United States Custom House
United States Custom House
4.5
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A picturesque Beaux Arts building where visitors can gaze upon beautiful Reginald Marsh murals in an oval rotunda.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Bowling Green • 1 min walk
- Whitehall St – South Ferry • 1 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
72 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
22
Average
13
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Lost in Paradise
Queenstown, New Zealand147 contributions
Dec 2022
This extraordinary building is the home of the Native American Museum (brilliant contemporary art as well as history) and Bankruptcy Court, and the NYC Archives (by appointment only). If you are the descendent of any immigrants or others of notability in NY, I would suggest you make an appointment in advance and check it out. The building on it's own is worth a visit. Once the Alexander Hamilton Custom House, it is still the most involved example of the Beaux-Art style of architecture. Designed by a man named Cass Gilbert, it is a masterpiece. If this sort of thing interests you, I would read up about it before you visit, because there is alot to take in.
Written January 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA17,519 contributions
May 2023
This gorgeous building from the 19th Century houses an excellent American Indian museum, so go there. But on the outside the building is impressive and dominates the Bowling Green area. This was once an important part of the NY port.
Written June 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stardust49
Upstate New York25 contributions
Oct 2011 • Couples
It's free to go in, for starters. The architecture is glorious....the WPA murals are fantastic....just a wonderful building. And the Smithsonian Museum of American Indians is well worth the visit.
Written October 25, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Popoo
Delray Beach, FL1,044 contributions
Jul 2013 • Solo
Tourists who visit the Wall Street area of New York should take the time to visit The US Custom House, a magnificent Beaux Arts building on Bowling Green. Touring the building is totally free. Periodically there are guided tours highlighting the historic architectural features of the building, especially the WPA murals in the rotunda. In addition the building houses the New York branch of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Also, on the third floor there is the New York branch of the National Archives. Brand new, the New York branch is fully open to the public. Banks of computers and other assistance is available to those researching their family history or other genealogical information.
Popoo
Popoo
Written July 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ATLpch
Atlanta, GA1,214 contributions
Feb 2018 • Business
The Alexander Hamilton Custom House is an impressive, colossal Beaux Arts building at Bowling Green next to Battery Park. Entry is FREE, but there is a security detail on duty & X-ray at the entrance since it is a government building. Inside is the wonderful Smithsonian Museum of Native Americans and upstairs is the National Archives Research Center. The main level rotunda is spectacular with large, naval mural scenes painted on the ceiling. Guided architectural tours are led by staff members, and I will definitely return for a tour the next time I visit Lower Manhattan. This is a hidden gem that is often overlooked by visitors & city residents-I had never even heard of it in my 20 years of travels to NYC.
Written February 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melinda P
Montville, NJ4 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
Just to see this building is worth the trip. The exhibits are excellent, informative and well done. You can learn about not only Native Americans but first people in central and South America as well. Walking around Battery Park where the building is located is a treat too. The Staten Island Ferry is free, the museum is free and the area is full of history. Don't miss the seaglass merry-go-round in the park nearby. It is unique.
Written August 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie M
Haddonfield, NJ17 contributions
Oct 2016 • Solo
This beautiful building designed by Case Gilbert (who also designed the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, and a number of state capital buildings), with majestic (if somewhat Western-centric apropos the period) statues in front by Daniel Chester French (Lincoln Memorial) is a wonder. The rotunda with its oval oculus is magnificent - it changes perspective as you move around it. The Collector's Room is fabulous, but check beforehand to see if it's open - apparently it's only open during certain days. I took a tour during Open House New York, so everything was open, and our tour guide was very knowledgeable (however, I don't know if he was only there because of OHNY). The building now houses arms of the National Archives and the National Museum of the American Indian, but I'll let someone else review those. Well worth a visit for the building alone!
Written October 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ClintPage
New York City, NY9,982 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
The Customs Service is the nation's oldest federal agency.
Definitely worth a visit to this amazing building built in 1907 and remodeled and restored for it's 100th year anniversary. It was named in honor of Alexander Hamilton. It was designed by Cass Gilbert and is a beautiful building.
Amazing Reginald Marsh murals on the ceiling from the 1930's.
Great sculptures by Daniel Chester French on exterior of building.
It holds the New York museum of the American Indians (N and S American Indian tribes)
Best part is its free to enter!
Great visit.
Definitely worth a visit to this amazing building built in 1907 and remodeled and restored for it's 100th year anniversary. It was named in honor of Alexander Hamilton. It was designed by Cass Gilbert and is a beautiful building.
Amazing Reginald Marsh murals on the ceiling from the 1930's.
Great sculptures by Daniel Chester French on exterior of building.
It holds the New York museum of the American Indians (N and S American Indian tribes)
Best part is its free to enter!
Great visit.
Written August 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gerald H
NYC1 contribution
Dec 2011 • Couples
The most memorable sight at the Customs House is a semi-circular wall of curved glass floor-to-ceiling panels in a huge, first floor space. They're illuminated from behind with blue lights. Breathtaking! It reminded me of a Rotho painting. I Googled for some detail, but found nothing,. Any clues, folks?
Written December 12, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StPeteCruiser
St. Petersburg, FL18 contributions
Jul 2019
We were able to tour this beautiful building and were amazed at its importance and prestige just a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry. If you go, look for a Smithsonian docent to lead you through. Ours was on a Thursday at 2pm and lasted an hour. The building was designed by Cass Gilbert, who also did the US Supreme Court building in Washington. Built to impress the wealthy importers making their way to the US for the first time in 1907, the granite and nautical motif of the elegant interior must have done the job. Before income taxes, customs duties were the main income of the new country. The NY harbor paintings in the unsupported dome area are of the famous liners arriving in New York in the 1930's as the paintings were added after the building opened.
Written August 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Right, 6 subway to Bowling Green.
Written March 20, 2017
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