Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Got a bag of free (shredded) money here. I can't comment on Powell on Youtube, but I hope he read this somewhere. He's not doing anything bad/wrong, and journalists ask really stupid questions. He repeatedly says - my job is to focus on inflation and jobs, meanwhile journalists are deaf in the ear asking other stuff. Anyways, this fed building is really cool. There's a huge vault in there, tour is informative, and do collect your free worthless money.

When people do transactions, me and you lose money I bet. 10x10+10x10=200. ... 20x20=400. Example- If I buy food for 10 dollars, 10 times. Do that twice. I think it loses 200. I would save 400, and spend 20's. It happens when multiplying. Thanks.

Seing The gold was pretty cool.

Gold vault tour is worth it. Remember Make a reservation first. It’s like an education center. Taught you the history of Federal reserve, how and where the money made. Money distribution system. The most attractive place is not like what you expected. Not that shiny and bling bling like a movie show. It’s worth to learn more about it. Free reservation

Our country was sold away the moment the federal reserve was created. Biggest criminal syndicate to ever have existed

Impressive architecture for this imposing building, especially considering the gold stored underneath and its importance in the global economy.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is an interesting place to visit, and the guided tour is very informative about a variety of topics. The tour guide was very friendly to the entire class, and was able to answer any questions we had. The tour was interactive enough, and I was able to gain a better understanding of the Federal Reserve's job and impact on the economy of the country. I was not aware before that the Federal Reserve was in charge of the seperation and destruction of old and unusable bills. The vault, however, was very underwelming, at least when compared to the rest of the tour. Though it was an interesting experience to be in the same room with and see so much real gold, there was so little time spent talking about the why and how of the gold that I left feeling a little dissapointed. To summarize, the Federal Reserve is a great trip for schools and for anyone interested in the economy, but i would have liked to know more about the gold itself. The tour guide didn't spend any time explaining why we use gold to store wealth instead of some other form of currency, or how the bars are made. It would have been interesting to learn more about that instead of simply spending a few minutes explaining how heavy gold is and how they weigh it. It also would have been nice if the tour guide had spent a little more time talking about the gothic architecture. She did explain that some of the archways were meant to symbolize strength, but I feel there could have been more time spent on the designs and why they were important. TL;DR The Federal Reserve is a very informative trip that teaches about the history of our economy, and could be a great trip for anyone interested in economics.

I had a good experience at the federal reserve that included a learning experience as well as good hospitality. The tour guide was really nice and knew the answer to every question that someone asked her. It was fun to learn about the federal reserve, but to be honest there wasn't much to do after we went down to the gold storage. On the tour they should have more then just quotes on a tv screen. For example they could show a documentary on how the federal reserve was made and the process of what the federal reserve does. This would make the experience better instead of standing around looking at a poster with little pictures. Other then that it was a cool building to be in with the great architecture throughout the building. Some things I learned on the trip were that the Federal Reserve holds a quarter of the worlds gold. I found that interesting that countries would trust us with all that gold. I believe we should charge countries to hold their gold because we are doing them a service with little in return except for the title of having the biggest gold storage in the world. I also learned about money and the process it goes through. For example I didn't know the government shredded money to circulate in new money. This made me realize why old money is such a good collectors item because a lot of the old money gets replaced by the new ones. It was also cool how we learned about the stamps that each dollar has that shows where the bill came from. This isn't very important, but I found it very interesting. TBL: The Federal Reserve is a great place to visit for an educational experience and I recommend other schools to go here on a field trip.

‍ #Kudos to The #NYC Federal Reserve Bank paying homage to Happy PRIDE Month Here are your flowers. An epic and beautiful building to see. I feel very safe working near it. ‍

At least according to the Die Hard movie from which it was stolen and what the government would like you to know, the vaults beneath the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have more than a quarter of the world's known reserves of gold bullion. Tens of billions of dollars worth. Or so they say. The building looks like a fortress but it was modeled after the palaces of Italian Renaissance bankers, particularly the Medici, to make it look important, intimidating, and secure. Between that and the "Federal Reserve Police" stationed outside (Are they federal? Are they state? To what branch of government do they report?), it's definitely imposing. I'm sure me walking by with a backpack and taking pictures was noted. How many Federal Reserve Banks and branches have you been to? https://www.yelp.com/collection/MVCudwW9BFa6R5DXY5KgNQ/Federal-Reserve-Banks [Review 18355 overall - 353 in New York - 1877 of 2022.]

Missed the tour but will catch it next time. It's looks like a great historic building.

Good evening folks. I applied for a Painter's opportunity here. Seems to me like when your an educated man. Born and raised in New York City. New York teaches oneself to pay attention to all of the details. Unfortunately if your not careful to avoid taking unprofessional jobs which have the habit to hire managerial thugs. You could end up in jail. In compensation for survival in the "new" New York City. First phone interview question was received, impersonating a Mother's seperated words of clarity- "Are you sure you are still interested in this job?" This question was asked over 3 times.

