Things To Do in New York & LaGuardia Airport Layover Ideas

The Marine Air Terminal (MAT) was the LaGuardia Airport's original terminal for overseas flights. The waterside terminal was originally designed to serve the fleet of flying boats, or Clippers, of Pan American Airways. After years of disuse, Pan Am restarted flights in 1986, and in 1991, Delta Air Lines took over the operations at the MAT. In 1995, the MAT was designated as a historic landmark, and received a USD 7M restoration prior to its 65th anniversary in 2004. Along with the Delta Shuttle, general aviation operates from the terminal through a fixed based operator.

If you visit, check out the giant mural, Flight,which encircles the Terminal's upper rotunda walls, telling the story of man's conquest of the heavens up through 1942 when it was created by New York artist James Brooks. The mural was painted over in the 1950's, but was restored and rededicated in 1980.