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| General Grant
National Memorial Riverside Drive at
West 122nd Street
Manhattan
(212) 666-1640
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.
- 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
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Summary: The
tomb of President Ulysses S. Grant and
his wife, Julia. Also the source of a
really stupid riddle -- don't fall for
it!
Who's
Buried in Grant's Tomb?
This is an old joke to which
the answer is no one. Our eighteenth
president and his wife are, however, entombed
here. Made of 8,000 tons of granite, with
Massachusetts marble for the floors and
fine Italian marble for the railings and
trimmings, Grant's Tomb sits high above the
Hudson River in the midst of a beautiful park.
It was once one of the most popular
attractions in New York City, although it
rarely attracts much of a crowd today.
The
History of Grant's Tomb
Ulysses Simpson Grant, a
Civil War hero who was thought to be
chiefly responsible for the defeat of the
Confederacy, was perhaps the most popular
American in his day. Although his
eight-year presidency was marred by
government corruption, Grant was
nevertheless held in great esteem by
millions of Americans when he died (of
throat cancer) on July 23, 1885.
Even before his death, the
Grant Monument Association had been
formed to raise funds for constructing a
monument in his name. Ultimately, 90,000
people donated $600,000 to the project.
At the time, this was the most money that
had ever been raised for a public
monument. Given Grant's popularity, it
was a major coup for New York City when
William Grace, the city's mayor, secured
the site where the monument now stands as
Grant's final resting place. There is no
doubt, however, that this political
victory was aided by Grant's request that
he be buried in St. Louis, Galena,
Illinois, or New York City, rather than
Washington D.C.
The original design for the
monument by John Duncan, the New York
architect chosen by the Grant Monument
Association, was far too ambitious given
the amount of money budgeted for
construction. Duncan's elaborate vision,
which included stairs leading down to a
dock on the river, under which a train
would have passed, was abandoned and the
monument itself was scaled back to half
the size of the original plan.
The monument was dedicated
on April 27, 1897. Although it pales in
comparison to the original plans, the
monument, officially known as the General
Grant National Memorial, is still an
impressive site and is the largest tomb
in North America.
What You Will See
We admit to being impressed with the size
of the structure when we first entered
Grant's Tomb. Look up and you will be
able to see the distant top of its dome.
Go to the circular railings in the middle
of the room and look below to see the tomb of
Ulysses S. Grant on the left and the tomb
of Julia Dent Grant on the right. The
tombs, and the marble which surrounds
them, are majestic and befitting for a
president and his wife.
But after a few minutes we
realized that there really isn't much
else to see. There are basically four
rooms. In addition to views of the dome
and the tombs, the main room contains
allegorical statues which depict Grant's
childhood, service to the military,
presidency, and death. Small exhibits on
either side of this room also provide
information about Grant's career and tell
the story of the monument's construction.
Finally, colorful
mosaics that depict some
of Grant's greatest moments on the
battlefield, decorate the upper part of
three of the room's walls.
On either side of this main
chamber are two small, identical rooms
wallpapered with maps that show all of
the significant battle sites of the Civil
War. The fourth room, below, is where the
tombs lie. The tombs stand in the center
of this circular room, surrounded by
busts of Grant's closest friends, such as
General Sheriden and General Sherman.
And that, as brief as it may
have been, is Grant's Tomb.
Why Go To Grant's
Tomb?
The best reason to go to
Grant's Tomb is to say that you have been
there and have seen it. Since the
memorial is free and open seven days a
week, it is relatively convenient. So if
you have a couple of hours to kill while
you are in the city and have some
interest in Grant, we recommend that you
take a trip over to the northern section
of Riverside Park and look around. While
in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by
Columbia University, Riverside
Church, and The
Cathedral of St. John The Divine.
Grant's Tomb is one of six
New York City sites run by the National
Park Service. (The others are Castle
Clinton, the Theodore
Roosevelt Birthplace,
St. Paul's, Federal Hall, and Hamilton
Grange National Memorial. As with the
other places run by the Park Rangers, the
tours are informative and worthwhile. If
there is no tour in progress when you
arrive, ask for one -- they are
available, although not on a fixed
schedule.
Taking a tour and seeing all
that there is to see will take no longer
than an hour, making Grant's Tomb the
perfect place to go at lunch time. After
you've seen the monument, consider having
a picnic out on the benches or in the
attractive park nearby.
When
To Go
We went on a Sunday, which,
we were told, is the busiest day of the
week. The monument used to attract quite
a crowd, largely because it was the
closest thing to a war memorial American
veterans had. That has, of course,
changed. Bottom line: don't worry about
crowds, whenever you go. Even if your
arrival coincides with busloads of
visitors, the memorial's layout is such
that you will not miss a thing.
How
To Get There
By subway, take the 1 or the
9 to 116th Street. Walk north to 122nd
Street and turn left. When you arrive at
Riverside Drive, Grant's Tomb will be in
front of you.
Parking is available for
those who prefer to drive.
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