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This journey is brought to you by
The Humane Space. We encourage curiosity and introspection as part of a lifelong journey to knowledge.

Throughout this tour, we offer thought prompts to activate your senses and deepen the experience of being in these unique places.

Before you begin the tour, please read our Terms of Use Policy below.
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By clicking the “Begin the Tour” button and starting the tour, I acknowledge that I have read and agreed to the Terms of Use and reviewed the Privacy Policy.
The tour begins at St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5th Ave between 50th & 51st Streets. This tour is best experienced on a mobile phone.
Begin the Tour

Welcome to your Midtown Manhattan walking tour.

Brought to you by The Humane Space
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Walking tour map of Midtown Manhattan
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Walking tour map of Midtown Manhattan
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Channel Gardens

5th Avenue between 50th and 49th Streets

The Channel Gardens is a passageway that frames a picture-perfect view of Rockefeller Center from Fifth Avenue. But don’t ignore the promenade in the foreground! Named after the English Channel, the gardens have featured rotating seasonal botanical installations since prior to World War II.

Extending approximately 200 feet, the gardens feature six granite pools and a large fountainhead sculpture, also designed by Chambellan, at its eastern end. The architect behind Rockefeller Center, Raymond Hood, believed the downhill descent of the channel would help draw people from Fifth Avenue into the complex.

You may be surprised to learn that The Channel Gardens has a link to the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. But let’s back up a bit. These were not the first gardens on this site. David Hosack, a physician and botanist, established the United States’s first public botanical gardens in this area in 1801, called Elgin Botanic Gardens, after his father’s hometown in Scotland. At that time, it was about three and a half miles from the city.

But that’s not why Dr. Hosack’s name may sound familiar. He was also the physician who attended the 1804 duel between Hamilton and Burr, the very same who tried to save Hamilton from his fatal injury.

As you wander through the Gardens, think about the interconnectedness of the past and present. While the city has grown exponentially since the early 1800s, there remains a dedication to gardens and botany.

Take your time walking through the gardens until you reach our final destination, Rockefeller Plaza.

On your tour screen, select Rockefeller Plaza from the pull-down menu.

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