Saying the Brooklyn Bridge is just a bridge is like saying the Mona Lisa is just a painting, or the Great Pyramid of Giza is just a neat pile of stones.
When it was finally completed in 1883, this bridge was celebrated as “the eighth wonder of the world,” “the beginning of New York,” and the pride of the United States. It’s also a great story in which greed, tragedy, and seemingly insurmountable odds were overcome by one family's vision, ingenuity, and sacrifice.
Today’s quest is both an extraordinarily scenic 1.3-mile stroll from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and a journey into the past that tells the story and explains the fascination with New York’s most famous landmark.
Ages: 12 to 102
Duration: 1 hr or longer if you linger
Best time: anytime (the edges of the day are the quietest)
Starting point: City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan (facing the bridge)
Built by the Roebling family at great personal cost, the Brooklyn Bridge is much more than a great walk and an engineering marvel. Its an extraordinary story.
Built by the Roebling family at great personal cost, the Brooklyn Bridge is much more than a great walk and an engineering marvel. Its an extraordinary story.