The Panorama of the City of New York is at the heart of the collection of the Queens Museum. Originally built for the 1964 World’s Fair, the Panorama took more than 100 architectural model builders from Raymond Lester & Associates and three years to build. The entire exhibit is 9,335 square feet and holds every street corner, every park, and every building that sustains the lives of New York City’s 8.5 million residents. Professor Rachel Meltzer, Chair of the Public and Urban Policy MS program, led a field trip to Queens to learn more about the Panorama and the important lessons it has to offer about the city and the policies that shape the lives of those who live in it. Following the tour, the group headed to another of Queens attractions, a nearby dim sum restaurant for lunch.
“The Panorama is a repository of dreams, the way the city is. It has this undeniable appeal that crosses cultures, genders, ages — everyone has the same awe when they see it.” — Louise Weinberg, archives manager at the Queens Museum.
