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WHAT IS IT?Mausoleum that contains twin sarcophagi of Civil War General and 18th President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife.
BEAUTY (3/10)
Grant’s Tomb sits on a hill overlooking the Hudson River. The view is nice if not overwhelming. The 150-foot high granite and marble mausoleum begs to be awe-inspiring but falls a great deal short. Its pieces, a rectangular base topped by a circular colonnade topped by a conical dome just do not seem to fit.
The tomb’s interior appeals more than its exterior but not by much. Above you are a standard rotunda, marble arches and pictorials of General Grant’s life. Below you, in a circular well, lay their solid black granite sarcophagi adorned only with their names.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (5/10)
The self-guided tour indicates that the General wanted to be laid to rest in Illinois but acquiesced to being entombed near his Manhattan property. The building was completed in 1897, costing a grand total of $600,000. All the money was raised by donations. One million people were present at the building’s dedication. Since then the site has been a venerable New York City tourist attraction. No, nothing happened here, but it is the most famous final resting location in the United States, right? Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?
CROWDS (5/10)
There were a surprisingly large number of people at the Site on Sunday morning at 10:00. At least 40. We were not crowded but one may be in a higher tourist season. Interestingly enough, we seemed to be the only tourists speaking English to each other. We have no idea what sort of appeal the crypt of a Civil War General holds to a foreign traveler.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)
Perhaps the easiest Site to get to in New York City by car. The only Site where you have even the slightest chance of getting a parking spot. Spots are very difficult during the week, but you might get lucky on the weekend. We did. If you are staying in the City, the crypt is located two moderately steep blocks from the 1 or 9 subway line, 125th Street stop. A taxi ride from midtown to this northern part of Manhattan would be expensive. Most of the visitors we saw were part of a bus tour group.
On the plus side, the Tomb is open every day. On the down side, there are no bathroom facilities.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
Given the small amount of space given to sales items, the bookstore had a good selection of Civil War literature as well as a few neat General Grant knick-knacks.
COSTS (2/5)Entrance into the mausoleum is free. But Manhattan is not a cheap place. Whether it is bridge tolls, a bus tour, or a New York City hotel and a subway trip seeing the Site is going to cost you in some way.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (1/5)
We only saw one Ranger. He was manning the cash register of the Bookstore. Bus tour leaders were giving explanations but we were suspicious of their statements’ veracity.
TOURS/CLASSES (2/10)
No Ranger explanations but the self-guided tour panels were informative regarding the Crypt itself. More history on General Grant would have been nice.
FUN (3/10)
We were asked a good question after our visit, “Did you really think going to a mausoleum would be fun?” I guess we didn’t but, in comparison, the sarcophagus of John Paul Jones, located in the crypt of the Cathedral at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is far more interesting. Not only is Jones’ sarcophagus much cooler looking (carved dolphins, seaweed, starfish and other creatures) but the personal artifacts and explanations of his life are fascinating and educational. I learned nothing more about General Grant after visiting his memorial.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (3/10)
If it is a part of your bus tour, get off the bus and go in.
TOTAL 29/80
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