Ground Zero Plus 25

The Great Hall at Cooper Union — A prestigious private college for the advancement of science and art in NYC's East Village, renowned for its historic Great Hall—a majestic 865-seat auditorium with natural acoustics and the Lincoln Lectern, famed since 1860 for transformative speeches by Abraham Lincoln, presidents like Obama and Clinton, and cultural icons, distinguishing it as a bastion of free speech, lectures, performances, and student events.