explorers club new york visit

Inside the ultra-elite Explorers Club that counts Jeff Bezos, Buzz Aldrin, and James Cameron as members

• The Explorers Club is an ultra-elite club in New York that serves as a meeting place for explorers, scientists, and the moneyed-elite who fund expeditions.
• Its members include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, President Teddy Roosevelt, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and film director James Cameron.
• The Manhattan clubhouse is filled with priceless artifacts and ancient documents.

World history is full of secret clubs with elite members, like the Freemasons  and the Illuminati. Shrouded in mystery, these clubs become the stuff of legend.

In a lavish Upper Manhattan townhouse lies the headquarters of a legendary, though far less secretive society — The Explorers Club .

Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club is a professional society that serves as a meeting place for explorers, scientists, and just about anyone with an interest in scientific exploration. The Explorers Club funds, promotes, and assists in expeditions around the world.

The club's  current and historical members include astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, film director James Cameron, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, President Teddy Roosevelt, and aviator Charles Lindbergh.

The Explorers Club invited Business Insider in 2014 to take an exclusive look inside the historic club.

The Explorers Club is located on East 70th Street in Manhattan near Central Park. The house's Jacobean facade makes it instantly recognizable.

The Explorers Club headquarters was originally the home of Stephen C. Clark, the heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune and founder of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Club member and famous writer Lowell Thomas later bought the house and gifted the property to the club.

The front sitting room is suffused with history, including many 15th- and 16th-century fixtures from Europe. The wood coffee table was originally a hatch cover on the USC&GS Explorer, a survey ship and research vessel that was one of the few ships to survive the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.

This is the Empress Dowager chair, which belonged to Empress Wanrong, the wife of Puyi, the last emperor of China and the final ruler of the Qing Dynasty.

The club has numerous artifacts from Robert Peary's landmark expedition to the North Pole in 1909, including the sealskin mittens of Matthew Henson, Peary's first mate and the first African-American admitted to the Club in 1937. This is canned malted milk from the expedition.

Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl used this globe to plan his expedition to sail an indigenous balsa-wood raft from Peru to Polynesia. Heyerdahl received invaluable financial support from club members. While the club has a paltry $125,000 fund for actual expeditions, its real purpose lies in connecting those with means with explorers.

Heyerdahl wanted his expedition to prove indigenous peoples could have crossed the Pacific before the arrival of Europeans and settled on Polynesian islands. The team landed after a 101-day journey that crossed 4,300 miles. This is a page from Heyerdahl's diary on the day they found land.

The townhouse has an ancient elevator. We headed in to check out where the club's 3,000 members usually meet.

This is one of two main event rooms in the building. It was once Clarke's library and has retained that character. The ceiling comes from an Italian monastery.

The club is frequently used for talks and conferences where explorers present their findings. Here, marine investigator Barry Clifford talks about a 500-year-old shipwreck found off the coast of Haiti that he believes could be one of Christopher Columbus's ships.

This is a painting of Adolphus W. Greely, The Explorers Club's first president. It depicts Greely's 1881 expedition to the Arctic, during which ice stranded the explorers for several years (18 of the 24 crew members had died of various causes by the time they were rescued in 1884). Rumors that some crew members engaged in cannibalism haunted Greely.

This taxidermy polar bear is a favorite attraction. It was a gift from actor Rudolph Valentino, who hunted the animal on the Chukchi Sea in 1969. Press a button and the bear roars.

This porch on the side of the main event space is stunning. The balustrade on the side was imported from a 15th-century French monastery in the Pyrenees.

Stones on the patio are dedicated to members. The average age of the club's 3,000 members is 65, according to Outside Magazine. Not all are scientists, mountaineers, and astronauts; many are simply wealthy travelers.

Source: Outside Magazine

In 2014, the club awarded Space-X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk the President's Award for Exploration and Technology for "revolutionizing both space exploration and sustainable transportation."

Correction: Though the club awarded Musk the medal in 2014, he is not a member of the Explorers Club. 

Source: The Explorers Club

The Clark Room is the main meeting room of the club. The Explorers Club maintains 26 chapters (19 in the US, 7 abroad). To become a member, you have to have been involved in field scientific research and have the recommendation of a current member.

These flags are extremely important to the club's tradition. Club members who go on expedition apply to carry an Explorers Club flag with them to their destination. In order to do so, they must submit a mini-thesis with the goal of their expedition.

Explorers on the world's major expeditions have carried these flags: to the top of Mount Everest, the North and South Poles, and the moon. The club has a high-profile relationship with NASA. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin carried this miniature flag of The Explorers Club with them to the moon, and it's been carried on many Apollo missions.

Flags often go on multiple expeditions. This flag, a veteran of 19 expeditions, has been both to the highest point in the world (Everest) and the lowest (Challenger Deep).

Jef Bezos, Amazon CEO and founder of space company Blue Origin, recently became a member. He was a sponsor and member of an expedition in 2013 to recover the F-1 rocket engines that were used in the '60s-era Apollo space missions from the bottom of the ocean. For the effort, the team took an Explorers Club flag, which Bezos returned in 2014.

Source: Explorers Club

Film director James Cameron is a member. Explorers Club vice-president David Concannon said it took him and another member, Ralph White, four years to convince Cameron to apply. Cameron didn't think he was qualified.

ou may be interested to know that it took me and Jim’s other co-sponsor, Ralph White, four years to persuade Jim to submit his application because he did not think he was qualified to join the Club.  That’s clearly not the case, and we are very proud of Jim’s accomplishments as an explorer.

There are relics of past expeditions everywhere. Robert Peary and Matthew Henson carried this massive sleigh during their expedition to the North Pole.

The Club also maintains a full archive of every member as well as every flag expedition undertaken by a club member.

Each member has a file in the archives containing their application, flag reports, news clips, photos, and artifacts they brought back. This is the file of Carl Akeley, the father of modern taxidermy.

