Explore the new tour “Spanish Sites in NYC” through CultureNOW and discover the Spanish stories embedded throughout New York City.
The Queen Sofía Spanish Institute is pleased to announce the publication of “Spanish Sites in NYC,” a new self-guided virtual tour available through CultureNOW that invites New Yorkers and visitors to discover the many connections between Spain and the history, architecture, art, and cultural life of New York City.
Created by the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute in collaboration with CultureNOW to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the itinerary brings together 20 sites across New York City, revealing stories that are often hidden in plain sight. From the legacy of Spanish architects and artists to diplomatic history, immigration, literature, religion, and cultural institutions, the tour offers a broad perspective on the longstanding Spanish presence in the city.
Among the stops is Grand Central Terminal, where the celebrated tile vaults of Spanish-born architect and builder Rafael Guastavino remain one of the most recognizable examples of his contribution to American architecture. The tour also visits Fort Greene Park, home to the Spanish Memorial Plaque commemorating those from Spain who were held prisoner by the British during the Revolutionary War, and St. Peter’s Church in Lower Manhattan, a founding parishioner was Diego de Gardoqui, Spain’s first diplomatic representative to the newly formed United States.
The tour continues through places connected to New York’s Spanish immigrant community, including Little Spain on West 14th Street, once the heart of a vibrant neighborhood of Spanish restaurants, businesses, clubs, religious organizations, and mutual-aid societies. Nearby institutions such as La Nacional and the historic Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe preserve important links to this chapter of New York’s history.
Together, these sites reveal a history that stretches across centuries and neighborhoods. By bringing them together in a single digital tour, the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute seeks to make Spanish history more accessible and encourage audiences to experience it directly through the streets and landmarks of New York. Additional sites and stories will be added as new connections to New York’s Spanish heritage are identified and explored.
