New York Religious Studies School Trips & Tours

Exploring 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture, the museum tells the story of Jewish people through more than 800 works of art, and covers topics including ancient civilisations, immigration, the Holocaust and cultural identity.

The museum’s permanent Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey’ exhibition tells the story of the Jewish people through art and media, including radio and television programmes related to the Jewish experience.

Consisting of a multimedia bus/walking tour or a guided walking tour, this experience takes you to the heart of the Civil Rights Movement in Harlem and to the very sites where history happened. Includes the mosque of Malcolm X and the church of Wyatt Tee Walker (top aide to Martin Luther King).

We have developed links with key figures within the Civil Rights Movement who would like to share their unique experiences with our groups. Spend an hour in the presence of men and women who worked and campaigned alongside Martin Luther King and gain an electrifying experience that few, whether students or teachers, will ever forget.

Opened in 2014, the museum explores the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events and exploring 9/11’s continuing significance. It demonstrates the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at local, national and international level. The museum is growing a permanent collection of artefacts, stories, photos, video and other materials.

The 9/11 memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011 in a ceremony for victims’ families. The memorial honours the 2,983 who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The memorial allows visitors to come together again in the spirit of unity and courage that emerged in the wake of 9/11. The memorial consists of two pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers, surrounded by a plaza of more than 400 trees. The names of the victims are inscribed in bronze around the pools.

Located across the street from Ground Zero, the chapel survived the attack on the World Trade Center and became the centre of hope, refuge and faith in the months that followed. Used by thousands of emergency service workers during the recovery process, the chapel gates were used as a make-shift memorial and many personal items from this time are displayed inside the building today.

Designed in the Romanesque architectural style, the temple was completed in 1929 and is the world’s largest synagogue. The building houses a museum, which details the history of the congregation and local Jewish life.

The largest gothic-style Catholic Cathedral in the United States and a pre-eminent centre of Catholic life. The seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, the cathedral has hosted services for many fallen police and fire fighters after 9/11.

Highlighting the experiences of poor 19th century and early 20th century immigrants from different cultures, the museum tells the stories of one tenement apartment that was home to nearly 7,000 working class immigrants.

Tours also available including Irish Outsiders, Meet the Residents, and Hard Times.

Alongside the ultimate landmark of New York and one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy, the Ellis Island Museum is dedicated to the history of immigration and the important role this island claimed during the mass migration of humanity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A 45-minute audio tour invites students to relive the immigrant experience as if they were the new arrivals and includes artifacts, photos, interactive displays and videos including the award winning ‘Island of Hope, Island of Tears’.

You will visit the island as part of a short boat cruise passing the Statue of Liberty, which was the first sight for the millions of immigrants.

The 104 storey building stands on the World Trade Center site in Manhattan - giving amazing views of the city as well as interactive exhibitions on the building and the city. Groups will ascend to the 102nd observation floor in under 60 seconds in one of five sky pod elevators!

See a spectacular Broadway performance - entertainment at its greatest! Choose from shows such as Wicked, Chicago and The Lion King.

Take in a spectacular view of Manhattan from the water, and pick out the many famous landmarks which dominate its skyline.

As well as the visits listed, we are able to provide fantastic group prices on many other New York attractions. Or why not schedule in some free time for your group to shop ’til they drop at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, or Century 21!

Take some time out to watch a popular recent release or 3D film on one of several huge cinema screens.

It’s a thrill-a-minute aboard New York’s fastest boat ride. Imagine flying across the waters of New York harbour at 45mph. An exhilarating alternative to our popular Circle Line Cruise, at no extra cost. Seasonal.

Experience the best and most complete daytime view of New York City! Bring your sketchbook with you and you’ll be spoilt for choice over what to sketch. The unparalleled views of New York’s landmarks include Central Park, the Chrysler Building, Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty – simply the most spectacular view in the city!

Venture over a quarter of a mile skyward and observe as your group takes in the scale of the immense urban landscape which opens up before them. This is a great way for your students to gain artistic inspiration away from the hustle and bustle of the streets below. A particularly popular evening visit.

RiseNY pairs museum-style galleries with an amusement park-quality ride.

Begin your adventure with an immersive film by an award-winning documentarian that transitions to an interactive self-guided walkthrough tracing tipping points in history that helped shape Music, Fashion, TV, Theater and more in each dedicated gallery:

• Discover the rise of Wall Street and The New York Stock Exchange in the Finance Gallery.
• Learn the history of mass media with Telsa’s Coil in the TV/Radio Gallery.
• Understand the law of physics through the Otis elevator brake in the Skyline Gallery.
• Visual, language and performing arts come to life in the Fashion, Music, Broadway and Film Galleries.

Then, board an extraordinary elevator experience that transports you to a spectacular virtual soaring ride! Feel the rush of wind in your hair as you “fly” over the world’s most stunning skyline.

Explore three levels of mind-bending multi-sensory immersive experiences. With magnificent views over the Manhattan skyline, Summit takes the concept of an “observation deck” to entirely new heights.

Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, a marvel of architecture, engineering, and technology with panoramic views of New York City. Edge combines the pulse-quickening excitement of leaning out over a 100-story outdoor balcony with the warm welcome of elevated food & beverage service in a unique social space.

There are free downloadable STEM resources to take students on a virtual adventure into NYC’s newest and most forward-thinking neighbourhood. Get students thinking like community builders and changemakers by harnessing the Design Engineering Process, a simple tool you can use to elevate Reach for the Sky resources and ground student explorations in project-based learning.