"When members are living, they are in the membership office. When they die, they come up here to live with me in the archives," Club curator Lacey Flint told Business Insider.

This is Teddy Roosevelt's application. By the time the Explorers Club was founded in 1904, Roosevelt was already president.

The Club's archives contain a massive collection of photographs from expeditions. In the early 1900s, slide photographs were used to present expeditions back home. This photograph of Teddy Roosevelt shows him and his son Kermit (also a Club member; standing on the elephant) during one a hunting expedition in Africa.

The Explorers Club is also home to an extensive collection of rare books, many of which date to the early 1800s.

The Hall of Fame upstairs is filled with the club's most notable members.

The Hall of Fame leads to the trophy room, which is filled with artifacts taken while on expedition — including many exotic taxidermy animals.

Next to the door you can see the long front tooth of a narwhal, which looks like a tusk.

These are from a rare four-tusked elephant, the result of a genetic mutation. Armand Denis, a Belgian-born documentary filmmaker and club member, collected the tusks.

Here's the tusk of a 250,000-year-old woolly mammoth the club served at its annual dinner in 1951. Reverend Bernard Hubbard, a reputed explorer but not a club member, provided the meat.

The club is known for serving exotic foods at its annual dinners. In recent years, dishes have included whole cooked alligators, tarantulas, goats' eyeballs, maggots, and earthworms. Tickets for the event run from $375 to $1,200. About 1,400 people usually attend.

Here's a portrait of Danish explorer Peter Freuchen, who was stranded in a blizzard on Baffin Island in Canada in 1923.

Freuchen was buried by an avalanche and suffered severe frostbite on his foot. Remembering that natives use frozen dog feces to make tools, Freuchen quickly moved his own bowels, froze the feces, and crafted a chisel to dig his way out.

On the way back to camp, he was saved by Inuits who told him to bite off his frostbitten toes. He instead knocked them off with a hammer.

Between these chairs sits the stuffed penis of a sperm whale that was given to the club in 1977.

Teddy Roosevelt shot this lion on one of his many expeditions to Africa.

While the club used to have a reputation as big-game hunters (note all the taxidermy in the house), it has since aimed to distance itself from that part of its past. The club has moved towards championing environmentalism and conservation.

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Inside The Explorers Club, Manhattan's Best-Kept Secret

One would be hard-pressed to assume that behind the elegant Jacobean facade at 46 East 70th Street lies such a diverse collection of world-over artifacts owing to gut-wrenching stories of the building's celebrated members. The Explorers Club is a nonprofit born in 1904 from a few men's desires to create a space for likeminded thinkers in a great era of global exploration. What has come to pass is a society of men and women who transform mankind's relationships to the planet through boundary-pushing expedition , research, and thought. While the club is exclusive in its membership—card-holders include Sir Edmund Hillary, Neil Armstrong , and a slew of National Geographic photographers—the society is not stuffy about its accomplishments, rather eager to share. Following a hint from Supercompressor, who first toured the incredible collection , we were invited in for a looksee.

· Inside The Explorers Club: An Exclusive Tour of a Legendary Society [Supercompressor] · The Explorers Club [official] · Exclusive Explorers Club Has All the Taxidermy You'd Expect [Curbed]

Next Up In Curbed NY Inside

• Inside 111 West 57th Street, billionaire housing with a ‘point of view’
• Deborah Berke’s Upper East Side condo shows off its luxurious sales office
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The Future of Exploration: An Interview With Explorers Club President Lorie Karnath

In just a few days, an expected 1,000 explorers from around the world will arrive in New York City to attend Saturday's Explorers Club Annual Dinner, the Academy Awards of exploration. Now in her third term as president of the club, Lorie Karnath (pictured) took a break from preparations to discuss exploration with a purpose, the importance of challenging conventional thought, and how technology is changing the game … oh, and the end of the world. —Mary Anne Potts

This year’s dinner theme is the Maya prophecy, which some interpret as predicting the end of the world in 2012. Though the world seems especially chaotic right now, why did you pick this theme? It’s actually not so much about the Maya prophecy, but about prophecies in general, and how explorers throughout the centuries have not only had to deal with the challenges of exploration, but, on top of that, they have had to deal with going against accepted bodies of thought.

We all know about 2012, but what are some of the other prophecies? Over and over explorers have had to challenge very erudite groups. For example, think about how long it took scientists to decide that the Earth was not the center of the universe. There were times when there was prophecy that the world was flat and that people were going to fall off the edge of it. And yet explorers still jumped in ships and discovered it was round. Explorers were told if they climbed the highest mountain they would be annihilated by radioactive rays … and on and on.

But each time, explorers were not only willing to go through the hardship that goes along with exploration, they were able to think outside the box and go against the status quo. So part of our role as explorers is not just discovery, but it’s also separating science from fiction.

What prophesies are still intact today? Today there are all kinds of prophecies about species, climate change, what space might bring, and what might happen in the oceans. That’s a key role for us as explorers—to figure out what might happen and what might not.

What do you think of the Maya 2012 prophecy and how it is interpreted—or misinterpreted? The Maya themselves didn’t suggest that 2012 would be the end of the world, but this shows again how things do crop up. Even though the Maya didn’t necessarily mean to portray that, there are many who believe, to a certain extent, that the world may end next year. I thought it would make a catchy title, “Exploring 2012, the Maya Prophecy (Because Next Year May Be Too Late)." If that’s really something you believe, I could never have this discussion next year because that would be too late.

People love to declare that exploration is dead. What do you say to that? I personally think now is one of the more important times ever for explorers. We are exploring today to help preserve the planet. In the Golden Age of Exploration, it was more about filling the gaps on the map. The stakes are so much higher now. The tools that we have are so much more valuable in terms of being able to discern what is really happening to flora and fauna, the Earth itself, the oceans, the glaciers. You can return to the same place, over and over again, and learn new things.

