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Audubon Terrace Historic District: A Beaux-Arts Gem

Explore the Beaux-Arts architecture and cultural legacy of Audubon Terrace, a historic landmark in Washington Heights, Manhattan.

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Audubon Terrace Historic District in Washington Heights, Manhattan, is a complex of eight early 20th-century Beaux-Arts/American Renaissance buildings. Named after naturalist John James Audubon, it once housed several cultural institutions around a common plaza.

A brief summary to Audubon Terrace Historic District

  • 3718 Broadway, New York, Manhattan, New York, 10032, US

Local tips

  • Visit the Hispanic Society Museum & Library to explore its extensive collection of art and artifacts from the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish America.
  • Take a walk through the Trinity Church Cemetery, located across 155th Street, where John James Audubon is buried.
  • Explore the architecture and sculptures in the central plaza, showcasing the Beaux-Arts and American Renaissance styles.
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Getting There

  • Public Transport

    The 157th Street station on the 1 train is located one block away from Audubon Terrace. Take the 1 train to the 157th Street station. From there, walk one block south to 156th Street and then east towards Broadway. The entrance to Audubon Terrace will be on your left. A single ride on the subway costs $2.90.

  • Walking

    From the intersection of Broadway and 157th Street, walk south on Broadway for one block. Audubon Terrace will be on your left, occupying the block between 156th and 155th Streets. This is a short and straightforward walk.

  • Taxi/Ride-share

    Ask your driver to take you to 3718 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, which is the address for Audubon Terrace Historic District. Taxi/ride-share fares from Midtown Manhattan typically range from $40-$50, depending on traffic.

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Discover more about Audubon Terrace Historic District

Audubon Terrace Historic District, located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, is a testament to early 20th-century Beaux-Arts/American Renaissance architecture and urban planning. The complex, bounded by Broadway, 155th Street, and 156th Street, comprises eight architecturally harmonious buildings arranged around a central plaza. Commissioned in 1907 by Archer Milton Huntington, heir to the Southern Pacific Railroad fortune and a philanthropist with a passion for Spanish culture, Audubon Terrace was intended to be a cultural center. Huntington founded the Hispanic Society of America in 1904 and envisioned a complex of institutions dedicated to research and the arts. He hired his cousin, Charles Pratt Huntington, to design the buildings in a unified Neo-Italian Renaissance style. Over time, Audubon Terrace became home to the American Numismatic Society, the American Geographical Society, the Museum of the American Indian, and the Church of Our Lady of Esperanza. Later additions included buildings for the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Institute of Arts and Letters, designed by William M. Kendall and Cass Gilbert. The plaza features sculptures by Anna Hyatt Huntington, Archer's wife. Today, Audubon Terrace is home to the Hispanic Society of America, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a campus of Boricua College. While the American Numismatic Society and the Museum of the American Indian have moved to new locations, the remaining institutions continue to contribute to the cultural richness of New York City. Visitors can admire the architecture, explore the collections of the Hispanic Society, and appreciate the vision of Archer Huntington, who sought to create an intellectual and artistic hub in Upper Manhattan.

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