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On April 27, 2011, the long awaited
reopening of the newly restored overlook pavilion across the street
from Grant’s Tomb finally took place as part of the day’s Grant
birthday commem-oration. Adorned with red, white, and blue bunting and
ribbon, the spruced up neoclassical structure was in brilliant form—a
stark contrast to the state of disrepair that had character-ized the
site over the preceding four decades.
 The
brief reopening ceremony began at 10 a.m. in the presence of a crowd
that included student groups, community leaders, and members of the
Grant family. Following remarks by National Park Service Public Affairs
Officer Darren Boch, National Parks of New York Harbor Commissioner
Maria Burks, New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe,
Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, and Community Board 9 Chairperson Larry
English, the ribbon across the overlook was cut and the
pavilion was officially open to the public.
The event marks a welcome development and a new chapter in the history
of Grant’s Tomb. For years, the site had suffered from the lack of
restrooms, which were provided in the lower level of the facility for
the approximately half a century it was in use following its
construction in 1910. Over the years, the Tomb itself came to house a
gift shop and exhibits of a temporary nature—several historical panels
with text and photos and display cases with artifacts —that were widely
considered to detract from the reverent atmosphere originally intended
for the Tomb. Those have now been moved to the lower level of the
overlook, except for the historical exhibit panels, which have been
replaced entirely and located in a new presentation room in the
pavilion that has audio-visual equipment and seating for groups. In the
back of that room, the largest in the facility, sit the display cases,
including a model
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