The Trump trial is the latest must-see attraction for tourists in New York: ... trends now
They've ticked off Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and seen Hamilton on Broadway.
Now the visitors from Australia are headed for the public gallery of the Donald Trump trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.
'We woke up this morning and said we have to be in "the room where it happens,' said Marney, breaking into the hit song from Hamilton, quickly followed by a fit of giggles.
Across the street is the Manhattan court where Donald Trump is on trial.
He has denied 34 counts of falsifying business records.
But a seemingly mundane case about ledgers and checks has become the hottest ticket in town, enlivened already by the testimony of America's tabloid king and a celebrity lawyer who has won payouts from Charlie Sheen.
Susan Koch (l) and Marianne Fortunato were up at 3am to ensure they got good spots at the head of the line for public seats in the courtroom to see Donald Trump's hush money trial
Those who arrived early enough were given a yellow ticket on Thursday ensuring access
Stormy Daniels is almost certain to appear.
And for the lucky few who line up early enough to snag one of the golden tickets (well, the yellow card emblazoned with the New York State Unified Court System logo) there is a chance to be in the same room as the first former president to ever face criminal chares.
Marney and her friend (who decline to give their full names because one works in the Australian legal system) are too far back in the line. Their destination is the overflow room, 1523, where proceedings are shown by video feed.
'It's history,' said Marney. 'If he is convicted he is the first president to be convicted. If he is acquitted, maybe he wins. Either way ...'
It is only 7:30am on a drab New York morning but there are more than 25 people in line, standing beside a queue for journalists who get first dibs at the seats.
Among the reporters is Andrew Weissmann, former Mueller investigation investigator-turned-MSNBC talking head.
He has to fend off questions and selfies from perhaps the nerdiest line for a tourist attraction in the city.
He points out how rundown the court building looks: 'You can tell from those old air conditioning units.'
The first in line get a chance to be in courtroom 1530, sitting on the benches behind Trump
Visitors got to see for themselves scenes only otherwise published in sketch artists' renderings, as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass and defense attorney Emil Bove clashed
But this is not like coming to a Broadway show. Facilities throughout the drab courthouse building are in need of a refresh, to say the least
A supporter of former President Donald Trump stands outside Manhattan criminal court building, where his hush money trial is
