Meredith Alumnae Trip to the Big Apple!

This year's alumnae trip to New York City is scheduled for Friday, November 14 – Sunday, November 16, 2025.

Gilded Age Mansions of 5th Avenue Walking Tour- $50/person
Duration: 2 hours

The Bowery Boys Walking History Tours will lead a private tour through the Gilded Age.  The tour will focus on the design and history of the great mansions of Fifth Avenue and their owners who constructed them as lavish displays of their wealth and status in Gilded Age New York City. The tour starts at East 70th St & Fifth Avenue (at the Richard Morris Hunt Memorial), just down the block from the Frick Collection and ends at the Cooper-Hewitt (2 East 91^th Street), the former homes of two protagonists on this tour – Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) and Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). 

Tour Highlights

The Frick Collection once the private residence of Henry Clay Frick, now one of the city’s greatest art museums.

The James B. Duke House (today NYU Institute of Fine Arts) modeled after a French château, this was the home of Doris Duke, the “richest girl in the world.”

The Payne Whitney House (today Cultural Services, Embassy of France) where a statue by the teenage Michelangelo was rediscovered in the 1990s.

The home of Otto Kahn one of the most famous bon vivant of the 1920s who may have been the inspiration for “Mr. Monopoly.”

Harry F. Sinclair House (now The Ukrainian Institute), an elaborate mansion with most of the original design intact.

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Smithsonian Institution, the former home of Andrew Carnegie, who described the 64-room mansion as “modest and plain.”

The Bowery Boys Walks was launched in 2018 as an extension of The Bowery Boys Podcast. Greg Young and Tom Meyers have been recording the podcast since 2007. The tours allow guests to get even closer to the stories and characters who have shapred the history of New York City and the country.

Ragtime - $129.73/person
Vivian Beaumont Theater
150 West 65th Street
Duration: 3 hours, 1 intermission

RAGTIME is a sweeping musical adaption of E.L. Doctorow’s novel that follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the dawn of the 20th Century: Black pianist Coalhouse Walker, Jr. and his beloved Sarah, Jewish immigrant Tateh and his little girl, and a wealthy white family led by matriarch Mother.  All grasping for the same dream, if only they can hold on to it.

Featuring a lush score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, a stirring book by Terrence McNally, and original orchestrations by William David Brohn, all of whom won Tony Awards for their work, RAGTIME weaves fictional narratives with real historical figures and events, creating a rich tapestry that blurs the line between personal struggle and national identity, making history feel both intimate and epic.

Incoming LCT Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Tony-nominated for her celebrated 2022 revival of Into the Woods) directs a new production, envisioned for the grand Vivian Beaumont stage, starring Tony nominee Joshua Henry (Into the Woods, Carousel), Olivier and Grammy nominee Caissie Levy (Hair, Frozen), and Tony winner Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt, LCT's Falsettos).

Breakfast at Charlie Palmer- $68.45/person
Located within The Knickerbocker Hotel

Start your day with a hot American breakfast at Charlie Palmer located within the hotel.  Menu selections include: selection of eggs, bacon, sausage, smoked salmon, selection of cereals, assorted pastries, bagels, toast, fresh fruit, yogurt parfait, smoothies, fresh juices, coffee, and tea.

Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour with Tasty Tours NYC - $85/person

The Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour promises a journey through the rich food and cultural heritage of these two iconic New York City neighborhoods!  You will taste a variety of different foods while learning about the local history and how these iconic communities have become favorite among both locals and visitors alike.

During this NYC food tour, you’ll try seven delicious foods: Pan-Fried Pork & Chive Dumplings, Cantonese Roast Pork Bun, Hong Kong Style Sponge Cake, Iced Thai Tea, Potato Gnocchi with Marinara Sauce, Slice of New York Italian Style Pizza, and NYC’s #1 Cannoli.  If you’re craving a taste of authentic flavors and unique history, this Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour is the perfect way to experience it all.

Art - $199.72/person
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes, no intermission

Three longtime friends. One ridiculously expensive painting.  Is it art, or is it just the world’s priciest inside joke?  What begins as a polite debate over aesthetics and taste devolves into a clash of egos and resentments. Can their friendship survive, or will one of them finally draw the line? It’s just 100 minutes of minimalist art, maximalist laughs, and a moving look at what we really see and forgive in the people we love

Bobby Cannavale (Glengarry Glen Ross), James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors; The History Boys), and Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother,” Hedwig and the Angry Inch) return to the stage in the first Broadway revival of the Tony Award winning play ART by Yasmina Reza. Directed by Scott Ellis (Pirates! The Penzance Musical, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,”), this sleek and sophisticated comedy is offered as a limited engagement.

Traveler and Local Alumnae Reception 
St. Cloud Rooftop
The Knickerbocker Hotel

With its three plush corner Sky Pods overlooking Times Square, stylish indoor and outdoor seating options, the exclusive Waterford Crystal Lounge, and lush living walls of greenery, St. Cloud is the ultimate rooftop bar in NYC. Named for the late-19th century hotel that originally occupied the site, St. Cloud is the pinnacle of The Knickerbockers Hotel and a top Times Square experience. St Cloud offers a progressive cocktail menu, craft bottled beers, and an upscale, seasonally focused small plates menu. Sophisticated entertainment is an understated-yet-eclectic mix of cirque-like, biergarten and speak-easy fun, while curated music selections set the tone for extraordinary experiences high above the city.

The Meredith College group will enjoy a private space and event featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar.  In addition to the group event, St. Cloud is open daily during our visit and features live music from 6 – 9 p.m.

Chess
Imperial Theatre
249 West 45th Street
Duration: 2 hours and 40 minutes, 1 intermission

It’s America versus Russia at the World Chess Championship, where the espionage and romance are as complicated and exhilarating as the game itself. For the two players and the woman torn between them, everything—personal, professional, and political—is at risk… and nobody’s rules are the same.

Tony award winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge!), Emmy Award nominee Lea Michele (Funny Girl, Glee), and breakout powerhouse Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd, Hamilton) star on Broadway in CHESS—the iconic musical where power and passion collide, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

With a legendary score by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, lyrics by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar), a new book by Emmy winner Danny Strong (Dopesick, The Butler), and direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), CHESS is the must-see Broadway event of the season.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular - $110/person
Radio City Music Hall
1260 Avenue of the Americas
90 minutes, no intermission

Since the first version was presented in 1933, the Christmas Spectacular has become a New York holiday tradition.  The show features more than 140 performers and combines singing, dancing, and humor with traditional holiday scenes.  The stars of the show are the Radio City Rockettes and their infamous kick line.  Highlights include: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, a Living Nativity, The Nutcracker, and an appearance by Santa Claus.  The Meredith College group seats are located in Section 200 within the Orchestra Section of Radio City.

Hotel Accommodations:

The Knickerbocker Hotel

6 Times Square

New York, New York

Located at the SE Corner of 42^nd Street and Broadway 

Our group will be staying at The Knickerbocker, the first luxury hotel in Times Square. Edging the bright lights of Broadway and the calm of Bryant Park, John Jacob Astor IV’s stunning 1906 Beaux Arts landmark once played host to the likes of Rockefeller, Fitzgerald, and famous opera tenor, Enrique Caruso. The hotel features an expansive 7,500 sq. ft. rooftop space, St Cloud Rooftop, which offers spanning Times Square views, including 150 feet below the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball.