14 Quirky Facts About New York That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% True

New York is one of the most fascinating places in the world, with a history full of remarkable moments and achievements. Some of those stories might sound too strange to be true, but they are! Take our word for it.

Here are 14 intriguing facts about the Empire State that may surprise you.

1. There Really Is an Actual Yellow Brick Road

L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, was born and raised in Chittenango, and he is still celebrated there. In this town, you can walk on sidewalks made of yellow brick and visit numerous Oz-themed businesses along the way.

2. There Are More Than 70,000 Miles of Rivers and Streams in New York

Although New York's two main rivers - the Hudson and the Mohawk - are quite famous, few fully grasp the fact that this entire state is one big watershed area. There are countless rivers and streams throughout the state, and if you laid them end to end, they would reach around the Equator 2.8 times!

3. One of the World's Biggest Pet Cemeteries Is in New York

There's a giant pet cemetery in Hartsdale that dates all the way back to 1896. More than 12,000 beloved pets are buried there.

4. Uncle Sam Was a Real Person Who Lived and Died in Troy

Sam Wilson was a meatpacker from Troy, NY. During the War of 1812, he stamped "U.S. Beef" on his products. Soldiers joked that the U.S. stood for Uncle Sam, and soon this mythical character based on a real person was an icon. Sam Wilson is buried in Troy's famous Oakwood Cemetery and is still a local celebrity more than 200 years later.

5. Adirondack Park Is Bigger Than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic National Parks Combined

This park is huge! Adirondack Park is not a national park; there are many homes and independent businesses inside it, and that's not the case for most U.S. National Parks. However, it is like a national park in that it offers amazing recreational activities and immense beauty to visitors, and it is home to abundant wildlife. It covers 9,375 square miles in upstate New York.

6. New York Has Had Four Constitutions

The first New York state constitution was adopted in 1777. New versions were drafted and accepted in 1821, 1846, and 1894. The 1894 version is the state constitution that is in place today, but it was revised in 1938 and it has been amended more than 200 times, too.

7. There's a Secret Subway Station Under the Waldorf Astoria

In the 1930s, the New York City Subway added this secret station. The reason? It served as a private entrance for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, so he could enter the hotel discreetly from below after arriving to the city via Grand Central or Penn Stations.

8. Grand Central Station Is the Biggest Train Station in the World

Speaking of train stations, Grand Central Station is the world's largest. It may not look that big from the outside, or even from the inside, but when you consider that it has 44 platforms on two underground levels, and that it covers 48 acres of land (you just can't see it all!) - this fact makes a lot more sense.

9. The Hudson River Flows in Both Directions

Most rivers flow toward he ocean or toward some other large body of water. The Hudson River does this also, but it goes the other way, too. Because the elevation of the river does not increase much between New York City and Albany, this river is affected by the tide for almost half of its 315-mile length. You can see the river rise and fall with the tides all the way to the Capital Region. The tide changes every six hours, so the river flows north for six hours, then south for six hours, on and on forever. It's a very uncommon phenomenon!

10. New York Is the Nation's Second-Largest Producer of Apples

Believe or not, the only state that grows more apples is Washington. Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, and Idaho follow — in that order.

11. The Longest Tunnel in the World Is in New York

You'd never guess that the longest tunnel in the world is in New York, but it's true! However, cars nor people can pass through this one because it's for water only. This tunnel, known as the Delaware Aqueduct, was completed in 1945 and extends 85.1 miles from Rondout Reservoir near Kingston to the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers.

12. The New York City Subway Has the Most Stations of Any Transit System Worldwide

Although Beijing has a bigger ridership and a longer route length than New York City, New York's Subway system has more stations than any other metropolitan train system. There are 472 stations and counting.

13. People Have Been Living in New York for 12,000 Years

Historians and anthropologists believe that the first humans traveled to the North American continent via land bridge around 13,000 years ago. 1,000 years later, some of those people were living in New York. There's evidence of semi-nomadic indigenous people's presence in New York around that time, and humans have loved New York ever since.

14. New York Is the Second-Largest Producer of Maple Syrup in the Country

Besides making lots and lots of apples, New York also produces a lot of maple syrup. We're not even close to catching up with Vermont, though. In 2022, Vermont produced 2.5 million gallons of the stuff, and New York only made 845,000 gallons!

Ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple? Don't forget to create your perfect trip using the OIYS itinerary planner.