Public tours of UN Headquarters complex to change during renovation scheme

Public guided tours of United Nations Headquarters in New York will be modified as of this Friday, as the world body prepares for the five-year, $1.9 billion overhaul of the historic complex.

The tours will take a new route that is limited to the General Assembly building while renovations of the Security Council permanent chamber are taking place, according to a press release issued today by the Department of Public Information (DPI), which oversees the tours.

The new route will include Conference Room 4, the proposed temporary site of the Council, and will still include the General Assembly Hall.

The cost of the 45-minute tour has been reduced to reflect the changed route, but as of Friday the route will feature a new special section for younger audiences known as the “Children’s Corner,” as well as a multimedia virtual tour of the six main organs of the UN. Many exhibits along the tour route have also been updated.

Under-Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka, who heads DPI, said the renovation scheme – known as the Capital Master Plan (CMP) – “has allowed us to explore new and creative ways to engage the thousands of visitors who take guided tours of United Nations Headquarters each week, reconciling logistical and safety imperatives with their wish to witness, and be a part of, a history that is ultimately their own.”

As of Friday the tour will cost $12.50 for each adult, $8 for seniors and students and $6.50 for children.