How would you define today’s exploration? It’s much more adventure with a purpose. I have five words that I think our activity at the Explorers Club revolves around: explore, discover, share, preserve, and sustain. So basically go out and discover, share our knowledge, give back to the community and government, work with businesses and bench scientists, and tell what we have seen out there. Not everyone can get out to see the things we see. Explorers today figure out ways to preserve and sustain the things that are critical in our lives. Exploration must be focused on learning and bringing back—and adding to our overall body of knowledge.

Is there an explorer right now who is doing a great job with this approach? There are many. I look at this not as individuals, but as a network of explorers sharing knowledge. That is one of the most important roles of the Explorers Club. We offer a hub for this network. Someone might see coral reef degradation in one part of the world, and someone might be experiencing something else in a completely different part of the world that may, in fact, relate to this destruction of a coral reef. Unless we start combining this information, we won’t have the answers. We need to put this information together on a global scale.

How does technology move exploration forward? Technology is a big part to it, from many sides. That’s actually how we are getting a much better understanding of processes, such as what’s happening to our planet and the species on it. Technology also allows for the sharing of information much more easily and faster. It allows you to share information wherever you are. You can be in the field communicating with a bench scientist who might say, OK, you found that, now find this, take a measurement, and wait until this happens. We are getting a much more accurate means of study. And we have much more access to people who need to be involved. Often times, you might go somewhere expecting one thing but find something totally different, so you need different experts, and you need access to them. This is what technology gives us.

What is a good example of technology-aided exploration? Our best example is space. Look how much we are learning with what is going on with Mars and other places. In some ways, we know more about space right now than we do about our oceans. Technology is starting to allow us to access the ocean as well. It may not be as far away as space, but it’s just as exotic, or maybe more so.

That's surprising. Why is it that we know more about space than the oceans? I think that man has always looked spaceward. And that brings us back to our theme about the Maya. They studied the stars; their calendar revolved around them—all of ours do. And that shows man’s natural inclination to want to go there and learn more about it. With the ocean, we can’t see what we see in space, at first. It’s only through technology that we have been able to see things in the ocean.

It was just International Women’s Day. Do you think the field of exploration, historically considered a boys’ club of sorts, has more women than it used to? I don’t look at being a woman or man as an issue in exploration today. I think that’s the really good news. And even though the Explorers Club only started accepting women members in 1981, it isn’t as if women sat around waiting. They were out there in every domain of exploration. Even early on, women explorers were much more active in the field than we might know, though a lot of them did not get credit for what they did. But early women explorers wrote a lot, so we are now able to give them much more credit because they kept such great records.

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Is there a woman explorer whom you admire? I really admire the early women explorers, especially from the Victorian era. These women had so many social and other obstacles to overcome. Exploration is not an easy business to start with, and then to try to climb a mountain in petticoats. Annie Smith Peck, she was a mountaineer. And she was the first to design trousers for women. I admire her; she was very gutsy. There’s actually a picture of her in the Explorers Club Women’s Room.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole. Why is this expedition important today? One thing the anniversary has done is put a lot of focus on the Poles again. For sure, the Explorers Club began around the Poles. B ack then, the Poles were the area that seemed the most remote and caught everyone’s attention—like how we view space today. The anniversary has refocused the discussion on what is going on with the Poles, which brings us to the whole question of what does climate change mean? And what can we as explorers add to help understand how the world changes and balances itself—and how it doesn’t?

So is it fair to say that you think climate change is the big issue for explorers to tackle? There are so many questions about climate change. I also think there has always been climate change, one way or another. And there are most likely a variety of causes and effects. Part of our role as explorers is to help unravel these. We do this by going to places around the world where few people go.

Oftentimes, particularly in urban scenarios, we become divorced from nature. Part of the Explorers Club role is remind people that it doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment in a high-rise or in a jungle, nature is all around us, and that’s what sustains us. We can’t live in isolation.

What are you doing next? Any big expeditions? I’m going to a remote area of Yunnan province in China right after the dinner. My husband and I have funded the building of a school. We have done a couple in China. So we are going to the opening of that school. And that’s part of the idea of sharing knowledge to help educate. Before, there was no classroom. This opens a whole new door. Then later in the year we are going to Mongolia to go on a dinosaur dig in the Gobi.

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11 Awesome Artifacts You Can See at the Explorers Club

Explorers Club members have donated a strange assortment of artifacts to the club’s archives. Here are a few of the oddities.

By Hannah Keyser | Nov 13, 2023, 2:10 PM EST

The Explorers Club headquarters on East 70th Street might be New York City’s best-kept secret. In spirit and purpose, it is the meeting place and physical center for an international association of scientists and explorers . In aesthetics, it resembles a Jacobean manor house crossed with a natural history museum , complete with wood-paneled walls, elaborate molding, and a terrace marked by a colonnade from a monastery in France that matches the one in the Cloisters .

The club first met in 1904 as an unofficial gathering of like-minded men (women weren’t allowed until 1981). By the following year, the Explorers Club was incorporated, though it bounced around several locations—first on the Lower East Side and then by Columbia University—before ending up at its current location in 1965. The house was originally built in 1910 for Stephen Clark, heir of the Singer sewing machine fortune, with the intention of mimicking a historical style. Clark lived there with his family until he passed away in 1960. Five years later, the entire multistory townhouse was purchased for the club with the help of member Lowell Thomas .

These days, the club serves as a fellowship that awards grants and provides a social and professional network for continuing generations of explorers. Entry into that network, which includes dozens of chapters around the world, requires a background of extensive travel and a number of recommendations from current members. The house retains certain functions of its own: Members give lectures on their research and travel, relevant films are shown, and independent organizations from charities to documentary filmmakers make use of the stunning setting. The club invites passers-by, perhaps intrigued by the heavy iron doors or the personalized flag, to pop in and get a feel for the place. But those interested in getting a closer look, either at any of the objects mentioned here or the vast research collection of exploration documents, should make an appointment with the club’s curator.

