You’ve seen the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You probably know about the Cooperstown baseball shrine. But there’s a massive, 630-foot open-air colonnade in the Bronx that actually started the whole "hall of fame" thing in the United States, and honestly, it’s kind of a ghost town.
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is sitting right there on the campus of Bronx Community College. It’s got 98 bronze busts of people like Abraham Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony staring out over the Harlem River. It was once the most prestigious honor in the country. Now? Most people walk past the gates without even knowing it exists.
What the Hall of Fame for Great Americans Actually Is
Basically, back in 1900, a guy named Henry Mitchell MacCracken—who was the Chancellor of New York University—decided America needed a "pantheon." He wanted a place that wasn't just for politicians or generals. He wanted to honor scientists, authors, and "great thinkers."
He teamed up with Stanford White, the celebrity architect of the Gilded Age, to build this sweeping Indiana limestone colonnade. It was designed to hide some ugly retaining walls on the NYU Bronx campus (which is now Bronx Community College).
It worked. For decades, being elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans was the ultimate "you made it" moment in American culture. In The Wizard of Oz, when the Wizard is handing out awards, he even mentions that the Scarecrow will become "a bust in the Hall of Fame." That’s how famous this place used to be.
💡 You might also like: Cooper City FL Zip Codes: What Moving Here Is Actually Like
How the selection process worked (and why it stopped)
Getting in wasn't easy. You had to be dead for at least 25 years. A massive board of "electors" from every state—university presidents, judges, and writers—would vote every five years.
- The Public Nominated: Anyone could send in a name.
- The Electors Filtered: A group of about 100 experts would whittle it down.
- The Money: This is the kicker. Even if you won the vote, your supporters had to raise the money to commission the bronze bust.
That’s why there are 102 people elected, but only 98 busts. Figures like Andrew Carnegie and Clara Barton were voted in, but the funding dried up before their bronze likenesses could be cast.
The last election happened in 1976. Since then, the Hall has basically been in a state of "organizational hibernation." NYU sold the campus to the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1973 because they were broke, and the Hall of Fame hasn't added a new "Great American" in nearly fifty years.
The Drama Behind the Bronze
If you think modern "cancel culture" is new, you should look at the history of this place. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans has been a lightning rod for controversy since day one.
📖 Related: Why People That Died on Their Birthday Are More Common Than You Think
For a long time, it was incredibly white and incredibly male. Out of 102 inductees, only 11 are women and only two are African American (Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver). In 2017, there was a huge public outcry regarding the busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. They were eventually removed and put into storage, leaving empty stone pedestals that still sit there today.
It's a weird vibe. You’re walking through this stunning Beaux-Arts architecture—Guastavino tile ceilings and granite parapets—but you're also seeing the literal gaps where history is being re-evaluated in real time.
Who is actually in there?
It's a mix of the obvious and the "who?"
- The Heavy Hitters: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.
- The Creatives: Edgar Allan Poe (whose bust looks appropriately moody), Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain.
- The Scientists: Alexander Graham Bell and the Wright Brothers (Wilbur was actually allowed in early so he could be installed with Orville).
- The "Forgotten": People like Maria Mitchell (the first professional female astronomer in the U.S.) or George Peabody.
Why You Should Actually Visit
Most New Yorkers haven't been here. It's off the beaten path in University Heights. But if you're into photography or just want a quiet place to think about how we define "greatness," it's incredible.
👉 See also: Marie Kondo The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: What Most People Get Wrong
The views are legit. You’re standing on a bluff looking down at the Harlem River and Upper Manhattan. Because it's an outdoor colonnade, the light changes everything. A sunset visit makes the limestone glow.
Getting In: The Hall is located at University Avenue and West 181st Street. Since it's on a college campus, you usually have to show a photo ID to security at the gate. It's generally open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, with some weekend hours.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to experience the Hall of Fame for Great Americans properly, do these three things:
- Check the Weather: It’s entirely outdoors. A windy day on that bluff can be brutal, so go when it’s mild.
- Research One "Unknown": Before you go, look up a name you don't recognize from the list (like Alice Freeman Palmer or Elias Howe). It makes the walk through the colonnade feel less like a history test and more like a discovery.
- Bring an ID: Don't get turned away at the Bronx Community College security booth because you forgot your wallet.
The Hall might be a relic of a different era, but standing among those massive bronze heads makes you realize that "fame" is a lot more fragile than we think.
Visit the official Bronx Community College website to verify current visiting hours before you head out, as campus access policies can change during semester breaks or exam periods.