Walking Through History: Self-Guided Historic Tours Of The Big Apple

New Yorkers and visitors alike may often find themselves curious about the myriad of stories that have taken place in one of America's oldest cities. With a nearly 400 year history, New York City is filled with unique landmarks and stories that are just waiting to be explored.

From Brooklyn to Manhattan and everywhere beyond, there are plenty of incredible walking tours available for you to take advantage of! This blog will provide an overview of the best walking tours offered throughout all five boroughs; highlights different kinds of self-guided options; recommend historic sites worth exploring; and outline free resources available for those looking for an affordable adventure.

Journey with us through time as we uncover the hidden gems tucked away in Big Apple neighborhoods!

Key Takeaways

• New York City has many amazing self - guided and guided walking tours to choose from, such as those offered by Big Apple Greeter, Explore the Real Brooklyn Tour, Central Park Conservancy Tour and more.
• Self - Guided Tours offer unique insights into NYC’s history with options such as Ghost & Paranormal Tours, Artifacts & Museum Tours or Haunted Locations Tours.
• Must see historic sites in NY include Lower Manhattan filled with One World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial; Midtown Manhattan which offers iconic landmarks of Rockefeller Center and Empire State Building; Central Park home to various attractions including Strawberry Fields and Bethesda Terrace.

The Best Walking Tours of New York City

Discover the best tours in NYC offered by renowned tour companies such as Big Apple Greeter, Explore the Real Brooklyn, Central Park Conservancy Tour, The Village Alliance, and more.

Big Apple Greeter

is a unique, personalized experience for exploring the big apple in an extraordinary way. This volunteer-run organization has been creating customized self-guided tours since 1992 and continues to exceed expectations with their thoughtfully planned itineraries.

Tour guides are carefully selected locals who provide insights into the history of each neighborhood while allowing visitors to cover more ground at their own pace. Whether it’s discovering hidden gems of Brooklyn or one-of-a kind artifacts from centuries past in Chinatown, Big Apple Greeter ensures you won’t miss any landmarks or learnings during your journey through New York City's rich history.

With near perfect customer ratings and awards for innovation, it's no wonder Big Apple Greeter remains at the top of travelers' favorite ways to explore NYC!

Explore the Real Brooklyn

The "Explore the Real Brooklyn" tour is a unique self-guided walking tour, allowing visitors to take in New York's most iconic borough. Participants can expect to explore and discover various neighborhoods of Brooklyn such as Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Red Hook while learning about the area's history and culture.

Along the way they will also get an up close view of some of Brooklyn's historic landmarks. From visiting ornate homes from days gone by to discovering street art at every corner, this tour offers participants an immersive experience into one of America’s most iconic boroughs.

On this journey through time participants will uncover stories about slavery & civil war veterans, the underground world that fueled electric blues during prohibition years to today’s thriving artistic scene – it’s all part of this amazing destination filled with history!

Central Park Conservancy Tour

The Central Park Conservancy Tour offers a unique way to experience Manhattan's famous 843-acre park. It provides 30 minutes up to two hours long guided walking tour where an expert guide answers questions and give historical information about the park attractions while exploring it.

Participants will get rare glimpses of iconic landmarks such as Bethesda Terrace, Gapstow Bridge, Strawberry Fields and many more, all while supporting the preservation work of Central Park done by the Conservancy program.

Through this tour, people can understand more about the cultural history behind New York City’s lively streets and architecture as their guide informs them on moments from its past that have impacted its present state today.

The Village Alliance

The Village Alliance is a New York City-based organization that focuses on promoting the artists and landmarks in Greenwich Village. Founded in 1990, The Village Alliance’s mission is to build and preserve the unique artistic identity of this iconic neighborhood.

As part of their mission, they offer walking tours which are guided by knowledgeable tour guides who tell stories about famous writers, musicians and actors from the past. They also offer a two-part self-guided walking tour for explorers to discover notable sites such as Bleecker Street's Mark Twain House or resident Errol Flynn’s house.

