Requirements for Geocachers to earn this Virtual:
To get credit for this Virtual geocache, you must:
1. go to the posted coordinates in person,
2. send a message to me stating the two 4-digit dates on the plaque, or on a manhole cover near the posted coordinates, and
3. post a photo of your favorite historical item in the TWA Hotel Lobby Museum and include either yourself (you do not need to show your face), or your phone or GPSr, or your airline ticket, or other personal item.
How to Reach the Posted Coordinates within JFK:
If you are already at JFK Airport for a flight or for work or for other, you may take the free AirTrain shuttle to Terminal 5. Follow the bright Red signs to the TWA Hotel. The former TWA Flight Center from 1962, now TWA Hotel Lobby Museum, is connected to Terminal 5 via a walkway, but is considered part of the Terminal. GPSr coordinates may be iffy given being inside the buildings. You do not need to buy or pay anything to claim this Virtual.
Note on Manhole Covers: 75 custom manhole covers outside bear 12 unique designs of special people and things telling the story of the TWA Hotel. Each cast-iron cover weighs more than 150 pounds. It took 3 months to produce all the covers. If your child wants to play a free non-geo finding game, ask the Front Desk for "The Hole Wide World of TWA" game booklet and 24 manhole cover stickers.
Historical TWA Flight Center Museum is Free and at the Posted Coordinates:
The Historical Museum constitutes the entire vast multi-level common area lobby of the TWA Hotel. It is dedicated to the History of Jet Age Travel that began about 1962. The Museum is curated by the New York Historical Society. The public is welcome to visit the museum displays and artifacts 24/7, day or night, for free. Everything is open to travelers and visitors, except the actual hotel rooms and certain places when there is a private function. The staff stated to me that they welcome more visitors to appreciate the incredible museum. On display are numerous rare crew uniforms from the 1940s to the 1990s with designs from Valentino and Oleg Cassini, personal memorabilia sent in by former TWA employees, and 43 amazing 1950s-1960s iconic travel posters by illustrator David Klein. Vintage furniture has been curated from a collection of 2,000 items such as original blue prints of the terminal, silver serving ware, and gilded playing cards. Former TWA Owner Howard Hughes’s re-created office is near the elevator and red carpet hallway. On the interior of the original Flight Center, apart from an old luggage area, every other use is almost exactly what was there historically in 1962--waiting areas, cocktail lounges, ticket check-in, restaurants, luggage conveyor belt, and public observation deck. Everything has been restored to the original 1962 designs. There are old-fashioned 10 cent telephone booths, vintage soda-pop machine, a historical Shoe Shine stand, and other fabulous reminders of travel as it was in the 1960s. There is a bright-chili-pepper red carpeted Sunken Lounge that features a split flap departures board of days long gone. There is a second split flap departures board near the main entrance.
The "Connie" Plane:
Just outside of the main architectural structure with the TWA sign sits The "Connie" Plane. The 1958 TWA Constellation plane "Connie" arrived first to Times Square. Only one of four of its kind is left, and it has been converted into a cocktail bar at the JFK Airport site. The cockpit of the plane was renovated to have authentic, flippable switches and controls. Even a hula girl figurine sits on the dashboard. There are four large banquettes, plus eight vintage airplane seats reupholstered with a retro pink and orange plaid fabric that guests may sit on. Children are welcome to explore the cockpit and the plane. There is well-presented wall in the main area devoted to descriptions of the historical path of The “Connie.”
Curated by the NY Historical Society:
The NY Historical Society was founded in 1804 with the ongoing mission to preserve America's history and uncover untold stories from our collective past. "Without the aid of original records and authentic documents, history will be nothing more than a well-combined series of ingenious conjectures and amusing fables." The eleven founders believed the New Yorkers needed to take decisive action to preserve concrete evidence of their own historical moments, which they recognized as important, fearing "dust and obscurity" would be the inevitable fate of accounts and artifacts if left in the hands of private individuals". As some of the most favorite geocaches follow the historical theme, I felt it important to get to know the groups that care to preserve our cultural past.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York:
In 1962, TWA opened the Trans World Flight Center, currently Terminal 5, at JFK Airport. At that time, before the assassination of President Kennedy, the name of the airport was then Idelwood Airport, a street name retained today as the TWA address. Terminal 5 was expanded in 1969 to handle jumbo jets, but closed in 2001 when the terminal no longer could support the even larger size of modern jets. Beginning in 2005, Terminal 5 was expanded and renovated; currently, JetBlue, TAP Air Portugal, Aer Lingus, Cape Air, and Hawaiian Airlines fly from Terminal 5. As far as the once abandoned midcentury landmark terminal building, it reopened nearly two decades later on May 15, 2019, as the TWA Hotel, JFK's only on-airport hotel. To preserve the scintillating glory of the past, the premises were restored to retain the original 1962 architectural and design details to result in an incredible living museum that captures the onset of Jet Age Travel and continues to stir nostalgic memories in many visitors.
Historical Creation of Air Lines via Mergers:
TWA's corporate history began on July 16, 1930, arising from the forced merger of Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), Western Air Express (WAE), Maddux Airlines, Standard, and Pittsburgh Aviation Industries Corporation (PAIC) to form Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA). The Postmaster General had sought bigger airlines for airmail contracts. In 1934, following charges of favoritism in the airmail contracts, the Air Mail Act of 1934 dissolved the forced TWA merger contracts and ordered the U.S. Army Air Service to deliver mail. The Army flyers however suffered a series of crashes so air mail delivery was privatized with the provision that no former companies could bid on contracts. TWA added the suffix "Inc." to its name and was awarded back its old contracts. Financial woes nevertheless beset TWA whose assets were acquired in April 2001 by the parent company of American Airlines. TWA declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the third time then. TWA bookings ended on November 30, 2001. TWA flew its last flight 220 on December 1, 2001 where it landed as American Airlines.
FIRST TO FIND FTF Honor goes to Bradfordgull!!!
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.