School Trips To New York History School Trips

A WST tour to New York will support the study of elements of the following exam board specifications.

History

AQA

GCSE

Period studies: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality

Modern depth study: The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad

A level

• The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
• The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945–1980

Edexcel

GCSE

Modern depth study: The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad

A level

• In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917–96
• The USA, c1920–55: boom, bust and recovery
• Civil rights and race relations in the USA, 1850–2009

OCR

GCSE A

Period study and non-British depth study

• The USA 1919–1948: The People and the State
• The USA 1945–1974: The People and the State

A level

• Civil Rights in the USA 1865–1992

SQA

National 5

• Part 3: USA 1850-80
• Part 7: Free at Last? Civil Rights in the USA, 1918–1968

Higher

• European and world: Part G: USA, 1918-1968

Advanced Higher

• USA: ‘a house divided’, 1850–65

Eduqas

Non-British Study in Depth: The USA: A Nation of Contrasts, 1910-1931

Period Study. The Development of the USA, 1929-2002

Politics

AQA - A level

• Government and politics of the USA

Edexcel - A level

• Comparative Politics: Government and Politics of the USA

OCR - A level

• Government and Politics of the USA

Eduqas - A level

• Government and Politics of the USA

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Located on the World Trade Center site this memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honour to the people killed in the terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001. The main feature of the memorial is the twin reflecting pools which sit within the footprints of where the twin towers once were. The names of every person who died are inscribed into bronze panels edging the pools. The Memorial Museum includes an exhibition on the events of 9/11 and the aftermath.

9/11 Tribute Center

Located next to FDNY firehouse and across from the World Trade Center site, the Tribute WTC Center offers a ‘person to person history’ to help visitors to New York understand the historic events and the people who experienced them. During a New York history trip, your students can have the unique opportunity of taking a guided tour around the 9/11 Memorial with a Tribute Center Walking Tour Guide; survivors, workers who assisted in the recovery efforts, lower Manhattan residents, or family members that lost loved ones. Each tour will offer a unique personal experience of the events, the aftermath and how life goes on. 

Downtown Manhattan Walking Tour

As always the best way to get around and see a city is on foot, especially when looking at it from a historical perspective. New York history school trips' downtown walking tours will take in some of the well known locations in New York’s political and economic history including Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange and Battery Park.

Ellis Island Museum

Located in the Main Building of the former immigration station complex, the Ellis Island Museum holds the history of the 12 million immigrants who came to America through the golden door of Ellis Island. The exhibits in this museum include artefacts, photographs, prints, oral histories and much more.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is an American military and maritime history museum with a collection of museum ships in New York City. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum showcases the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the submarine USS Growler, a Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance place and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

Museum Of American Finance

A trip to the Museum of American Finance can help your students to learn more about the Wall Street Crash and to understand how finance impacts their daily lives today. Whilst visiting the Museum, along with a guided tour, your students can take part in a 45-60 minute lesson taught in the education center by museum educators and industry experts.

Radio City Music Hall

As the largest indoor theatre in the world, when depression hit this prime spot in Midtown New York, it was turned into the Radio City Music Hall. Visiting Radio City can allow your students to learn about its history, listen to the ‘mighty Wurlitzer’ and enjoy ‘a masterpiece of American Modernist design’.

Spyscape

The world’s preeminent spy museum and experience. You can explore the fascinating world of hacking and espionage, and discover your inner spy. Real spy challenges include lie-detection in interrogation booths, observation in surveillance missions, and agility in special ops laser tunnels. Their profiling system (developed with a former Head of Training at British Intelligence) will tell you what kind of spy you’d be. SPYSCAPE brings amazing spy artefacts and stories to life in a uniquely entertaining experience.

The Tenement Museum

The Tenement museum shows the experiences of 19^th and 20^th century immigrants from many different cultures. It allows the students to visit one of the tenement apartment buildings which was home to almost 7000 working class immigrants and tells the stories of their lives in America.

United Nations Building

The UN Building is the work place to representatives of the earth’s six billion people who discuss and decide issues of peace, justice and economic and social well being. Going on a guided tour of the United Nations headquarters in New York can offer your students a behind-the-scenes view of this organisation at work. 

Midtown Manhattan Guided Walking Tours

As always the best way to get around and see a city is on foot, especially when looking at it from a historical perspective. During history trips to New York, a Midtown walking tour is the best way to see some of New York’s iconic sights in a very short time. You tour can include Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center,  Fifth Avenue, 42nd street, Central Park and Times Square or can be tailored to suit your choices. 

Empire State Building

No visit to New York is complete without a visit to the top of New York’s most iconic skyscraper. 

