Grant's Tomb

The General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant's Tomb, overlooks the beautiful Hudson River from the Morningside Heights district of Manhattan. For lovers of both architecture and Civil War history, it's a must-see while in New York City.

What is Grant's Tomb?

An old joke asks "Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?" Technically speaking, the answer is "no one". That is, no one is "buried" here but Ulysses S. Grant and his wife 

Grant's Tomb

are indeed entombed in this grand mausoleum.
The couple are ensconced in red porphyry sarcophagi inside this Pantheon-style building that was once one of the most popular tourist attractions in Manhattan. The National Park Service, however, notes that the monument is no longer terribly popular with visitors though Grant is historically considered a war hero and was chiefly responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy in the American Civil War.

Skyscraper Museum

This unique museum, which has occupied several locations, pays homage to the buildings that give the city of New York its unique appearance.

History of the Museum

The Skyscraper Museum, now located in the Battery Parkneighborhood of Lower Manhattan, got its start in 1997 with a display called "Downtown New York", 

Raymond Hood's
1929 proposal
for New York

located in a vacant bank building on Wall Street. The following year, it took up headquarters at the Bankers Trust Building, also on Wall Street, and then in 2000 moved to a location on Maiden's Lane, not far from the World Trade Center. That location closed in 9/11/2001 and was commandeered as a headquarters for emergency operations during the World Trade Center tragedy. During that time, the museum enjoyed temporary quarters on Broad Street.

The Cloisters

A unique branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters is dedicated to the art and architecture of Middle Ages Europe.

A Different Kind of Museum

The Cloisters

The Cloisters museum sits in Upper Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park on a hill overlooking the Hudson River. The museum building and the gardens around it cover approximately four acres (1.6 ha).

The museum was designed by Charles Collens (1873-1956), the same architect who created New York City's Riverside Church. Joseph Breck worked on the inside, with assistance from James J. Rorimer, who created the galleries so that they flowed logically from the Romanesque to the Gothic period.

Castle Clinton

Castle Clinton is a historic fortress built in the early 19th century to defend the New York harbor against the British. Originally built off-shore, it is now located in Battery Park.

Construction

Clinton Castle is the only remaining fortress in Manhattan. It was built in 1808-1811 on an artificial island and was known as the West Battery. The circular brownstone fort was designed by John McComb Jr. and Lt. Col Jonathan Williams. 

Castle Clinton

Intended to defend the city during the War of 1812 against Great-Britain, it was a complement to the East Battery / Castle Williams fortification on Governor's Island. Neither fort saw any military action.