This tall building looks like a fortress from the outside, which is pretty much what the inside confirms. The tour can only be booked online and with a maximum of 25 participants. Tour Schedule is Monday to Friday, 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm, except Bank Holidays. Book early or it will surely be full if you wait even a week out. Upon confirmation, you'll receive an email immediately with tickets you need to print out and provide to the guards. Arrive a few minutes early to get your bags checked by the machine and to go up the elevator where the museum awaits with free postcards and comics about the Federal Reserve Bank. So much to learn and see! I attended a weekday tour for the general public and we did not have anyone else on the tour except the adults and a few of their children. It was quiet and nice. It was a random tour opening at 11am open to the public. Perhaps a school group was unavailable that day? If you join the tour, they will take you all the way to the vault where you can see where the 6,350 tons of gold bars are stored. There's also an awesome spot where you can see where the original customers came in to do their daily transactions with bank tellers and staff. The amazing guide will give you detailed information about how the Reserve works as well as the history dating back to Alexander Hamilton's time. If you enjoy history, you'll like this tour. If you enjoy seeing gold bars, which I assume most of us have not had the chance to see in person, this tour is definitely for you! At the end of the tour, you'll get a little surprise gift. No, it's not a gold bar, but it's something you or your family may enjoy having!

How cool is it to be able to see this place, which must be one of the most secure places in the world? You have to book a ticket way in advance as soon as it's released at a certain time. I would call to see when they release those tickets. They do tours regularly but they fill up immediately so plan ahead! The building was made to look like a fortress to cannote security and austerity. The tour is 50 minutes and you go through the basic functions of the federal reserve. The highlight of the tour is the ability to go down into the actual vault and see gold bricks. Seriously, they have 25% of the world's official gold supply in two rooms there. Mind blowing. The rooms are made of reinforced concrete and steel, rotate to form watertight and airtight seals. Because of the weight of the gold, the vault sits on Manhattan's bedrock, below even the subway. The tour ends by everyone getting a little packet of shredded money, which actually is a function of the federal reserve. Loved it!

The Federal Reserve is a great place to visit in the Big Apple for anyone interested in the economy. Without a doubt, the gold vault was my favorite part of the tour. The tour guide was very nice, and had vast knowledge about the history of the building. Learning about the construction of the Fed was fascinating. The tour guide also expanded my knowledge of the Federal Reserve and its role in the US economy. I also learned about the process of shredding money, and the machines that are used to detect old money. At the end of the tour, my entire group was given bags of $100 worth of shredded money. The guide was also able to show us which district our own money came from by examining the letter on the bill. However, not everything about the Federal Reserve was so great.     First of all, there is absolutely no photography allowed at anytime. This was irritating, as I don't see how taking a picture does any harm. Also, people who are not really very interested in the economy probably would have found the tour rather boring. Although seeing the gold vault was fun, some might find it a bit limited and underwhelming. Even though the facility itself is the size of half a football field, and holds a quarter of the world's gold, only a very small portion of it is actually shown. Overall, I found the Federal Reserve to be quite entertaining, although it is not for everyone.

SHOW ME THE MONEY! Unfortunately, the printing press for cash is in New Jersey. But you know what's so neat about the Fed Reserve in NYC? Gold. All 7,000 tons of em. With the net worth (at today's market prices) estimated to be about $240 billion, I was intrigued to see the shiny stuff. This is a FREE tour, you just have to schedule it in advance. (A week ahead is recommended but realistically, I booked this a month before) Bring your confirmation email and show it to the stern-looking security personnel at the door. You are also advised not to bring liquids (drink up those water bottles!) to speed up screening process. Yes, your bags and coats have to go through an x-ray. Lockers are available for use to store your belongings since no cellphone, cameras or other PDAs are allowed inside the vault. The tour includes a short movie about the process of printing cash and there's a beautiful exhibit about coins from other countries such as Italy, Africa, Greece, etc. some dating back to 246 B.C. The most revered one by coin collectors is a $20 double eagle gold coin which fetched a cool $7.5 million (and some change, haha) at a Sotheby's auction. Then you go down 5 stories below to the vault and ooh and ahh at the gold bars. I find it amusing that 98% of these belong to foreign countries. This tour was a fun way to satisfy my curiosity about money/gold, something that is so common to us everyday folk, but never really knew anything about its history.