Harbour Cruises

Get a close up view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island you can choose from two options:

• Liberty Cruise - A 1 hour cruise of the harbour.
• Island Cruise - You can disembark at both Liberty Island and Ellis Island on this hop on hop off cruise

Hershey's Chocolate World  

The Hershey’s Chocolate World Sweet Educational Tour is ready to show you a world you've never known. Set as A walking tour of the iconic Times Square location, this learning experience is about more than milk, sugar and cocoa. You'll learn more about Hershey’s iconic brands, why we decided to come to the crossroads of the World, Times Square, and of course taste several different Hershey’s products. Milton Hershey loved nothing more than to enrich the lives of others, and this tour plans to do just that!

Madison Square Garden All Access Tour

An insider’s look at this state of the art arena. You will explore the Knicks and Rangers locker rooms and relive historic moments with the new Garden 366 experience and Defining Moments exhibit.

NBC Studio Tour

Go behind the scenes of some of the most well-known TV shows. You will visit the NBC Sharp Globe Theatre, Broadcast Operations, the Make Up room, and even produce your very own news and weather programme.

Top Of The Rock

The observation desk at the top of the Rockefeller Center provides a unique 360 degree view of New York, including the Empire State Building.

One World Observatory 

The tallest observatory in the western hemisphere, located at the 9/11 memorial site, offering spectacular panoramic views of New York. The visit also includes numerous videos and multimedia experiences. There are 5 lifts including a sky pod elevator that ascends to the 102^nd floor in under 60 seconds. You can choose from various cafés and restaurants. Visit lasts approx. 45 to 60 minutes.  

Tv & Movie Sites Tours

Choose from a range of coach or walking tours around the city, taking in locations of well-known shows and movies, venues where the stars hang out and even see where your favourite celebrities live. Shows and movies include Friends, Seinfeld, Glee, The Devil Wears Prada, Spiderman, Elf, Hitch and many more. Themed tours include Sex and the City Hotspots, Central Park Movie Sites, Gossip Girl Sites and Sopranos Sites.

New York’s Art Galleries:

The Metropolitan Museum

One of the largest art galleries in the world, located on Fifth Avenue next to Central Park.

Museum of Modern Art  (MoMA)

Often seen as one the most influential museums of modern art, the MoMA offers a collection of both modern and contemporary art. It is centrally located between 5^th and 6^th Avenues.

The Guggenheim

The Guggenheim is visited not just for its exhibitions of impressionist, post-impressionist, early modern and contemporary art, but also its iconic building which is known as one the 20th Century’s important architectural landmarks. The museum is located on the exclusive Upper East Side. 

Friends of the Highline

This unique visit allows the public to explore what was once a major train line known as New York Central Railroad. The train line, which was very popular in the 1930’s became less successful in the 1980’s, forcing it to close.  In 1999, Friends of the Highline decided there was still life in the old railroad yet and embarked upon a journey of re-development. The train line is now a beautiful public park and architectural masterpiece. School groups can opt for a structured visit or they can simply guide themselves around. There are also free educational materials to support your visit available on their website.

Sporting Events

Subject to availability your group can attend a sporting event in and around the city. If you ask us early enough we can look at what is available with all the different New York teams for something to suit your budget.

Metropolitan Opera

‘The Met’ opera company is located at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts and is the largest classical music organisation in North America. The season runs from September to May and the schedule of performances offers some student rates on key performances throughout this time. Contact us for more details.

Broadway Theatre Productions

Give your students an experience to remember by arranging a trip to a Broadway show. They’ll really go home with the ‘WOW’ factor. Current popular shows are Lion King, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Disney’s Aladdin, Chicago and Matilda.

Shopping

A trip to New York is not complete without a trip to world famous shops and department stores:

• Fifth Avenue: Some of New York’s best known shops can be found here including FAO Schwarz, Apple Store, Abercrombie & Fitch and Saks
• Bloomingdales: Located close to Fifth Avenue, a little brown bag from Bloomingdales is an iconic souvenir from a trip to New York.
• Macy’s: The largest department store in New York, located on West 34^th Street
• Century 21: A bargain hunters paradise, located close to Ground Zero
• South Street Seaport: This Lower Manhattan eastside shopping destination offers a distinct mix of shops, restaurants and cafés. 

Restaurants

We can arrange evening meals in restaurants in the city with options to suit all tastes. Our most popular choices are:

• Planet Hollywood
• Hard Rock Café
• Bubba Gump Shrimp
• Buca Di Bepo
• Dave & Busters
• B Smiths
• Bowlmor – bowling and dining
• Italian Restaurants
• Chinese Restaurants