1. USS Explorer Table

One of the first remarkable artifacts in the club is hidden in plain sight. A sumptuous sitting room centers around a heavy wooden coffee table with a rich history . It’s built from a hatch cover for the USS Explorer , an unarmed research vessel that was one of only seven ships in the area to survive the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor . At the time of the bombing, the Explorer was out to sea—in fact, it was the nearest American ship to the Japanese fleet responsible for the attack—which was how it was spared a violent end.

2. Dowager Empress Chair

In the same room as the USS Explorer table is a chair with royal origins. Not much is known about the intricately carved wooden seat, but it is rumored to have belonged to Empress Wanrong, the wife of Puyi, last emperor of China.

3. Matthew Henson‘s Mittens

Matthew A. Henson , who became the first Black person admitted to the club in 1937, was Robert Edwin Peary ’s assistant on a number of Arctic expeditions , including the one they claimed as the first to reach the geographic North Pole in 1909. The club displays sealskin mittens with polar bear fur cuffs made for Henson by an Inuit woman who accompanied them on their voyage. On the gloves is inscribed Matthew A. Henson, May 5, 1934… To -- Explorers Club … worn by me from Cape Sheridan to it -- North Pole, April 6, 1909 .

4. Thor Heyerdahl‘s  Kon-Tiki Globe

In 1947, club member Thor Heyerdahl wanted to show that early South Americans could have settled the islands of the South Pacific as far back as 500 CE. The Norwegian mariner set sail from Peru with a five-man crew aboard a raft, called the Kon-Tiki , made of balsa logs and other materials and techniques consistent with what would have been available to Indigenous sailors at that time. One hundred and one days and 4300 miles later, the team landed in Polynesia. (Later research disproved Heyedahl’s theory, anthropologists now believe Polynesian navigators settled the islands.) Heyerdahl’s expedition was first proposed and partially planned using this globe, which was at the time located in the Explorers Club headquarters on West 72nd Street.

5. Albert Operti’s Rescue at Camp Clay

In 1881, Adolphus W. Greely—a decorated Civil War veteran who would become the Explorers Club’s first president in 1905—set off with a crew of 24 men to explore extreme northern Canada . The government-funded Lady Franklin Bay Expedition made numerous scientific contributions and observations, with some members trekking farther north than anyone before them. However, during the expedition, heavy ice stranded the explorers and prevented relief vessels from reaching them for three years. By the time a rescue ship found the crew on June 22, 1884, at Cape Sabine on Ellesmere Island, two-thirds had succumbed to starvation, exposure, scurvy , drowning, and suicide—and one member had been executed as punishment for stealing food. In the aftermath, the six survivors were plagued by rumors of cannibalism .

The painting, commissioned by the government to hang in the U.S. Capitol , depicts a scene of the rescue. Artist Albert Operti did extensive research, interviewing the survivors as well as those who were part of the rescue team, for details about the tents and other materials. He even studied pre-expedition portraits of the deceased crew members. The club purchased the painting in 1946 for $105.

6. Bell from the Bear

The Bear was a U.S. Coast Guard cutter that was part of a three-ship mini fleet responsible for finding and rescuing Greely’s surviving crew. The bell was presented to the club in 1933 and since then has been rung to mark the start of club functions.

7. Mariana Trench/Mount Everest Flag

The club’s flag is an iconic part of its tradition. Each flag produced is assigned a number, and members must apply for the honor of carrying one on their expeditions, submitting a thesis-style report to be included in the flag’s file upon return. A database tracks all of the flags’ voyages. Often, explorers who have been granted the privilege seek to carry a flag that has been to similar locations or was carried by one of their idols. On the occasion of some particularly admirable voyage, or because of damage sustained, flags are retired to be part of the rotating collection on display in the club. The Flag Room provides a sense of the club’s wide-ranging purview in the world of exploration and notable historical events—the Apollo 13 flag was returned unopened in the non-flammable plastic casing in which it was packed, with a note explaining that since “plans were disrupted” it was never planted on the moon ’s surface.

Not all explorers opt for flags that have been to similar locations—in fact, an instance of just the opposite created a unique artifact. Flag 161 accompanied 19 voyages during its active tenure from 1955 to 2012. Among those was a trip to the top of Mount Everest , and the last one was a descent with James Cameron to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Deepsea Challenger. Along with a host of other accomplishments, this means that Flag 161 is the only object in the world to have traveled to both the highest and lowest points on the planet.

8. “Yeti Scalp”

Tales of an abominable snowman called the Yeti inspired Explorers Club members Sir Edmund Hillary and Marlin Perkins to travel to Nepal in 1960. Among the evidence for this mythical monster cited by locals was a supposed scalp, which had been housed at a temple in Khumjung for over 200 years. Unfortunately for Yeti enthusiasts everywhere, Perkins, a zoologist, concluded that the “scalp” was made from the hide of a Himalayan serow—a goat-like hoofed mammal. To substantiate this claim, he had a villager create an exact replica using goat hide, which is what you see here.

9. Description de l'Égypte

Despite suffering an ignominious military defeat in Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte ’s campaign up the Nile in 1798–99 provided the world with one of the most important documents in Egyptology. Along with his army, Napoleon brought nearly 200 scholars and scientists known as savants to compile ethnographic information about ancient and modern Egypt . The result was 22 volumes called  Description de l’Égypte, ou recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’armée française . Or in English: Description of Egypt, or collection of observations and research made in Egypt during the expedition of the French Army . The texts are, of course, written in French, but the oversized volumes that include hand-colored pictures are stunning and worth a look.