About 300 billion dollars, the largest community of gold in the world, its statistically safe to say that it will be the closest i will ever be to 300 billion dollars. 90% of the gold in the vault is from foreign countries which is being held for free by America to enhance political relations mainly deposited by the unstable times of WWII. Plus the most expensive coin in the world at about 7 million dollars roams around the first floor in a cheap wood box, makes you think. Interesting factor; the dollar is not backed by gold these days, just by trust in the American government. The vault build in 1924 is still a marvel to this date, the vault door is a 180,000 pound rotating cylinder that revolves in a 280,000 pound steel and concrete frame, and gets lowered a drop so it gets water and airtight, like a cork in a wine bottle, sorry for ruining your plan : ) If some lucky one gets trapped inside the vault when the door was closed for security reasons, until the next business day you're alone with 300 billion and just enough air to keep you alive, [some funky setting, even holidays it will be until the next business day, and than they need to gather a group of very high ranking officials to combine their keys or codes to reopen the vault] never happened yet . 70% of the 1700 extensively background checked private FED NY employees are expert marksman, and they practice at their in house 10th floor range. Its one of these places, that for a tourist this would make or brake the vacation and be their biggest vacation accomplishment, but for us new yorkers walking through Broadway every day eating falafel from the stands and never even dream about giving a peek, my advice - do it! schedule online for a tour. [the souvenir they give you, get a couple of them put it in long neck glass bottle, makes a fine piece of funky art].

The federal reserve offers two "tours." The self-guided tour is basically just access to the museum with NO ACCESS to the gold vault. The self guided tour is much easier to get access to, because the guided tour is so limited. We were fortunate enough to get the guided tour. I was online exactly 30 days before the day I wanted to go and kept checking every hour until they "unlocked" that days tours. Once they did, I reserved our spots. You arrive and go thru a security check and then are lead to the museum. You can look around and read the exhibits until your tour guide arrives. The building is absolutely beautiful! The architecture is amazing! Once the tour starts, the guide shows you some exhibits, gives you the mission of the Federal Reserve and shows you a video. After the video, you go into the the "Then and Now Room" before going downstairs to the gold vault. 5 Floors underground, the vault sits on the bedrock of NYC. You are even UNDER the subway! Now it doesn't look like anything like in the movie "Die Hard," but it definitely is very cool. If you go - you MUST do everything you can to secure a self guided tour or you will not be able to see the vault.

Very secure. Booked online for the free tour - Need ti get in early. Like a month in advance & the tours r mostly gone by lunch time. I believe they're released at 8am the month before. The tour is amazing. Very educational. The museum part is being renovated & will be ready later this year. The guide spoke about the bank systems, how the money is checked for its "health" & everyone get a shredded bag of bills at the end as a souvenirs which was totally cool. And if course the gold vault. The engineering is fantastic.

Very informative tour, anna was a lovely tour guide and enjoyable tour which was free of charge. Getti g to see $240 billion dollars of gold was amazing and having a free bag of shredded us bank notes to take home was great.

I'm obsessed with money (and who else isn't? Only you are responsible for being obsessed with your money) and this tour is AMAZING. Intertwining 2 of my favorite things (money and history) plus FREE (well...taxpayer money!) is the cherry on top. Highlights: 50 min guided walking tour on the history of the Federal Reserve and banking in the United States, checking out the actual GOLD vault in the basement and a free souvenir of shredded money How to get in: 1) Plan ahead - you need at least 30 days head start 2) Check out the Fed website for further instructions (https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/visiting.html) 3) There's 2 tours a day (1pm and 2pm) but the days vary (not on every single weekday) 4) Registration opens 30 days before your intended date of visit at 9am (EASTERN TIME) Since I live in PST, I got onto the Fed's website around 5:45am and started refreshing close to 6am. Once you are in the system, I think you can sign up for up to 6-8 spots at a time. You have to give them the name of each guest but can change it later on. Then you get a confirmation with the instructions. We tried to follow the directions and left our backpacks in the hotel, but there were people there with their backpacks. There's just no place to leave your stuff and you have to lug it with you throughout the tour. By the time I got done with my registration, there were only a few spots left in each time slot so if this is something really high on your list of things to do in NY (like it was for me), I wouldn't risk getting on the site any later than 9am EST (whatever time zone you are located at). I strategically picked the 1st weekday of my trip to try, knowing that I would have a few more chances if my 1st date was gone (I would continually try each subsequent date until I could sign up for a slot). The tour does start promptly at the designated time but getting through security was pretty easy. There are bathrooms inside the museum.

The Federal Reserve was a very interesting place full of information, money, and A LOT of gold! I enjoyed the tour guide who was kind and answered all of our questions and she helped explain what the federal reserve was. The building of the reserve had a beauty of its own. With a gothic exterior and a more artistic interior, the Fed. Reserve was truly interesting My favorite part of the tour was seeing the gold. with over billions of dollars worth of gold buried 5 stories below earth's surface, who wouldn't want to see that! I also learned that gold used to be made in brick form but now is commonly made as a trapezoid. Overall I had a good time at the Federal Reserve, the only reason why it's only a 4/5 star rating is that I wasn't allowed to take a picture with the gold!

