Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent FIlm Narrators
about 16 hours ago
The Horn & Hardart Automat was a staple of urban dining in midcentury New York City.
All Hail the Slop Bowl, Lunch of Our Ancestors
about 19 hours ago
The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” on display in Las Vegas.
The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound Changed Live Music Forever
1 day ago
Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.
AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City the Bronx Hall of Fame for Great Americans

Hall of Fame for Great Americans

The first "Hall of Fame" in America was designed by legendary Gilded Age architect Stanford White for what was then the NYU uptown campus.

Bronx, New York

Added By
Paul Turgeon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
High Above the Harlem River   Paul Turgeon
High Above the Harlem River   Paul Turgeon
They Live Forevermore   Paul Turgeon
Silent Witness   Paul Turgeon
  judie / Atlas Obscura User
  judie / Atlas Obscura User
  judie / Atlas Obscura User
  judie / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Update: The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is currently closed.

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans at Bronx Community College, the original "Hall of Fame" in the United States, is part of a National Historic Landmarked campus. Designed in 1900 and dedicated in 1901, it honors prominent Americans who had a significant impact on the nation's history.

Built on the crest on one of the highest natural peaks in New York City in a sweeping semicircular Neo-Classical arc, it provides a panorama across the Harlem River to the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park and beyond to the Palisades. The principal feature of the Hall of Fame is its 630-foot open-air Colonnade, which houses the bronze portrait busts of the honorees. 

The Colonnade was designed with niches to accommodate 102 sculptured works and currently houses the busts and commemorative plaques of 96 of the 102 honorees elected since 1900. The 96 bronze busts that line the Colonnade are original works by distinguished American sculptors. The bronze tablets recessed in the wall beneath the busts were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and carry inscriptions of significant statements made by the men and women honored.

In the first half of the 20th century, there was no higher honor in America than to be made a "Hall of Famer." In The Wizard of Oz  Dorothy is told by the Munchkins that "you will be a bust, be a bust, be a bust in the Hall of Fame!" But by the 1970s interest in this national institution waned. New York University sold its Bronx campus in 1973. New York State assumed ownership on behalf of Bronx Community College, part of the City University of New York.

After commanding the attention of the nation for three-quarters of a century, it is now almost entirely unknown to both tourists and residents of New York City.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Monuments Colleges

Know Before You Go

Enter through Bronx Community College gates on Hall of Fame Terrace. The College offers free tours, but be sure to call.

Community Contributors

Added By

WaveMechanic

Edited By

bncrain, Martin, irregularhex, AnetkaBee...

  • bncrain
  • Martin
  • irregularhex
  • AnetkaBee
  • judie

Published

June 25, 2012

Updated

July 5, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Hall of Fame for Great Americans
2060 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, New York, 10453
United States
40.858827, -73.914034
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dyckman Farmhouse

New York, New York

miles away

Seaman-Drake Arch

New York, New York

miles away

Kool Herc's Block

Bronx, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bronx

Bronx

New York

Places 31
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Dyckman Farmhouse

New York, New York

miles away

Seaman-Drake Arch

New York, New York

miles away

Kool Herc's Block

Bronx, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bronx

Bronx

New York

Places 31
Stories 3

Related Places

  • The eternal flame.

    Chennai, India

    Perarignar Anna Memorial

    The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians.

  • The George Washington Stone display

    Albuquerque, New Mexico

    George Washington Turquoise Stone

    A 6,888-carat piece of turquoise that bears a striking resemblance to the first President of the United States.

  • The famous statue has had an interesting life.

    Cambridge, Massachusetts

    John Harvard 'Statue of Three Lies'

    The statue of John Harvard isn't actually John Harvard—or even, technically, the founder of the school.

  • Casey Jones House

    Jackson, Tennessee

    Casey Jones Village

    This Tennessee museum is dedicated to a tragic railroad hero who inspired the famous ballad that bears his name.

  • The museum in Gibsland.

    Gibsland, Louisiana

    Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum

    A museum dedicated to the lovable crime couple Bonnie & Clyde, just a few miles away from the site of their early demise.

  • The Raven Room

    Charlottesville, Virginia

    The Raven Room

    Edgar Allan Poe's old dorm is now a shrine to the author's legacy.

  • The statue of Tian Yi

    Beijing, China

    Tian Yi's Tomb

    The burial grounds of a Chinese eunuch who served his way into the highest levels of Imperial government.

  • Xiannongtan

    Beijing, China

    Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum / Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)

    An ancient Chinese temple where even the emperor dressed like a farmer in the name of the harvest.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.