History & Politics Trip to New York

About this trip

We have selected excursions that specifically relate to and provide the best learning opportunities for different areas of the GCSE revisions for the AQA, OCR and Edexcel syllabuses. Please ask your travel advisor for advice on which excursions are most appropriate for your exam board. ‘Prices from’ is based on low season departure, inclusive of flights, transfers and room only accommodation.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 Find out more

Fly from the UK to New York
Arrive in New York
Transfer to accommodation

Day 2 Find out more

Ellis Island and Museum/Statue of Liberty
9/11 Memorial and Museum
Group dinner Little Italy or Chinatown
Empire State Building

Day 3 Find out more

Tenement Museum
Central Park
American Museum of Natural History
New York Historical Society – Museum and Library (tours possible)
Uptown pizza dinner
Broadway show

Day 4 Find out more

Depart accommodation
Jewish Heritage Museum
Board flight back to the UK

Day 5 Find out more

Arrive back in the UK

Day 6 Find out more

Day 7 Find out more

Day 8 Find out more

Excursion Ideas

Ellis Island and Museum/Statue of Liberty Find out more

Ellis Island and Museum/Statue of Liberty

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: An exciting and memorable experience that will take you to the iconic Statue of Liberty, along with a visit to Ellis Island Immigrant Museum. At the museum, visitors learn about Ellis Island’s history before, during, and after its use as America’s immigration station. The museum also tells the stories of why so many people immigrated to America and what became of them after they arrived. For the Statue of Liberty there are two options for you to choose pre-tour: access to the pedestal or the pedestal and crown.

Select Says: Audio Tours are included with the purchase of every ticket. The audio tours, which complement the National Park Service (NPS) Ranger-led tours on the islands, provide a major enhancement to the visitor experience on both islands.

911 Memorial and Museum Find out more

911 Memorial and Museum

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site. It tells the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artefacts. It serves as the country’s principal institution for examining the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of the events and exploring the continuing significance of September 11, 2001.

Select Says: The museum’s website has an excellent interactive timeline for pre tour work and post tour follow up/discussion.

Wall Street Find out more

Wall Street

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: A guided walking tour in the Financial District, the financial capital of the world. A relative theme is the Wall Street stock market crash in October 1929 when the world economy was plunged into the Great Depression.

Select Says: You will pass by the Federal Hall National Memorial – George Washington was inaugurated on the balcony of the original Federal Hall.

Jewish Heritage Museum Find out more

Jewish Heritage Museum

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: Created as a living memorial to those who perished during the Holocaust, the Museum honours those who died by celebrating their lives. The core Exhibition and award-winning special exhibitions present the 20th and 21st century experience from the perspective of those who lived it. New generations are taught how to recognize and fight contemporary instances of injustice and oppression.

Select Says: Aspects of the collection which contribute to areas of the curriculum include: Holocaust ghettos and camps, Nazi and collaborationist materials, non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and Jewish participation in the Civil Rights Movement.

Empire State Building Find out more

Empire State Building

Subject Range: Business Studies, Cultural, Art & Design, History

What you’ll experience: The Empire State Building is an iconic skyscraper and a symbol of New York City’s architectural prowess. Standing at 1,454 feet tall, it was completed in 1931 and held the title of the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years. Its Art Deco design and prominent location in Midtown Manhattan make it a recognizable landmark. Visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the city from its observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors, experiencing a panoramic perspective of New York’s skyline and beyond. The Empire State Building remains a testament to innovation and a must-see attraction for those exploring the city.

Tenement Museum Find out more

Tenement Museum

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: The Tenement Museum preserves and interprets the history of immigration through the personal experiences of the generations of newcomers who settled in and built lives on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The museum tells the stories of 97 Orchard Street – this tenement apartment building was home to nearly 7000 working class immigrants who faced challenges such as making a new life, working for a better future, and starting a family with limited means.

Select Says: The materials on the museum website will help enrich your visit and aid teaching students about immigration.

Harlem History Tour/Uptown Bus Tour Find out more

Harlem History Tour/Uptown Bus Tour

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: A guided tour of Harlem is a fantastic opportunity for students to walk in the footsteps of history with possibilities including passing the club where Billie Holiday once sang and seeing where Malcolm X delivered his speech in 1963.