In addition to its signature tours, The Village Alliance provides visitors with an up-to-date map containing all historically significant locations throughout Greenwich Village which can be visited independently as part of their Self Guided Audio Tour Program at nearby local businesses.

Big Onion Walking Tours

Big Onion Walking Tours offers 30 different neighborhood history-based tours throughout New York City's historic districts and ethnic neighborhoods. Led by local guides with advanced degrees in American history or related fields, these engaging tours offer an informative look into the past.

Tour-takers have a unique opportunity to explore the city from a perspective many don't get to experience–with a knowledgeable storyteller as their guide. Big Onion Walking Tours takes pride in its expertise and has been around since 1991, earning them recognition as "Best Walking Tours of New York" according to New York Magazine! Whether exploring NYC's food cart scene or learning about political movements on Washington Square Park, Big Onion will certainly provide an unforgettable day filled with enriching knowledge and stories.

Bowery Boys Walks

are guided tours of New York City that bring to life the characters, neighborhoods and events that shaped the rich history of this iconic city. Led by knowledgeable experts from the acclaimed NYC History podcast, these two-hour walking tours take both tourists and locals on an exciting journey through some of New York's most historic locations.

Tour participants will get a unique perspective on the grandeur and hidden gems of Manhattan’s most famous landmarks while learning about historical figures from various periods in time such as early settlers to wealthy industrialists who flourished during America’s gilded age.

These tours are highly informative yet entertaining as participants explore all aspects of what makes New York City a truly special place. From its diverse architecture to its impressive waterways – Bowery Boys Walks offers visitors the chance to experience it firsthand!

Unique Self-Guided Walking Tours

For those looking to explore New York City in a unique way, there are several self-guided walking tours such as the Ghost and Paranormal Tour, Artifacts & Museum Tour, and Haunted Locations Tour.

Ghost and Paranormal Tour

The Ghost and Paranormal Tour of New York City offers visitors a unique chance to explore some of the city’s ghostly and haunted sites. This self-guided walking tour takes travelers through Lower Manhattan, midtown Manhattan, Central Park as well as iconic places such as Greenwich Village.

With the help of a handbook that contains stories about supernatural secrets of New York City's past, this is a thrilling experience designed to be fun for all ages. It not only introduces them to tales revolving around ghosts from days gone by but also provide an in-depth look at those who may still haunt certain locations today.

Along the way, guests are able to discover hidden gems such as histoirc artifacts in museums and hauntingly beautiful landmarks like St. Mark’s Church In-the Bowery or Talman Street Cemetery in Brooklyn—both compelling pieces of evidence attesting to NYC's wondrous unknown dark side.

Artifacts & Museum Tour

The Artifacts & Museum Tour of New York City combines brief visits to museums with an exploration of the city's history and heritage. Featuring textiles, art, jewelry, and more artifacts from around the globe, this tour showcases a diverse selection of items.

One museum is located in what used to be a Barney's New York store - displaying over 1 000 pieces - making it a truly unique experience! Besides these moments spent exploring museums rich in local culture memorabilia, visitors can also explore other historical monuments across the Big Apple such as churches, taverns and cemeteries at their own pace on this self-guided tour.

Haunted Locations Tour

Located in Greenwich Village, the Haunted Locations Tour is a self-guided walking tour that explores ghostly and haunted sites all around different locations. While this might not be for everyone who isn’t open to believe in such stories, it does offer tourists unique insights into the hidden history that lies beneath each location and provides intriguing true stories and tales with an emphasis on atmosphere.

Highly regarded as one of the best walking tours available of New York City, it offers visitors an exciting opportunity to uncover bits of forgotten culture or trace places which are saturated with mystery or imagination.

It is also suitable both day and night to reveal some interesting secrets about what goes bump in the night. Whether you believe the tales or not they have proved quite entertaining so far! With its unique experience combined with stunning visuals (as well as camera flashes!) this tour certainly makes for a great way to explore Manhattan’s past while experiencing its present alongside friendly locals looking forward to share their knowledge.

