Musicians the world over have dreamed of playing Carnegie Hall ever since 1891, when none other than Tchaikovsky -- direct from Russia -- came to conduct his own work on opening night. Designed by William Barnet Tuthill, who was also an amateur cellist, this renowned concert hall was paid for almost entirely by Andrew Carnegie. Outside, the stout, square brown building has a few Moorish-style arches added, almost as an afterthought, to the facade. Inside, the simply decorated 2,804-seat white auditorium is one of the world's finest. The hall has attracted the world's leading orchestras and solo and group performers, from Arturo Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein (he made his triumphant debut here in 1943, standing in for New York Philharmonic conductor Bruno Walter) to Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, the Beatles (playing one of their first U.S. concerts) -- and thousands of others.

Carnegie Hall was extensively restored in the 1980s; a subsequent mid-1990s renovation removed concrete from beneath the stage's wooden floor, vastly improving the acoustics. The work also increased the size of the lobby and added the small Rose Museum (154 W. 57th St., at 7th Ave., PHONE: 212/247-7800), which is free and open daily 11-4:30 and through intermission during concerts. Just east of the main auditorium, it displays mementos from the hall's illustrious history, such as a Benny Goodman clarinet and Arturo Toscanini's baton. A sensational concert series run by the hall's education department introduces children to classical music through informal sessions with performers, with a low $5 ticket price. You can take a guided one-hour tour of Carnegie Hall, or even rent it if you've always dreamed of singing from its stage. COST: $6. Subway: N, Q, R, W to 57th St.; B, D, E to 7th Ave.