Throughout my economics class we have been discussing how our country's economy works and grows. This happen to include the Federal Reserve Banks and how they operate. Since my school is located very close to New York City we had the opportunity to visit and learn about the Fed. As this is my first time visiting a heavily guarded bank filled with entire counties gold, so I did not know what to expect. I thought it would be really interesting to see the vault specifically. Or tour guide, Maureen, really helped us first timers in understand the history and many functions of the bank. If we got a lazy or boring tour guide it would have made the experience drag on and not be as engaging. The best experience was definitely seeing the gold and discussing how innovative and genius the design of the vault is. I did expect that to be the most interesting part. The vault was very interesting and the upstairs was less interesting but still entertaining. The architecture and iron work is beautiful, with original work from the 20's. If our tour guide were to just set us loose upstairs I would be bored, but because of the engaging and knowledgeable tour guide I learned a lot. First, I learned how money is taken into these factory places and checked for damaged or out of date bills and are promptly shredded. The lifespan of a bill was also cool and kind of weird to see. Downstairs I learned that a lot of countries trust the US enough to hold their supply of gold. Also, they have five days worth of cash if a national disaster were handicap the city, totaling in about 5 billion. I would try to somehow make the upstairs more user friendly with some interactive aspects, but the information was very easily laid out for such a complicated system. The pros of going to visit the FED are seeing where literally trillions of dollars of gold is held, learning about our nations 12 federal banks, and appreciating how important the New York Branch is to the federal banking system. The cons are that it could very easily be boring based on who is running the tour and not a very long tour, so don't plan your day around it. TBL: The Federal Reserve Bank in New York City is a great place to go to learn more about the American banking system. It is reasonably short with a great look at the gold vault. Perfect for class trips and dates, not really fun for young children or teenagers alone.

It was hard to get these free tickets, and I was super-proud of myself for getting them. I thought it would be pretty cool to show the kids the biggest vault of gold in the US. That part is pretty impressive, but overall, the tour went over their heads. It was a lot about the economic structure of the fed and how it interacts with our economy.

Like Kerry L ...I've also been a denizen of Wall St. for 28 years and have passed the Federal Reserve Bank thousand times .....always wondered about the lines but never took the time off to check it out... was always in a rush to take the E from the WTC to go home .to Queens.... An emergency operation 3 years ago made me realized how fragile life can be..It was .time to really slow down and smell the roses...no more time to procrastinate....travelled to a lot of places .and assigned myself a "ME"day. A whole day solely for me...do the things I've missed doing.. also discovered this site ...Freetime.Com where you can check places,concerts, museums, ..things to go to if you have free time and came across the Federal Reserve Bank tour...Called up and was surprised that the wait was for a month...anyway I enjoyed the tour...I was the only New Yorker...unbelievable...there were like10 Marines and a family of 5 from Italy.... It was interesting to go down 5 floors below walk thru a vault where 3 billion worth of gold bars are stored, the largest in the world...ironically 90 % of it is not even ours...its owned by foreign countries and is there for safekeeping...for political reasons I guess.....And for the coin afficionados...The "Double Eagle" very controversial and sought after coin was also there on display...it commands a cool 7million dollars...Whew!!!it sure has a history of its own...very interesting piece of history...It was a very interesting educational tour... . .

Money, Money, Money, Money...Money! Standing outside the world's most powerful bank; a place that holds billions of America's dollars, one only wonders what goes on inside those walls. Tours of the facility are offered if scheduled in advance, however no photographs are allowed and all personal items (handbags, cameras, etc.) are put into lockers. My friends and I didn't want to deal with the hassle, but we did admire the Federal Reserve from outside. We visited on a weekday, so it was interesting to watch the hustle and bustle taking place outside at lunch time. Currency exchanging hands, commerce in action. The Federal Reserve is as iconic as the Statue of Liberty.

You can visit here and see their exhibitions and go on a tour and see their vault of gold bars. We tried booking the tour two weeks early and could not get in, so we were limited to only the exhibition area. This area has the coin exhibit which was pretty good, even though the displays were not too well lit, so it was hard to see the detail on the coins. They also had a general information exhibit about money and banking. It was field trip quality, but this is the federal government and they are not in the business of museum exhibits. One of my sons is a finance major in college and he loved it and he said he learned alot. I was bored. At least it was free.

The tour took 20min. Bottom line. The guide talks for 5min. We go down 5 stories and watch a 3min video about some workers weighing and kicking gold bars [this must be a different video than others have mentioned] then we see the gold vault with the gold lockers and big door that others have mentioned. Back upstairs and out, we are done. The exhibit has some neat things, but notably there was no sign of the ' vast coin collection' that others mentioned. If you want to see the gold vault then this is for you. If you care about the big room where interest rates are set, check clearing or practically anything else the Fed does, then you will be disappointed.