Select Says: A wonderful tour for bringing aspects of the curriculum to life for your students, and aid their understanding of the contributions that 1960’s Harlem made to the American Civil Rights Movement.

American Museum of Natural History Find out more

American Museum of Natural History

Subject Range: Science, Cultural, History

What you’ll experience: One of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds across the street from Central Park, the museum complex has 27 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls. The museum collections contain over 32 million specimens of plants, humans, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts, of which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time.

Select Says: Check the American Museum of Natural History website for current exhibitions.

New York Historical Society – Museum and Library Find out more

New York Historical Society – Museum and Library

Subject Range: History

What you’ll experience: A group visit to the New-York Historical Society gives students the opportunity to experience a taster from over 1.6 million works of art and 40,000 objects that tell compelling stories about New York and the nation’s history. Look out for new additions to the museum – in December 2016, the fourth floor will be transformed into a new destination for historical education.

Select Says: The museum offers a variety of educational options suitable for different themes covered by the various exam board specifications. Please see their website and contact us for further details and to view current and upcoming exhibitions relating to learning requirements.

Accommodation Options

Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Find out more

Fairfield Inn & Suites New York

Our Rating:

Location: Times Square

What you’ll experience: This prime location puts you right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and walking distance to the Javits Center, Rockefeller Center, Penn Station, the Port Authority, and Grand Central. Legendary parks like Central Park and Bryant Park are a short distance away and the lavish Hudson Yards is right around the corner. Rooms: All rooms have en-suite facilities. Facilities: Our guest rooms all have ample workspace, highspeed WiFi and Smart TVs.

Gallivant New York Times Square Find out more

Gallivant New York Times Square

Our Rating:

Location: Times Square

What you’ll experience: The hotel is 200 metres from Restaurant Row, 650 metres from Rockefeller Center and 1.4 km from Central Park. The 49 Street underground station is a short 3 minutes’ walk from the property. Rooms: All rooms have en-suite facilities. Facilities: At The Gallivant Times Square you will find a 24-hour front desk and a bar. Other facilities offered at the property include a vending machine.

HI New York City Find out more

HI New York City

Our Rating:

Location: New York

What you’ll experience: This uptown New York hostel is 1 block from Broadway Street and a 10-minute walk to Central Park. HI NYC Hostel is a 2-minute walk from the 103rd Street Subway Station, a 12-minute walk from Riverside Park, and an 18-minute train ride to Times Square. Rooms: Shared bathroom facilities. Facilities: This accommodation offers a games room with pool tables, free Wi-Fi, a movie lounge, and a large patio. Guests have free access to the large community kitchen and can get beverages and snacks from the café.

MOXY Hotel NYC Find out more

MOXY Hotel NYC

Our Rating:

Location: Midtown – Times Square

What you’ll experience: Situated in the heart of Midtown, under the shimmering lights of Times Square, offering guests close access to Manhattan must-sees like Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, and Broadway. Rooms: All rooms have en-suite facilities. Facilities: Find fast and free Wi-Fi, oversized rain showers, smart streaming TVs and design-forward decor in boutique style accommodations.

West Side YMCA Find out more

West Side YMCA

Our Rating:

Location: Manahttan – Upper West Side

What you’ll experience: Located 50 metres away from Central Park, this hostel is located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, just 5 minutes’ walk from Columbus Circle. Lincoln Center is just 300 metres from the hostel, while Carnegie Hall is 700 metres away. The American Museum of Natural History is 15 minutes’ walk away. Rooms: A desk, a TV and air conditioning are provided in each room at West Side YMCA. Linens and towels are included as well. All rooms have access to a shared bathroom down the hall. Facilities: WiFi access is provided free of charge to guests.

Accommodation 15 Find out more

Curriculum Links

KS4 (GCSE)
AQA: America, 1920–1973: Boom, Bust and Recovery / Conflict and Tension: The Cold War
Edexcel: The USA, 1919–1941 / Superpower Relations and the Cold War
OCR: Civil Rights in the 20th Century / Immigration and Urban History

KS5 (A-Level)
AQA: US domestic history and civil rights / Modern US events
Edexcel: Civil Rights 1945–1992 / US Politics and International Relations
OCR: USA 1919–1941 / 1945–1992 / US Politics