization of the crossroads of the world with its unique architecture, tourist attractions and characters. A great overview for all ages and for anyone who might have a little show biz in their blood. Ideal for a pre-theater activity that would make your “matinee day” a fuller experience.

Broadway Behind the Curtain

An extensive look at the workings of Broadway and Times Square, hosted by a leading theater historian and licensed New York City tour guide. This two hour walking tour gives an in depth look at what it takes to put on a show from concept to opening night. Learn about the audition process, producing, design and the day-to-day operation of Broadway’s greatest shows, and visit some legendary hangouts of the Broadway elite. An intensive discussion of Broadway history gives a keen insight on the ever-changing tastes and secrets of the Great White Way: which theaters are lucky, unlucky and haunted, and how to get the best seats to even the hottest shows. You might even get a chance to meet a working Broadway performer. Great for all ages and for anyone who always wanted to be a star on Broadway.

Broadway Center Stage

The ultimate Broadway experience – this four-hour plus tour is for serious theater enthusiasts. Be a part of the inner workings of Broadway: tour and discuss the theater with a leading theater historian and licensed New York City tour guide (see “In Front of the Footlights” and “Behind the Curtain”), and visit working Broadway professionals at work. You can dine with a Broadway Performer or Technician, meet a Stagehand or Stage Manager, visit a theatrical agency, a prop shop, a costume collection, a Producer’s office, a wig-making studio, a Broadway advertising agency, or a set and lighting design studio, participate in an Acting or Dance class, or even get a private voice or acting lesson taught by a Broadway professional. Or watch in a workshop setting as one of Broadway’s leading make-up artists transforms a model into a character from a famous musical. This four-hour plus customized tour is for serious theater enthusiasts and is custom designed for your particular theatrical interests. Minimum 5 guests and is best with 5 to 12 guests. It is limited to no more than 20 guests.

NBC Studio VIP Tour

Exclusive access to areas of the NBC Studios never seen by the public. You will be treated to VIP service as you visit the studios, control room and beyond. The tour highlights include: Today Show Studio 1A and the Today Show control room, green room, wardrobe and make-up room; Saturday Night Live Studio 8H, home to America’s comedic institution, Studio 61, Conan O’Brien Studio 6A and the prop room; the set of NBC Nightly News (Studio 3A); and more – the home of Dateline NBC, NBC Sports and The Jane Pauley Show; NBC’s broadcast operations and the digital control room – plus a digital photo of you on one of NBC’s famous sets and a special NBC gift bag for each participant. (Each tour is individually crafted based on time and date; not all studios will be available at all times.) The tour lasts two hours and is limited to six participants.

Broadway Backstage VIP Tour – a once-in-a-lifetime exclusive Broadway experience.

A leading theater historian and licensed New York City tour guide will introduce you to theater professionals at work. With the costume supervisor of a major Broadway hit show you will visit the costume shop for the show and learn about the crafts and professions that go into costuming the production. You will even have an opportunity to try on some of the costumes. Then, backstage at the theater, you will meet the make-up designer and enjoy a seminar on theatrical make-up, as demonstrated on a model (or yourself as the model). After the make-up seminar, your guide will introduce you to the theater district with a short walking tour and bring you to your restaurant for your pre-theater dinner. An hour before the show’s curtain time, you will meet the make-up designer at the theater and see the cast being made up before you are escorted to your seats in the auditorium. After the show, you will be brought backstage to meet one of the stars.

The tour includes licensed New York City guide, private transportation to the costume shop and the theater in the afternoon, driver and professional theatrical personnel honoraria and gratuities, best available non-VIP tickets to the show. This customized tour is for serious theater enthusiasts. Minimum 2 guests. It is limited to no more than 6 guests, and is available only on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays – not on holidays. The tour begins at about 1:00 p.m. The performance concludes at about 10:30 p.m. This tour is subject to very limited availability and we are permitted to offer it may be offered only six times per year.

Pricing does not  include pre-theater dinner or additional transportation after the performance. These may be arranged at additional cost. It is customary for guests to bring their guide to dinner. Theater tickets are best available “non-VIP” tickets and are based upon current box office prices at the time of the order and are non-refundable. “VIP” seating theater tickets may be available at a higher price. If satisfactory tickets are not available from the box office for the selected performance, a premium for using a theatrical ticket agency may be charged.

Under New York

A Moving Story of Millions
We will tour Grand Central Terminal - a beaux-arts masterpiece and complex marvel of functionality; view art and architecture in the Subways; and visit the New York Transit Museum, America's largest collection of real vintage subway cars and paraphernalia.

