Business Insider Investigates That Downtown Scene In “National Treasure” — But They Missed Something

Aylin Woodward at Business Insider was recently inspired by the 2004 movie “National Treasure,” and so she took a deep dive into one of Lower Manhattan’s most iconic spots: Trinity Church.

The film, which tells the story of secret hidden booty procured by America’s founding fathers, was a work of fiction — or so we’re led to believe. But it’s worth noting that every one of the locations and landmarks visited by Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) during his wild adventure were real. The film takes you all over, from the Arctic Circle to Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia. Toward the end of the flick, however, Gates and crew find themselves in one of the oldest slivers of the United States: Lower Manhattan, and specifically, Trinity Church.

Although in reality no hidden treasure, or even hallowed crypt, lies beneath the 174-year-old institution (shout out to Parkington Lane!), there’s still a deeply rich history that rivals any mythology. Trinity Church archivist Joseph Lapinski offered insights into the church’s place in time during the Revolutionary era. “Oddly, I don’t get too many questions about ‘National Treasure,'” Trinity’s archivist of seven years admitted to Woodward. “To me, the treasures aren’t gold and silver and jewels — it’s the documents that get to share the story of where Trinity came from.”

The Business Insider post is a delightful read — highly recommended for when you’re dawdling at your cubicle at lunch — though it cannot go without saying one piece that’s glaringly omitted from the investigation: One of our very own Downtown Alliance maps, which can be spotted in the “Treasure” sequence shot right outside Trinity Church!