Money, money, money, money, munnnnnnnaaaahhhh! I was hoping to hold a block of gold or walk around the vault. Sometimes I think of myself as a villain in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Alas, the tour will not grant you any part of that experience. There isn't a large room with shiny gold. There's just a chalk-colored blue basement with bars... of steel. From our tour's angle, there wasn't much to see in terms of gold. We only had a view of one of the lockers. We watched behind bars as a private tour got to walk around the vault. The guided tour was short. You may learn more in the museum display area going at your own pace. The guide was nice, but there were a lot more questions she wasn't able to answer than questions she did. Luckily, the Federal Reserve isn't part of the government shutdown because they don't receive money from the government. Overall, you should go if you're interested in finance and how money goes around. Don't go in thinking it's going to look like the scene from Die Hard.

Recommended for: Learning about our economy, checking out the "Gold vault", ensuring the stability of our cash supply. Collection 5, Ooooooh Factor 6. I first visited the Federal Reserve Bank of NY on a tour of their gold vault. It seems that there is more gold here than in Fort Knox. You take an elevator down XX number of stories below ground. Then some other things (which I cannot disclose) and then finally the "Room". You enter through a doorway that is a rotating cylinder. Draw a circle and 2 strait lines parallel to each other. Then imagine a doorway where the cylinder must swing so that the passageway lines up and allows you to walk from 1 room to the other (aka Gold room).... how cool is that! So they have this scale which weighs over a ton, enormous in size and yet can weigh gold less than an ounce - impressive to say the least. You have to wear special metal shoes otherwise the gold bars (which are all labeled) would break your foot if dropped. There's lots of interesting facts about the building itself, the Fed's own "police force" and hearing how everything works. The Fed is an interesting place that I'd recommend people who come to the city, or even NYers to check out. its something different, its educational and when they throw some stats at you (like locking down the entire building in under __ seconds, you'll definitely go "wow"! Sean Approved: Absolutely Definitely Yes!

I visited the Federal Reserve Bank of NY with a few friends the last time I was in the city. In order to tour the museum, we had to reserve spaces months in advance. The entrance to the museum was a little hard to find. There was an extensive security process we had to go through before we were allowed in. Once we entered, I found a lot of the displays to be on the level of introductory economics. The illustrations and graphics were a bit outdated and maybe not so engaging for young kids who are growing up with iPads. The three of us were pretty much the only people in the museum, so it was hard to get pumped up, even though it's one of the main money hubs in the US. Bottom Line: If you're a tourist visiting for a couple of days, there are other, better attractions you should check out.

The tour guides were wooden in their delivery but seeing the vault gives you a sense of the U.S.'s important role as a place of perceived security and probity but it's humbling to learn that our trade and budget deficits mean that we don't actually own the gold that's in the vaults--we're just functioning as a U-store-it place for countries that don't trust their own security. Museum area on the ground floor that covers old and really old currencies is interesting, particularly since the actual coins are there I found the counterfeit currency section fun after reading "The Art of Making Money." Don't forget to sign up early! I think you need a month's lead time to reserve your spot since they apparently run a background check on you (or just need to make sure they have staff on hand).

I've been a denizen of lower Manhattan for 32 years and have passed by the Florentine designed New York Federal Reserve Bank thousands of times, but never thought of stopping in for a tour. Then one I noticed people lining up for a tour and thought why not? Signed up on-line. The appointed day finally arrived. I showed up and was the only American there for the early morning tour. The rest were Asians visiting. The NY Fed no longer handles cash on the premises. That's handled in NJ, probably closer to the landfill and probably cheaper and easier to get the armored cars in and out. They have a nice display of ancient and modern money. Included is a 1933 gold double eagle, most valuable coin in the world with a notorious history. Went for over $7 million at auction a while back. Then we took a trip to the gold vault. A true architectural work of genius. There is over 7,000 tons of gold in the vault, the largest amount of gold found anywhere in the world. Definitely worth a trip!

The Federal Reserve Bank of NY isn't just the world's most powerful bank but it's also a destination for both tourists and native's alike. The Fed as it's called is located in an unmarked and relatively hideous building (despite supposedly being modeled after some European palace) a few blocks from the NY Stock Exchange. Tours are free but very limited and must be reserved on their website in advance. Luckily there's only about 27,000 people a year who take the tour so it's not that big of a hassle getting a spot. Unfortunately no photos of any kind are allowed inside the building (your bags, cameras, and other belongings are locked up in lockers before the tour starts). Tours are only about 20 or so people and last about an hour so you definitely don't get lost in a crowd and you learn a lot. The tour has two main parts. The first part of the tour starts off in a room with the most extensive and valuable coin collection in the world, the coins are from every era in human history, from every material used in currency (even salt packed in bamboo used as African currency). They also have the rarest and most valuable coins ever made (they have the 1933 Gold Double Eagle coin valued at over 8 million dollars). With the exception of a guide telling you the story of the collection and the double eagle coin it's self-guided (you can spend all the time you want after your tour looking at everything). The second part of the tour is what most people go to see and that's the gold. Five stories below the first floor is the worlds largest accumulation of gold bars. The short video about the gold, the trip down to the vault, and seeing one of the lockers in the vault full of gold bars was amazing. The tour guide was extremely personable, knowledgeable, and eager to answer any questions. I'd recommend this tour to anyone period. The website says to get there early for your tour but as the security process in entering the building is quick and there's only one small tour at a time, there's really no need to get there super early (10-15minutes early is plenty). By the way, there isn't any gift shops here.