10. Double Elephant Tusk

These four tusks, the fearsome-looking result of a rare genetic mutation, all belonged to the same elephant. The tusks were collected by club member Armand Denis, an adventurer and filmmaker who led a famous expedition across Africa in 1934, but they were donated by the estate of Sally H. Clark, wife of James L. Clark, who served as director for preparations at the American Museum of Natural History.

11. Stuffed Whale Penis

Not much is known about this stuffed whale penis, which was given to the club in 1977 by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Schauffler, but it is a favorite among visitors. Worth checking out, if only for a better sense of scale.

A version of this story was published in 2016; it has been updated for 2023.

Behind the Scenes at NYC's Exclusive Explorers Club

NEW YORK — Taxidermied animal heads, majestic elephant tusks and even a preserved whale penis adorn the walls and rooms of the Explorers Club. This exclusive society, based here on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is open only to members who've sailed to new shores, climbed to new heights or trekked on new paths. In other words, real explorers.

A recent tour of the club's headquarters revealed a hidden enclave packed floor to ceiling with mementos of brave expeditions over the years.

In the entrance hall is a photo, a flag and a letter from the crew of Apollo 15 , who carried the flag with them on their journey to the moon in 1971. Nearby is a signed photo from the crew of the Bathyscaphe Trieste, a submarine that dived to the deepest spot in the ocean, the Mariana Trench. Down the hall is a taxidermied polar bear presented to the Explorers Club by Rudy Valentino, who hunted the animal on the Chukchi Sea in 1969, according to a plaque. [ Photos: Inside the Exclusive Explorers Club ]

Founded in 1904, the Explorers Club currently has around 3,000 members. These members have climbed Mount Everest, explored the depths of the ocean and walked on the moon. The first explorers to reach the North Pole in 1909, and the first to visit the South Pole in 1911 , also belonged to the club.

"It was founded by some of the foremost explorers of the time," said Jeff Blumenfeld, communications director for the Explorers Club. He described how like-minded trailblazers have been gathering here since the society's inception to share tales of their expeditions.

A trademark of the Explorers Club is its flag: red, white and blue, with a diagonal stripe in the middle bearing the letters E and C, and a compass rose. Club members have carried this flag with them on most of their major expeditions around the world and even into space.

"The flag is the seal of approval," Blumenfeld said, explaining that the same flag would often be carried on multiple journeys, until it had become too fragile, or too precious, because of where it had been, to be risked on further travels. Then, a new flag would replace it. "Eventually, we had to move from cotton to more durable polyester," Blumenfeld added.

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Membership to the Explorers Club is exclusive. To join, applicants must have a sponsor among the ranks of current members, and must prove that they've been involved in actual exploration . Journeying for fun, photography, hunting or other nonscientific pursuits doesn't count.

"You go somewhere to explore something, to do science — it's not travel," Blumenfeld told LiveScience.

In addition to tangible mementos of its members' expeditions, the club keeps detailed records of their journeys and discoveries, and the building houses more than 10,000 books on topics related to exploration.

A hallway covered with photos of members — past and present — is a veritable who's who of famous explorers, from Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin to Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed across the Pacific Ocean in a homemade raft in 1947, to Tenzing Norgay, who was on the first expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1953 with Edmund Hillary.

On the club's top floor, a taxidermied penguin stands sentry in a corner, while a taxidermic cheetah prowls at the far end of the room. And yes, standing tall by the window is a preserved whale penis.

"I don't know what happened to the rest of the whale," Blumenfeld said.

Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter and Google+ . Follow us  @livescience , Facebook  &  Google+ . Original article on LiveScience .

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The Fascinating History of the Explorers Club Headquarters in Manhattan

As we researched places to visit during our recent trip to New York City, the Headquarters of the Explorers Club quickly rose to one of the top priorities. Although it takes more than an appetite to travel the world to become members of the Explorers Club, just seeing the inside of the historic club was amazing. To become a member of the Explorers Club, you must have participated in some form of scientific exploration or field research as well as being sponsored by at least two current members. The club was founded in 1904 by some of the world’s leading explorers of the time and one can only imagine the conversations that occurred as they sat in leather chairs in front of the fire and recalled their latest exploits.

As you walk through the Explorers Club Headquarters, you are greeted with paintings and memorabilia that remind you not only of the great accomplishments, but of the harsh conditions that the early explores endured. As you walk through the entrance to the club, immediately on your left you will see a private, members only, lounge and bar with a fireplace and leather chairs. Above the fireplace is a painting by Charles R. Knight titled Woolly Rhinoceros. Just as one would expect from such an illustrious group, there is a plaque commemorating famous firsts achieved by the members which includes the North Pole, South Pole, Everest, Challenger Deep, and the moon.

The second floor has the Clark Room, which has flags that have been on various expeditions, the library with a large collection of books and a large painting titled The Rescue of Greely, which depicts the famous rescue of Adolphus Greely’s expedition that attempted to create the first permanent base at the edge of the Arctic Sea. Greely and six other survivors of the expedition were rescued in 1884 after being stranded for 2 years. Greely became the first president of The Explorers Club 1905 and the bell from the ship that rescued him, named Bear, is also on display on the second floor. There is also a terrace on the second floor with antique stained glass and bistro tables for entertaining.

With our love for travel and exploration, seeing the historic Explorers Club Headquarters with all of the history and paintings was one of the highlights of our visit to New York City. There are parts of the headquarters that are off-limits to visitors, but there is more than enough to see if you decide to visit. They are happy to provide you a flyer with their history and explanations of all of the fascinating artifacts and artwork located throughout the six-story building. They will even give you an application to apply for membership if you ask. There were not any other visitors during the time that we were there, so it is definitely not as well-known as most other locations near mid-town Manhattan.