Visual New York

Photo Ops
Our specialists will escort you to fountains, vistas, landmarks, the familiar and the unusual, where you can exercise yourself and your imagination behind and in front of the camera. We will visit famous and infamous sites for you to snap or shoot. You can be in pictures, with professional advice on how to pose for them, or create your own series of New York photographs that will outdo anything found on a postcard. If you prefer, you be the subject for a professional photographer to accompany us. Day includes minivan and driver, tour director, taxes and gratuities. Photographer and photography permit fees, if required, additional. Appropriate lunch optional. (4-6 hours)

Captured Images, Still and Moving
We begin the morning with a visit to the International Center of Photography and a tour of the Museum of Modern Art, which was one of the very first fine art centers that included photography as an art form. After lunch in midtown, we will visit the Museum of Television and Radio where you can stretch your memory and imagination, and then ride over to Queens for the Museum of the Moving Image. Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, taxes and gratuities. Half-days available with appropriate lunch optional.

Waterfront New York

From the first landing of the Dutch traders on Manhattan Island, New York has been a center of world commerce because of its unrivalled harbor and seaport. Learn about the colorful history of New York's harbor from both the land side and the water side.
Shipping, Commerce and the New York Seaport
New York's Waterways: Bridges and Boats
South Street Seaport
Chelsea Piers: Ocean Liners to Aerobics

Xylophones (well, anyway, Jazz; we just needed an X)

Jazz Uptown
Jazz Downtown

Yesterday's Society

Edith Wharton's New York
We will meet at a private club housed in a late 19th century brownstone for a short lecture about Edith Wharton and her popular literature. This introduction will give you an inside look at the life of a remarkable woman whose interests spanned literature, architecture, gardening, art and interior design. In spite of her upper-class background, Edith Wharton became a well- loved diarist of New York at the turn of the century. Enjoy lunch at fashionable Gramercy Park restaurant and take a walking tour of the historic area that was called the Ladies Mile in Edith Wharton's day.

Teddy Roosevelt's New York
First, we will visit the restored childhood home of the only president born in New York City and enjoy a short lecture about its history and the city life of the Roosevelt family. On our walk in the Gramercy Park neighborhood to the Players Club for lunch, your guide will share information about society in T.R.'s era. You will discover the personal history of the sickly child who became a powerhouse, and had an enormous influence on New York. Following lunch, we will head out to Long Island to see Sagamore Hill, T.R.'s historic "Summer White House" in Oyster Bay, where he entertained visiting heads of state and ran the country. Day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, taxes and gratuities. Lunch is optional. Half-days available. A special guide who impersonates this remarkable man can be hired to give your group a bigger sense of his personality.

Zoos

The mission of zoos has changed over the past century from places of exhibition of captured wild animals to places of education for the conservation of the natural environment. The zoos of New York under the direction of the Wildlife Conservation Society, lead the world in this effort save wildlife and wild lands throughout the world, and we can visit the wildlife parks right in New York to gain an understanding of our planet's biological diversity. (Half day includes minivan or van and driver, tour director, admission fees, taxes and gratuities. Lunch optional.)

New York Aquarium
From whales to walruses, from sharks to seahorses, the Aquarium reflects the diversity of marine life itself. The environments to encounter at the Aquarium include Sea Cliffs, a 300 foot-long recreation of the rocky Pacific coast, and Explore the Shore, where we can touch sea stars and experience the energy of a 400-gallon wave crashing on a rocky coast while we stand dry underneath. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins perform in the Aquatheater, from May to October.

Bronx Zoo
With its pioneering efforts to place animals within the context of their natural habitat, the Bronx Zoo has secured its place as one of the foremost zoos in the world. Walk among environments that include African Plains, the Aquatic Bird House, the World of Darkness, the World of Birds, Wild Asia, Jungle World, the Congo Gorilla Forest and the spectacular Butterfly Zone.

Central Park and the Zoo
Tucked in a corner of Central Park is a rain forest that's home to tropical birds, rare monkeys, and fascinating reptiles and amphibians; an icy Antarctic habitat for penguins; a comfortable meeting place for children and gentle creatures; and a watery lunch for sea lions. More than 1,400 animals, of more than 130 species live here. After we become acquainted with some of Manhattan's most unusual residents, we will explore the glories of Central Park.

Please always call or e-mail us to confirm the availability of specific tours, as many venues are not available on some days or in some seasons.