Manhattan Project Tour
Oppenheimer in NYC
Explore the origins of the Manhattan Project in NYC
Embark on a captivating and illuminating tour through the Upper West Side and Lower Manhattan to explore New York City’s atomic history with NY See Tours. Visit the sites where the Manhattan Project originated and where Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” was born on April 22, 1904. He and his family resided on the upper Westside of Manhattan, in picturesque, beautiful and still mostly unchanged Riverside Drive. An area designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of Central Park.
The birthplace of the groundbreaking Manhattan Project, which ultimately produced the atomic bomb, originated in New York City. General Leslie Groves, the driving force behind the project, set up its inaugural office in Lower Manhattan in mid-June 1942.
General Groves appointed Dr. Oppenheimer as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project in 1942. With a team of other brilliant scientists and engineers, Oppenheimer led the construction and testing of the first atomic bomb at Los Alamos. The first successful test of the nuclear bomb took place on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert.
Itinerary:
- The tour begins on the campus of Columbia University
- We’ll visit the site of the Pupin Physics Laboratory
- A walk down beautiful Riverside Drive.
- A peaceful walk in Riverside Park.
- The Statue of Shinran Shonin at the New York Buddhist Temple.
- Oppenheimer’s apartment building on Riverside Drive.
- City Hall, the Woolworth Buildings, and 270 Broadway, where the project began
- Your knowledgeable guide will share their insights and observations about the Manhattan Project and the many other sites you will see along the way.
- The tour culminates at the Croton Fountain in City Hall Park
On your Manhattan Project Tour, you’ll delve into the captivating history of Robert Oppenheimer and the vast scale of the Manhattan Project. You will visit some original sites of the Manhattan Project and Oppenheimer’s birthplace while gaining a unique insight into the history of the world-changing project.
The tour provides a fascinating insight into the vast scale of the Manhattan Project. You will have the opportunity to visit some of the original sites of the project and Oppenheimer’s birthplace, gaining a unique perspective on this world-changing event.
In addition to exploring the history of the Project, you’ll enjoy a scenic walk along historic Riverside Drive, where you’ll see the Schinasi Mansion, the largest private detached home in NYC, The River Mansion, once home to the Bronfman’s, and other notable homes and monuments. You’ll also make a brief detour into Riverside Park. This area has remained physically unchanged for the last hundred years, making it a unique and peaceful place for a quick rest.