NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, SEPTEMBER 16: Outside view of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on September 16, 2013 in New York City. European stock markets rallied and the US dollar slid after  former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers  withdrew his candidacy for the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. (Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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The best reason to visit the Federal Reserve Bank is the chance to (briefly) gawp at its high-security vault – more than 10,000 tons of gold reserves reside here, 80ft below ground – though you’ll only see a small part of that fortune on the free tour, as well as an interactive museum on the bank's history. Tickets are available online at 9am local time exactly 30 days ahead (and they're snapped up quickly). You'll need to bring your driving license or passport.