I recently visited the Federal Reserve for a guided tour with a group of fellow economics students. Our guide Felicia immediately met us with a friendly and knowledgeable presence. She made our group feel comfortable in the otherwise extremely formal and serious environment (we had to go through a security before entering the building). Felicia was surprised at our class' preexisting awareness of the Fed so she tailored the information she presented to fit our understanding. When Felicia learned about a student who was unable to go on the trip, she gave my teacher a gold bar shaped flash drive as a fun consolation gift, which I thought was really considerate. Beforehand, I did not know before I came was that the vault only stores gold for international accounts and that a majority of America's gold is secured at Fort Knox. Also, I was not aware of the millions of dollars that are sorted and shredded by the Fed after being taken out of circulation. More specifically, I did not know that the Fed was the institution behind this service. Felicia referred to the Fed as "a bank for banks" on multiple occasions which I thought was an easy way to remember the role of the institution in our economy. The benefits of visiting this institution outweigh the negatives. You will undoubtedly learn something new about that will either help you to appreciate all of the work that the Fed does or to broaden your understanding of economics in general. The gothic architecture and ironwork of the building adds another interesting component to the tour. You will get to see extremely large quantities of cash and gold which honestly has immense appeal in itself. However, this tour was too short, lasting for less than an hour. The museum aspect of the tour did not need to be guided. We browsed the small room while we waited for our tour guide and then we returned with her and she did not mention anything that I didn't already read on a plaque. TBL: The Fed tour was an enjoyable experience that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in economics and finance. It would be especially beneficial for an economics classes like mine that can make a day out of being in the financial district and visit a few other destinations along the way.

The whole process was very welcoming. It started off great because I was coming from NJ and we hit the classic NY traffic. Even though I ran late the people there were so kind and inviting. They made sure I got all the information I needed to make the experience worth it. When I got there there were guards that needed a specific order to what they were doing. I was there with a large group so it might have overwhelmed them but I feel like they could have been a little nicer. After my group and I were shown the bathrooms and did what we needed to do they took us down to the gold volt. This was and amazing experience where we learned the history of the volt, why the US handles foreign gold and how the process of transactions goes. I learned that after the attack on NYC in September of 2001 the Federal Reserve enacted several changes to the system so that enough money can be in the cities banks and they don't have to close down. Once coming back into the display room our very nice tour guide walked us around the room explain the monetary system. She taught me how to look a a dollar bill and see what reserve releases it. For example if it has a 2 on it, it's from New York. We also learned about how bills get taken out of circulation because they are ripped or drawn on. After that we learned a little more about the unique architecture of the building and where all the ideas cam from. For example all the iron work was there to show the American public when it first started that the Central Bank is strong. I learned that nobody has ever even attempted to break in to the Federal Reserve which shows even more strength and power. Once the tour was done our tour guide gave my group small bags of shredded bags of money. Everyone really enjoyed this and thought it was one of the coolest things they had ever gotten of a trip. Although I had to turn off my phone for a little, I understand why they don't want them out. This is definitely an experience that taught me a lot about our banking system in America. All in all it was a great experience and that is why I gave it five stars.

