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Offered languages
- English
Most holiday tours sparkle with lights and nostalgia, but this one looks at the shadows behind them. The Dark Christmas Tour uncovers the city’s forgotten winter, where colonial faith, street riots, and literary invention shaped what Christmas would become. Led by Purefinder New York, it’s a 90-minute walk through Lower Manhattan’s hidden history, tracing how joy, conflict, and commerce gave rise to the modern holiday season.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet the guide by the steps of The National Museum of the American Indian.
The tour will end at City Hall Park.
Itinerary
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(Pass by)
Stand where New York’s first St. Nicholas church once rose inside Fort Amsterdam. Discover how Dutch settlers mixed faith, fear, and commerce on the city’s colonial waterfront, and how their patron saint began his long journey toward becoming Santa Claus.
Admission ticket free -
1Trinity Church NYC
Visit one of New York’s oldest churches to explore how faith, power, and imagination helped turn a colonial stronghold into the birthplace of America’s Christmas traditions.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2New York City
Stand on the ground (Zuccotti Park) where New York’s festive season once erupted into chaos. Learn how noisy celebrations, social unrest, and a raucous New Year’s crowd helped shape the city’s first professional police force.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
A church founded in the spirit of Christmas but shadowed by division. Here, ideals of charity and equality met the uneasy realities of New York’s growing city.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4New York City
In the narrow streets (Financial District) where America’s first famous storyteller was born, trace how old-world tales and winter reflections helped shape the season’s most enduring spirit.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5New York City
From a boyhood in the city’s roughest streets came the artist who gave Santa his face. Discover how satire, politics, and imagination transformed a saint into a symbol.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6City Hall Park
Where holiday cheer once turned violent, uncover the story of a city divided by faith, fear, and festivity — and how one Christmas night changed New York’s streets forever.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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