Location: 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10045
Admission: FREE
Website: http://www.newyorkfed.org
E-mail: [email protected].
Located at 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10045 the Federal Reserve Bank is part of the 12 regional reserve banks in the Reserve System. Positioned right in the heart of the city’s Financial District, inside a tall building with a unique Italian Renaissance style, locals and tourists alike should know that the edifice holds the largest and most stunning gold reserves in the world.
The Federal Reserve Bank is even bigger than the one located at Fort Knox, and it consists of no less than 7,000 tons of sheer gold. All the buildings, especially this one, have to ensure full time protection of the treasure inside. The gold is located in a chamber, situated five stories below the ground and it is severely supervised round the clock. Those interested in how the Federal Reserve Bank functions are invited to attend the special tours where they will learn many interesting things about the bank’s system and its dome of international monetary gold and even descend into the reserve.
Visitors will be allowed to go 5 levels below the street level, and also pass through a very narrow corridor made entirely of steel. Over one hundred lockers are made of mixed precious metals and many of them are custody of foreign states. The tour can be staggering especially since it will reveal a lot of great information. Do you want to know more about the history of money? Then it compulsory to check out the ‘Drachmas, Doubloons, and Dollars: The History of Money’ exhibition where you’ll have the chance to see different money shapes such as tokens, coins, gold, credit cards, paper money, and more. The main purpose of the exhibit is to illustrate how money can store wealth and help individuals make payments.
Over the years people have started to develop a passion for money, and thus avid collectors appeared. Collecting money and gathering coins is like holding a piece of history in your hands. You can attend the ‘Drachmas, Doubloons, and Dollars: The History of Money’ from Monday to Friday. Visiting the Federal Reserve Bank is completely free and each tour lasts one hour, during which thirty visitors are introduced to its fascinating secrets. Likewise, it is advisable to call before and reserve your seat in advance. During the summer season reservations are made 1 month in advance considering the increased number of visitors and tourists interested in seeing one of the country’s greatest stashes of gold.
Often known as The FED, there are certain rules to need to abide by if you want to enter the bank and admire its exhibits. You are required to have a government-issued photo such a passport, an ID card or a driver’s license, and a copy of your ticket. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures, and your bag will go through security screening. The golden vault is probably the most spectacular attraction of the bank because it basically highlights the country’s greatest assets, its gold deposits.