The Federal Reserve Bank of NY isn't just the world's most powerful bank but it's also a destination for both tourists and native's alike. The Fed as it's called is located in an unmarked and relatively hideous building (despite supposedly being modeled after some European palace) a few blocks from the NY Stock Exchange. Tours are free but very limited and must be reserved on their website in advance. Luckily there's only about 27,000 people a year who take the tour so it's not that big of a hassle getting a spot. Unfortunately no photos of any kind are allowed inside the building (your bags, cameras, and other belongings are locked up in lockers before the tour starts). Tours are only about 20 or so people and last about an hour so you definitely don't get lost in a crowd and you learn a lot. The tour has two main parts. The first part of the tour starts off in a room with the most extensive and valuable coin collection in the world, the coins are from every era in human history, from every material used in currency (even salt packed in bamboo used as African currency). They also have the rarest and most valuable coins ever made (they have the 1933 Gold Double Eagle coin valued at over 8 million dollars). With the exception of a guide telling you the story of the collection and the double eagle coin it's self-guided (you can spend all the time you want after your tour looking at everything). The second part of the tour is what most people go to see and that's the gold. Five stories below the first floor is the worlds largest accumulation of gold bars. The short video about the gold, the trip down to the vault, and seeing one of the lockers in the vault full of gold bars was amazing. The tour guide was extremely personable, knowledgeable, and eager to answer any questions. I'd recommend this tour to anyone period. The website says to get there early for your tour but as the security process in entering the building is quick and there's only one small tour at a time, there's really no need to get there super early (10-15minutes early is plenty). By the way, there isn't any gift shops here. And for you geeks and knowledge whores out there: -The first issuence of golf coins was in 560 B.C. by King Croesus of Ancient Lydia (what is today Turkey) -The Gold Standard was used in this country until 1933 when President Roosevelt banned selling, owning, or buying gold (with very few exceptions). This ban was lifted in 1974 by President Ford -Most of today's gold was mined in the 1900s -Today the largest supplier of gold in the world is South Africa, followed by Austrialia and the US -The Gold vault at the Fed was opened in 1924 and the 90 ton rotating door (the only way into the vault) installed then which is water and air tight is still in use and considered one of the most secure vaults in the world. -The vault is located 80 feet below street level, which is below any of the subways or other basements in Manhattan. The vault is resting on the bedrock of Manhattan which is one of the only foundations adequate enough to support the weight of the vault, it's door, and the gold bars inside. -98% of the Gold located in the vault is owned by 36 foreign banks and governments (the other 2% is owned by the U.S.) -The vault actually houses 122 seperate metal cage lockers, each locker has 3 seperate locks where 3 different people need to be present whenever it is opened for any reason. -As of this writing there are nearly 500,000 gold bars held in the vault. This accounts for 22% of the worlds gold reserve -The US owns 27% of the world's gold reserve (which is held in other locations but the majority is at Fort Knox in Kentucky and West Point) -The average weight of a gold bar is 27.4 lbs -Bars used to be rectangular in shape (and measured 7"x 3 5/8"x 1 5/8-1 3/4") but are now trapezoidal -Each bar is marked with a seal on where the gold was refined and cast as well as marking it's purity. Gold bars are never 100% pure (which would be too soft) but must be a minimum of 99.5% pure (the metal impurities of the other .5% differs) -The large analog scale in the vault is so accurate it can measure gold down to the weight of a grain of rice. There's also a small electronic scale used to weigh individual bars and that one is so accurate it must be covered by plexiglass as any air movement will effect the scale's reading -The market value of gold is always fluxuating quite a bit but at today's market value of about $900 per troy ounce each bar is worth approximately $360,000. This means at the vaults current stock there is roughly 180 billion dollars in gold bars (this is about 13.7million pounds of gold) -It's kept secret how many security guards are located in the Fed but it is known that each guard is required twice a year to pass tests in markmanship in handguns, shotguns, as well as rifles and that there is a shooting range located in the building for just such trainin

One of the best tours in NYC! Anna was a terrific tour guide, and the exhibits are put together in a very organized and user-friendly way. Would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the American financial system, especially since the tour allows you to be in the presence of 1/4 of the world's gold supply.

Wow, I am really surprised at these glowing reviews. What happened, folks, did the gold cloud your senses? We arrived to the Fed and once inside, perused the nice-sized museum explaining the history of currency. Interesting, but as currency can be it was a little dry. Once the tour began we were ushered into a small room and shown a video of a NJ facility where modern paper cash is actually housed. I guess I understand that this is part of the process, but being shown into a random room, sat down like a bunch of schoolchildren and shown a video was a bit silly. I think I actually would have preferred hearing about that process from a knowledgeable staff member but the gentleman giving the tour didn't appear to have many answers. After the exciting (uh-huh) video, we were then escorted (we were about 30 people on the tour and so because we had to get into elevators there were three tour guides with us at all times) onto elevators which whisked us down five stories and then taken through another little exhibit (again, not much info from the tour guides, it was mostly "read all about it yourself") which then led to the vault where the gold bars were interred. The most interesting aspects of this part of the tour were the entry to the vault (which rotates and completely cuts off access to the vault) and the metal "shoes" that vault workers must wear to protect their feet and which cost about $500 a pair. I was really disappointed to learn that 95% (that's NINETY-FIVE PERCENT) of the gold housed in the Fed's vault belongs to other countries. Yes folks, that is correct. All this money to protect the Fed, the vault, pay the employees, etc. and fully 95% of the gold that we, the U.S., are protecting belongs to other countries. I felt more than a little bit disgusted about that. After we were removed from the vault, we were whisked, escorted, back up to the main floor, given our belongings, and bid adieu. So to sum up: 1. arrived. 2. saw short video. 3. saw gold. 4. were bid adieu. In other words, that was an hour of my life that I will never get back.