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‘I Do It From My Couch’: The Next Generation of Explorers

By Alyson Krueger

• March 22, 2019

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The Explorers Club is exactly what it sounds like: a members-only institution, established more than a century ago, and dedicated to scientific inquiry. Many of those admitted — there are currently 3,500 members — have touched upon uncharted territories, and all are active in the field of science research. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were part of the club, as was Thor Heyerdahl. Recently, Elon Musk joined.

For 115 years, members have gathered annually for a weekend of science and a black-tie dinner at the New York headquarters, on the Upper East Side. The most recent event, held on March 16, featured 10 astronauts who were part of the Apollo program and an auction where attendees could bid on joining a world-renowned paleontologist on a dinosaur fossil dig.

The weekend of science also introduced something new: The club let its youngest members, some still undergraduates in college, present their initiatives.

There was Alex Borowicz, a Ph.D. candidate at Stony Brook University, who uses high-resolution satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to track whales. “It used to be that people had to go on a boat with binoculars to do that,” he said, during his presentation. “I do it from my couch.”

Another young presenter was Stephen Daire, a graduate student at the University of Southern California. He had built robots able to explore caves so humans don’t have to. His robot even builds itself a charging station before it starts its work so it can take care of its own needs later.

For generations, exploration meant going to faraway lands and bringing back significant artifacts. The club is filled with items from these journeys: tusks from a rare elephant species and flags that flew on the moon. A giant taxidermy polar bear hovers over the second floor.

But it is clear that the newer members are different kinds of pioneers. Many of them are using technology, in addition to safari gear and compasses, to uncover the world’s greatest secrets. This has resulted in some growing pains at the club, as younger and older members struggle to expand the definition of exploration in 2019.

“For the older folks, maybe they were the first person somewhere because the world hadn’t been explored that much, and they had that opportunity,” said Aleksandr Rikhterman, 26, a Brooklyn-based documentary filmmaker. “We can’t do that so we have to look at exploring differently. We can use new tools to take a closer look at the environments that have already been found.”

The afternoon of presentations showcasing new technologies was the first step.

To join the club with full voting rights, two other members must nominate you, and annual fees can cost hundreds of dollars. But there is also a way to as a join as a student member, for which the initiation fee is waived, with just one referral.

That said, being a young member in the Explorers Club can sometimes be challenging to navigate. Adam Gordon, 32, who works in human rights law at N.Y.U., said he remembered when he first got his membership and immediately went to the members-only section of the website. “It was a ghost town,” he said. “There was nothing on it.”

Going to events in person was intimidating for Mr. Gordon, too. “Members tend to be in their 50s, 60s and 70s,” he said. “And some are pretty renowned.”

The clubhouse, with its wooden walls, leather club chairs, and plaques on the wall commemorating member firsts (like the summit of Mount Everest in 1953), has a somewhat faded 20th-century grandeur that might come across as outdated to younger members.

For example, the taxidermy. “The concept of Victorian hunters is quite alien to some of the younger members,” said Joshua Powell, who is deciding whether to pursue a doctorate at the University of Oxford, of a similar institution in England. “But England tried to cleanse itself entirely of it, and its clubhouse is quite stark as a result.”

The Next Generation Explorers Network, or NGEN, was created in 2017. At first it was just a Facebook group where young members could share their work, ask questions and find one another. “The group currently has 175 members,” said Brianna Rowe, one of the organizers, during the annual weekend of science. After the event, membership grew to 199, pending approval from the club.

The network has also started holding events like “beer and gear” nights where members talk about their favorite equipment, sometimes with an expert, like the climber Vanessa O’Brien, and seminars on how to get funding for an expedition.

But these initiatives are mostly created by young members for young members. (All members are welcome in NGEN, but according to Ms. Rowe, most of the participation is by those under 40.) The big problem is how to mix the new with the old.

Francesco Bandarin, the former assistant director-general for culture of Unesco and a member for about a year, said he believes the club needs to be going in this direction. “The Explorers Club has had an emphasis on geographic exploration, the South Pole, the North Pole,” he said. “It’s a little different now. We can explore the world with many more tools than hundreds of years ago. These young people are using satellites and lasers. It’s so cool.”

Peter Lenahan, 62, brings young members along on expeditions he organizes, his most recent of which was a caving trip in Laos. “I’ve been leading trips for a long time, and I try to get the young people involved,” he said. “It’s really not that hard; you just have to tell them about the trip.”

George Basch, 82, seemed a bit let down that more older people didn’t attend the most recent round of NGEN presentations. “It wasn’t that well advertised, and I’m disappointed the room was so small,” he said. “This is something that should have been presented to thousands of people. There were only about 20 of us old folks in the room.”

But Mr. Basch planned to spread the word about the presentations. “I’m going to talk about it to everybody I meet or see the rest of the weekend,” he said. “These kids are so bright, so enthusiastic and so resourceful. Our club is lucky to have them so we won’t die out.”

Explorers Club in New York to Host Apollo Astronauts

Living legends, astronauts , engineers and other extraordinary guests will all gather this upcoming Saturday (March 16) for the 115th Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York City. The event will celebrate the pioneers of space exploration as the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing draws closer. 

This upcoming summer, the first human footprints on the lunar surface will turn 50. The historic Apollo 11 mission captivated the world's attention and imagination; millions watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin make their marks in the dusty regolith as Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. This event will not only celebrate the achievements of Apollo 11, but all of the missions of the Apollo Project and the incredible progress that has been made in spaceflight over the last 50 years. The event will gather astronauts who flew on these courageous missions all together in the same room — and the conversations that they share this weekend are bound to be out of this world. (Explorers Club may add the specific astronauts attending to their site.)

The Explorers Club Annual Dinner will take place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The day's events will begin with an Apollo astronaut symposium at which astronauts who flew as part of the Apollo program will share their thoughts.

