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Offered languages
- English
In the crisp autumn air, our tours feel especially immersive, timed perfectly for the Halloween season when New York’s history seems at its darkest.
Scandal. Subterfuge. Street-level rebellion. The real architects of New York City weren’t saints. They were schemers.
If you think NYC was built by polite handshakes and zoning meetings, think again. This tour throws you straight into the alleyways of history with the outlaws, hustlers, and political schemers who actually built the bones of the city, one bribe, brawl, and backroom deal at a time.
Forget the gangland clichés. This walking tour uncovers the radical, corrupt, and wildly enterprising figures who shaped New York City, from pirate captains and Wall Street bombers to bank fraudsters, rogue publishers, and NYPD whistleblowers. It’s a crash course in how NYC was built not just by power and politics, but by those who bent the rules, challenged authority, and sometimes blew things up!
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
The nearest subways are Cortlandt Street (N, R, W; Dey St & Church St NE exit is next to the meeting point), WTC Cortlandt (1), WTC (PATH), and Fulton Street (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, R, Z).
This location in the Financial District is very close to Bowling Green (4, 5) and South Ferry/Whitehall Street (1, R, W) train stations and various ferry services.
Itinerary
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1Lower Manhattan
The guide will meet you OUTSIDE the entrance to the Millennium Downtown New York hotel and escort you to the first stop on the tour.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
Tour attendees will learn about the first privateers in the NYC area and of the remains of ships embedded in the earth.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
The site of the former business of Madame Restell.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Site of the former home of New York City's first black millionaire.
6 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Trinity Church NYC
Tour attendees will learn about the trial that established the Freedom of the Press.
6 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Wall Street
The site of the 1920 Wall Street bombing.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Wall Street
The site of the The Manhattan Company relating to NYC's water supply and bank formation.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8East River Waterfront Esplanade
A birds-eye view of Brooklyn Bridge to discuss its corrupt beginnings.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9Financial District
Visitors will stop at the First Precinct to learn about 1970s police corruption.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10
Visitors will stop at Hanover Square to hear about how local resident and criminal Captain Kidd had a hand in developing the colony.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11
The site of the home of New Amsterdam law-breakers who created the elite of New York City.
8 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
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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