Your $1 notes taste couta Highly recommend this product as a choice of meal Goes down well with a bevo Regards, Jason from Australia

Came here for a quick bite after hearing good things from a friend, "It's gold, Jerry, GOLD!" I arrived and after several minutes, no one had helped me. There seemed to be a million hosts but they did not seem to give me the time of day, much less seat me at a table. What kind of restaurant outfits their maitre'd's in expensive suits but forgets to inform them of their purpose? Either way, I will not be coming back here.

Yes, you get to see the largest collection of gold anywhere in the world, but the overall experience is nowhere near as cool as it could be. The first disappointment is how little of the building you get to see. The Fed occupies this beautiful stone building that looks like a fortress from Renaissance Italy, but you only get to see three rooms. (Apparently the tour used to show off more of the building, but they cut back after Sept. 11.) The second disappointment comes when you realize that a third of the tour consists of nothing more than watching a mediocre documentary about a facility in Jersey that stores paper money for banks and checks for counterfeits. The third disappointment is the gold vault itself. You only really see one solid wall of gold. The rest of it is obscured behind bars or around the corner. The inside of the vault looks like a max security prison from the 70s. The last big disappointment was the guide. (Actually, she may have been my first disappointment.) She wasn't a native English speaker, which is fine in theory but not when she's actually hard to understand, which she was. Also, I've heard robots that sounded more enthusiastic. The best part of the tour is seeing the coin collection, which is one of the best in the world. You get a short explanation of some of the best pieces at the beginning and then time to roam around on your own at the end.

Pretty amazing gold vault tour, can I just have one brick? I know the gold belongs to other countries but if they can steal it in Die Hard I can too right?

Money and Gold ! As they sang in CABERET "Money Makes The World Go Round The World Go Round" Yes, and there's more here than any place on Earth !!!!

Being a first time visitor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, I would say I was overall satisfied with my visit. Personally, the tour wasn't boring and I was interested throughout. Maureen, my tour guide, was very polite and interactive with the tour. She provided my group and I with informative facts on not only what the Fed does/is but the architectural background as well. The Fed is well known for its beautiful iron-work and interior design. One thing I learned on tour is that more money than I thought is actually reused and recycled. I like this because it isn't wasteful and in a way saves trees. This keeps a steady pattern of money in circulation as well. Another interesting thing I learned is that the nation is divided into districts and dollar bills are printed with the district they came from. Money is really tracked, I thought it was just printed and that was that. I didn't really have any dislikes of the institution other than the "no phone, camera, video" policy but I can live with that. The Fed really fascinated me with their security standards as well. The vault is 80 ft below ground level but the elevator ride was only a few seconds long! It is amazing that there has never been a robbery attempt on the facility, Although the vault doesn't physically have people guarding it, there is definitely high security in that place. I was fortunate enough to get very close to the vault and actually gaze up on the gold bars. I had no idea there was two different styles of gold bars. I would've loved to hold one considering they weigh only 20 pounds but feel like 45. I was definitely satisfied with my overall trip of visiting the institution and would definitely visit again!

This place keeps printing money and devaluing the USD and my savings.

Whether you have a love of gold, history or architecture, this is a delightful experience. Book well in advance; it is worth it. The museum upstairs is very informative. When you go into the vault, you are in the presence of $486 billion of 27 pound gold bricks. Imagine the Costco of pure gold, with lower ceilings.

Visiting the place is awe inspiring. Just the notion of the place holding much of the world's gold reserves is impressive. But like many places in this area, the information presented is somewhat one-sided. For example, you really can't use the term 'reserves' when referring to gold. The explanation for why gold is not use as a reserve is seriously lacking. A better example would be the fed's take on Andrew Jackson and his motivations for ending the fed. The fed states, 'Jackson was ignorant and uneducated.... And jealous of the banks' (or something like that). Keep in mind that jackson was re-elected and was successful in his fight. In the federal reaerve museum, no mention is made of Jackson's adversary, Nicholas Biddle (head of the bank at the time). Biddle used the American people as pawns in fighting for the survival of the federal reserve of his day. He flat out defied a congressional subpoena to investigate the books and his correspondence with memers of congress. Of course he got away with what most would charged with as contempt. Speaking of survival, it is interesting how many times in world history government will choose their own survival over preventing harm to the citizens. To this day, I don't think we know exactly if the banks or citizens benefit more when taxes act as almost free insurance to the banks, the gigantic size of interest payments, and the fact that housing prices tend to rise to a level that consumes nearly all discretionary income. In fact right now, one intention of these central bankers is to promote investment in securities at a price that does not justify the risk. Of course, we don't have the free insurance these Manhattan banks have, which includes access to zero % interest loans made from a 10% reserve of US treasury bonds.