The event will continue with a cocktail reception, a silent auction and a black-tie awards dinner. The dinner holds "surprises in store!" for eventgoers, according to the Explorers Club website. Although the public is able to purchase tickets to the day's events ( at prices ranging from $500-$2,500 ), the annual dinner is currently sold out. 

Since its founding in 1904, the Explorers Club has billed itself as a meeting place for some of the world's most interesting people. Explorers and scientists including the first people to reach the North and South Poles, the first person to reach the top of Mount Everest, and more have all been members of the Explorers Club.

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Events & Programs

8th Annual New York WILD Film Festival

The New York WILD Film Festival showcases documentaries about exploration, adventure, wildlife, conservation, and the environment.

For ticket sales, visit: https://store.explorers.org/products/wild-2022

For information about the film schedule, visit: https://nywildfilmfestival.com/the-festival/2022-schedule/

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Saturday includes symposiums at HQ and the Asia Society, and the 120th annual ECAD: A Cosmic Ballet, at the Glasshouse...

Spend Sunday at Club Headquarters, attending our annual members meeting in the morning and celebrating the return of expedition flags...

Join The Explorers Club on the Monday after ECAD Weekend for a presentation given by this year's New Explorer Award...

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Has anyone visited this building? Their website is very vague on visitors rules/times. I am curious if anyone knows for certain from experience:

Can you just show up, like a museum? (I understand some areas may not be for non-members)

Was it worth the visit?

Why not phone them during the week and ask?? Have you looked at the photo gallery?

https://www.explorers.org/about/photo_tour

I saw this on their website:

September through June: The Club is open to members and their guests from 9am - 9pm Monday - Friday. Certain designated rooms of the Club are open to the general public from 9am - 6pm, with docent tours available at each Monday Public Lecture.

Summer Hours (July and August): Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

The Club is closed on Saturdays & Sundays.

Elsewhere on the website it mentions that you have to make an appointment to consult the collections.

NYWhiz is right to be absolutely sure, you should call or write to them.

Thanks for the replies. I've seen all of that information on the website, and will give them a call directly since the information is unclear.

Has anyone on the forum actually been?

Unless you have an uncle who belonged, I wouldn't skip my Statue of Liberty reservation to get inside. FWIW, the club now shares some space or rent or something with the Clark Art Institute from Williamstown, MA.

I was there years ago for a business function. It's certainly an interesting place but as obs says, unless you have a specific reason for going, it's not a must see. That said, I didn't know they were sharing space with the Clark. Are they displaying art, Obs?

I used to live near it and walked by it frequently, but never went inside. It's an elaborate townhouse between Park and Madison, probably built by a rich guy in the Gilded Age (I imagine a guide like the AIA guide to NY could tell you exactly who built it and when). I may be mistaken, but I believe it's on the same block (or one block south of) as sports promoter and Trump friend Don King's townhouse.(or at least the townhouse once occupied by Don King, which was very modern looking, whether a new build or just a new facade I don't know).

Thanks for the opinions and first hand info.

I really appreciate it :)

I was there several times many years ago for lectures by members; IIFC they were invitation-only. I remember being impressed but cant recall specific details; lots of fireplaces and old dark wood and curios and a balcony. Let us know if you get in and how it went.

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World Atlas names 13 of New York's most underrated towns to visit. See what they offer

New York is home to some of the most beautiful towns and scenery in the country. Are you looking for somewhere unique to visit?

According to World Atlas , a website publishing information on geography, sociology and travel, here are New York's most underrated towns. They are remarkable for preserving their culture and charm, which has attracted many visitors eager to explore. Their top picks include Cold Spring and four other towns in the Hudson Valley:

Cold Spring

Cold Spring is a hidden gem, an historic village that prides itself on maintaining its traditional charm and resisting modernization. Situated just 58 miles from New York City in Putnam County, it offers a unique opportunity to experience a slower pace of life in the Empire State. Established in 1730, Cold Spring's beauty and historic atmosphere , combined with its thriving small businesses, make it a special place to visit.

Cold Spring offers a glimpse into old-time New York with its unique shops and historic landmarks. Visitors can explore the town's natural beauty by hiking popular trails like Old Cornish Estate and Breakneck Ridge .

More: Check out Cold Spring's historic sites, places to go through photos in lohud on location

See the list: World Atlas names 5 Hudson Valley towns the most picturesque in New York.

Goshen is a great destination for families, especially since Legoland opened in 2021. This town has been gaining popularity among tourists of all ages. Visitors can explore the town's history at places like the Harness Racing Museum & Hall Of Fame or enjoy live horse races at the Goshen Historic Track , one of the oldest venues in operation.

Located 65 miles from New York City, in Orange County, Goshen is an ideal weekend getaway for city residents. It can also be part of a charming small-town tour in the Empire State, with stops like the Orange County Arboretum , a beautiful 35-acre garden easily accessible from I-84. Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or just looking for a fun family outing, Goshen has something for everyone.

Woodstock  ranks as an underrated city that appeals to creative tourists and artists. While it is renowned for its association with music and the iconic 1969 rock festival, Woodstock also showcases its artistic side through captivating sculptures and delightful boutiques lining Tinker Street . Surrounded by lush nature, this town becomes an ideal destination for those yearning for a blend of art and outdoor activities.

Apart from its artistic allure, Woodstock caters to visitors with a diverse range of accommodations. Whether one prefers a cozy homestay in the vibrant downtown area or a nature-focused retreat on the outskirts of town, there is something to suit everyone's taste. The Woodstock Inn on Millstream, Hotel Dylan, and the Howland House are among the highly-rated establishments that offer a serene and nature-filled setting.

New Paltz is unique among small towns in New York due to its historic waterfront architecture, lively student atmosphere, and well-preserved historic sites. The town's historic district features Old Stone houses , with some dating back to 1689. Notable homes to visit include the Jean Hasbrouck House, Bevier-Elting House, and the Abraham Hasbrouck House from 1721. Visitors can also stay at the famed Mohonk Mountain House , a Victorian Castle-like building that's over a century old.

