New York City is filled with historical landmarks that have played an instrumental role in shaping it over time, from its iconic Statue of Liberty to Whitney Plantation with its slave trade history and African slaves enslaved at Whitney Plantation; you’re sure to find plenty of opportunities here to gain more insight into America’s past!
Trinity Church stands as an historic landmark in Lower Manhattan. The cemetery adjacent to it holds many notable American historical figures including Alexander Hamilton.
1. The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Ellis Island, part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, has welcomed over 12 million people onto US soil from all corners of the globe since opening its doors to visitors in 1892. A longstanding symbol of freedom and democracy, Ellis Island is among the most visited historic locations across America.
Discover a different kind of revolution at the Gay Liberation Monument in Greenwich Village or tour Thomas Cole’s studio home and studio here – both historic sites are protected by law so any changes must first be approved by the National Park Service.
2. Castle Clinton
Castle Clinton (formerly Castle Garden) in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan is one of America’s premier historic sites, serving as its first immigration center from 1855-1890 and processing over 8 million immigrants during that timeframe.
Today it serves as both a museum and national monument for America, while also acting as the starting point for visitors heading towards Ellis Island or Statue of Liberty.
Castle Clinton played an early preservation battleground role for New York City. Robert Moses’ plans to demolish it and build a bridge from Brooklyn’s Battery Park into Manhattan were controversial at best and many felt its destruction should go ahead as planned.
3. Battery Park
Battery Park in New York City offers an idyllic spot for rest and recreation, and is often visited by both tourists and residents seeking respite from city life.
In 1623, when Dutch settlers arrived and erected their first battery of cannons on Manhattan island, Battery Park earned its name. Today it’s an active public space offering expansive views of both Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as well as multiple attractions that create an interactive experience for visitors.
4. Ellis Island
Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty both provide stunning views of New York City skyline while providing visitors with a chance to gain insight into America’s rich immigration history. Both islands host historical archives, museum tours, and captivating exhibitions that detail immigrant experiences.
Ellis Island was initially known by its Mohegan Native Americans inhabitants as Kioshk or Gull Island before later being purchased by Samuel Ellis for PS600 in 1775 and given its current name.
Between 1892 and 1954, over 12 million immigrants were processed on Ellis Island. Today, this main building and other structures on the island house the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum.
5. National Civil Rights Museum
Housed partially within the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was killed in 1968, this heartrending museum chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement and its lasting impact. Exhibits like ‘A Culture of Resistance: Slavery in America 1619-1861’ and ‘Standing Up By Sitting Down: Student Sit-Ins 1960’ illustrate nonviolent activism’s crucial place within Black American history.
Discover how past struggles for civil rights compare with current issues. Plan your trip around a forum or book signing event for maximum educational benefit and experience.
6. World Trade Center
The World Trade Center was an architectural and historical landmark that was destroyed on September 11th 2001 and rebuilt as One World Trade Center.
The Tenement Museum provides visitors with a glimpse into immigrant families living on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. No other museum compares with this unique institution.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of buildings, districts, sites, structures and objects worthy of preservation in the United States and is managed by the National Park Service.
7. Whitney Plantation
Whitney Plantation Museum in Louisiana is pioneering an approach that goes beyond simply glossing over slavery’s historical impact, by exploring it head on. It is the first plantation museum dedicated entirely to uncovering its painful truths.
Whitney was initially owned by German immigrants of the Haydel family, who ran it as an indigo plantation. When their youngest son inherited it in 1820, however, he converted it to sugarcane production instead.
John Cummings purchased land in the 1990s and spent years creating a tour and museum focused on slavery. Although this undertaking was monumental in scale, its results have become widely respected as an example for properly memorializing slavery’s brutal history.
