Cindy-Headshot-1

Cindy

VandenBosch

18 years of experience
Brooklyn, NY
United States of America (USA)

Contact Options

About

With almost 20 years of experience in the museum, tourism, and accessibility fields, Cindy is the President of Turnstile Tours and Studio, a social enterprise that partners with and supports nonprofit organizations to create, host, and support dynamic and engaging tours, programs, virtual experiences, and exhibitions that seek to advance public knowledge about the meaning of place, foster human connections, and inspire community engagement. Since 2012, Turnstile Tours has hosted over 60,000 visitors on tours and programs that explore how New York City works – from the working waterfront and urban ecology to food systems and public spaces. Through Turnstile Studio, the company’s consulting practice, Cindy and her team have also supported the capacity-building efforts of a range of nonprofit, cultural, and government organizations in such areas as interpretive planning, accessibility, visitor engagement and audience development, and research for programs and exhibits. She is a founding member of the board of directors of Travel Unity, a new nonprofit dedicated to inclusion and diversity in the travel and tourism industries. Cindy is also an advisory board member of the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center and has served for 15 years on the access advisory board at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she began her museum career in 2003. She is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. Originally from Flushing, Michigan (a suburb of Flint), Cindy studied anthropology at the University of Michigan and conducted her thesis research in the Russian Far East, studying the cultural preservation efforts of indigenous activists and educators.

Tours Offered & Destination Knowledge

Bus ToursCultural/Specialty ToursFood & Drink ToursGeneral Walking ToursLarge Group ToursLocal GuideMulti-Day Tour Director/LeaderMuseum DocentPrivate ToursStudent Tour DirectorTour Business Owner/Operator

Our company offers tours and virtual experiences hosted in partnership with local nonprofit organizations in New York City and our aim is to advance public knowledge about the meaning of place, foster human connections, and inspire community and civic engagement. The tours and virtual programs we offer explore such themes as New York City's waterfront, industrial sector, and infrastructure, urban ecology and public spaces, and food systems and we seek to primarily share these stories through sharing stories of how ordinary New Yorkers make the city work. Our focus is on going deep into the story of a place, both its past and present, and sharing people's stories and what we can all do to contribute to support the meaningful work that is being done across the city to support livelihoods and a cleaner, more equitable city.

I am very passionate and have spent much of my personal and professional life seeking to advance inclusion of people with disabilities in the cultural and tourism sectors in New York City. I have developed tours and programs and have supported myriad museums and organizations to engage with disability advocates and organizations to create inclusive and accessible visitor experiences. I also love people's stories and the tours I love the most are the ones where people share their own knowledge, memories, and connections.

Fun Fact!
Hobbies & Interests

Virtual Tour Experience

My company, Turnstile Tours, has led 250+ unique virtual programs since March of 2020 and we intend to continue virtual programs while relaunching our tours across New York City.

Testimonials

What a fun, immersive and engaging virtual field trip!  Turnstile Tours transported my 8th Grade students to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where saw how some of New York's amazing engineers and designers use technology to transform their businesses.  Andrew and Cindy nimbly customized their content to fit my class.  The students learned a lot and enjoyed themselves. - Jeff T., Middle school technology teacher, NYC

I would emphatically recommend any tours from Turnstile to absolutely anyone. I did a Prospect Park tour with Cindy, and it was easily the best tour I've ever done in any of the many countries I've visited and lived in. She was just so knowledgeable and so caring, and I learned so much while also enjoying the beauty of the park and all its plant and animal inhabitants. The best thing I've done in New York. - Jennifer C. from Chicago, Yelp

 

 

 

Details

Gateway Airport(s)

LGA, JFK, EWR

Licenses

New York City (NYC)

Training

Language(s)

English

Additional Education

Our business, Turnstile Tours & Studio, is a Certified B Corporation, a benefit corporation, and is certified by New York City and New York State as a woman-owned enterprise. I am a Certified NYC Sightseeing Guide and am a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals.

General Availability

Photo Album

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