Scenic places to visit: Sleepy Hollow named one of the most picturesque places in NY

Kingston offers a unique shopping experience and is a great destination for those who love to support local businesses. The town is decorated with colorful street art and murals that enhance its charm. Visitors can explore the Farmers Market at the Dutch Club for a variety of products from local vendors, or stroll along Broadway, filled with cafes and dining options. From Mexican cuisine at La Hacienda to American classics at Broadway Lights Diner & Cafe, and healthy options at Sonder, there is something for everyone. Don't miss the chance to take a nostalgic trolley ride at the Trolley Museum of New York , starting at T.R. Gallo Park and ending at Kingston Point Beach .

Lockport , out west in Niagara County, sets itself apart with its aquatic adventures, farming community, wineries, and more. Blackman Homestead Farm, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, and Honeymoon Trail Winery are among the town's agricultural highlights that bring a rural feel to the lively urban area. Enjoy your time in Lockport by taking Erie Canal Tours , discovering the Lockport Caves, and dining at top restaurants like Shamus, Kalamata Family Restaurant, and Tom’s Diner for a memorable old-fashioned experience.

Geneva , located in the Finger Lakes Region, has often been overlooked by tourists. This charming town is known for its elegant atmosphere, with stunning views of the water, historic buildings, and a thriving wine industry. When visiting Geneva, make sure to explore its rich history by visiting landmarks such as Geneva Belhurst Castle , the Smith Opera House , and Rose Hill Mansion . Nature enthusiasts will also enjoy the 151-acre Seneca Lake State Park , where they can partake in activities like kayaking, swimming, and hiking. And of course, no trip to Geneva is complete without indulging in the town's renowned vineyards and wineries.

Cooperstown

Cooperstown  is a top destination for discovering American history, boasting attractions like the National Baseball Hall of Fame and The Farmer’s Museum . Established by William Cooper in the late 1700s, the town offers something for everyone, from live performances at Glimmerglass Opera to historic businesses like Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard.

Oswego , a former transportation hub for railroads in Central New York, is now a port town. Despite being underrated, it offers a wide range of engaging events. Visitors are encouraged to actively participate in the local culture. One of the town's main events is Harborfest, which takes place in July. The Oswego Farmers Market showcases the best of local creativity with its homemade crafts and fresh produce. Porchfest, an annual event, allows visitors to experience live music performances on homeowners' porches.

Ithaca is a destination known for its natural beauty and small-town charm. It offers a variety of experiences, from waterfalls to a vibrant community atmosphere. The town is also home to Cornell University , adding a lively student vibe to the area. Don't forget to check out the Museum Of Earth and State Theater and Johnson Museum Of Art for a taste of the town's unique culture.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is a top spot in New York for travelers seeking natural beauty. Enjoy the famous Maid Of The Mist tour, Cave Of The Winds path, and ziplining adventures. Families can have a great time at the Aquarium and stay at the Seneca Niagara Casino. You can also explore the Canadian side of the falls.

Saranac Lake

Saranac Lake in New York offers a perfect blend of mountain views, small-town charm, and a forest atmosphere, making it an ideal underrated destination for a wilderness getaway. Visitors can enjoy train rides through the forests and hike up Baker Mountain for stunning lake views. In addition to nature, visitors can explore local art galleries in the town's central business district.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: World Atlas names 13 of New York's most underrated towns to visit. See what they offer

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Verrazzano bridge should be toll-free wednesday to honor 500th anniversary of explorer’s arrival : pol.

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This week marks the 500th anniversary of Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano’s arrival in New York Bay — and to commemorate it, drivers should get a toll break on his famed namesake bridge, a local pol says.

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn, was opened in 1964 and named after the explorer, who entered the bay April 17, 1524.

“It’s fitting that the MTA make his namesake bridge free for the residents of the two boroughs it connects on April 17th, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Verrazzano discovering New York Bay,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), to The Post.

“Verrazzano would be rolling in his grave if he knew about the cash grab this money-hungry agency was conducting in his name, which they even misspelled for decades,” the congresswoman cheekily added, referring to the MTA’s infamous spelling error of the explorer’s last name on its signs, giving him only one “z.”

He’d probably even sue for defamation,” the congresswoman quipped.

Malliotakis has already issued a congressional resolution honoring Verrazzano and acknowledging the 500th anniversary of his discovery of the bay on behalf of the French monarchy.

The MTA did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment on the proposed toll break.

The agency recently came under fire for trying to collect $750,000 in lost-toll revenues from the New York Road Runners Club over the New York City Marathon. The Verrazzano bridge is closed during the annual race — where runners start and go over bridge — and the transit agency said it should be reimbursed for the lost tolls.

But Gov. Kathy Hochul , who oversees the MTA, ordered the agency to back off messing with the iconic race and economic generator for New York City.  

Meanwhile, local Italian-American civil leaders will celebrate the Verrazzano discovery anniversary in a ceremony by the explorer’s statue in Battery Park in Manhattan on Wednesday at noon.

They agreed with Malliotakis that the bridge should be toll-free Wednesday.

“Almost 100 years before Hudson, an intrepid Italian explorer made it to New York Harbor, and literally showed the way to this land of opportunity,” said John Calvelli, executive vice chairman of the National Italian American Foundation. “The MTA can honor his legacy by providing a little relief for the thousands of New Yorkers that travel on the bridge that bears his name.

“It isn’t every day you celebrate a 500th anniversary! Thank you Rep. Malliotakis for leading this effort!”

On Saturday, a street corner on Staten Island at Lily Pond Avenue and Major Avenue will be co-named after Giovanni da Verrazzano. City Councilman David Carr, who reps the borough’s neighborhoods by the bridge and requested the change, will preside.

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