Must-See Historic Sites in New York City

Explore the past of New York City by visiting landmarks like Lower Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, Central Park and more – start planning your trip today.

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan is a must-see destination for history buffs. This area of New York City offers many opportunities to explore its past including the iconic One World Trade Center, tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, and the 9/11 Memorial.

The self-guided walking tour through Tribeca, the Financial District, South Street Seaport and Chinatown offers travelers insight into both old and new New York. Visitors can also take trips along landmarks such as Little Italy or journey across Brooklyn Bridge to reflect on how these sites impacted previous generations.

If you’re looking for something more mysterious then why not take part in paranormal discovery tours or unearth hidden secrets from centuries ago. Whether enjoying one of the specialized tours available or going it alone there is something unique to discover around nearly every street corner in Lower Manhattan!

Midtown Manhattan

Midtown Manhattan is home to St Patrick's Cathedral, the largest Gothic temple in the United States and the iconic landmarks of Rockefeller Center and Empire State Building. This bustling part of NYC boasts an array of world-famous landmarks, museums, art galleries and attractions that draw visitors from around the globe.

Take a self-guided walking tour around Midtown for a unique exploration into its history while enjoying mesmerizing sights such as Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall or Broadway theater shows.

Plan ahead to join one of the popular tours from Rockefeller Center - they showcase its amazing architecture, collections, artworks and fascinating stories about American culture.

An additional must-see experience in Midtown is Central Park which never fails to enchant visitors with its commanding skyline views along with plenty bikes paths for cycling among nature trails near lakeside homes.

Central Park

Central Park is one of New York City's most iconic landmarks. Located in the heart of Manhattan, this sprawling 843-acre outdoor paradise is a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site that was creatively designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to provide urban citizens a much needed respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It features dozens of picturesque trails to explore, as well as many cultural attractions like Strawberry Fields, The Mall & Literary Walk (John Lennon memorial), Bow Bridge lake front walkway, Central Park Zoo, Wollman Rink ice skating rink, Bethesda Fountain along with areas dedicated for sports lovers including baseball fields and basketball courts.

Visitors can also enjoy various events throughout the year such as outdoor concerts or theatrical productions held at Delacorte Theater during summer months. In short, Central park offers something for all tastes!

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a popular destination for travelers seeking to explore the rich history of New York City. Brooklyn is located just over the East River from Manhattan, offering visitors an entirely different experience and atmosphere than can be found in the hustle and bustle of downtown Manhattan.

During a self-guided walking tour through this historic neighborhood, you’ll have the chance to see some incredible sites that are unique to Brooklyn. Make sure you check out DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights.

DUMBO offers glimpses into 19th century industrial life with its many warehouses and stores from days gone by, while in Brooklyn Heights you can visit homes once occupied by notable figures throughout U.S history such as Mason Locke Weems (the writer who introduced us all to George Washington’s cherry tree), former slave-turned civil rights advocate Sojourner Truth, poet Witter Bryon and booker prize winner Toni Morrison.

Chinatown & Little Italy

The historic neighborhoods of Chinatown and Little Italy in New York City have their own unique stories to tell. Located in lower Manhattan, Chinatown was formed between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries during a period of immigration waves from China.

Visiting this area is like stepping back into another time with its traditional bakeries, restaurants, herbal apothecaries and interesting shops showcasing Chinese culture. Home to one of the oldest outdoor markets in Manhattan, Columbus Park covers two blocks located within Chinatown's boundaries - formerly one of the worst ghetto areas in NYC it has since transformed into a lovely green haven perfect for strolling through or taking a break from sightseeing sessions!

Meanwhile Little Italy can still be found on Mulberry Street where Italian-American merchants followed immigrants who had made their home there from 1880-1920s. This delightful district full of colorful bistros presents quite an exciting cultural experience for travelers too as do neighboring Soho which houses cobblestone streets lined with art galleries dating back to over 200 years ago.

Greenwich Village

First home to Dutch and Irish settlers, Greenwich Village blossomed into one of America's most iconic enclaves for bohemian creativity in the 20th century. This richly layered neighborhood is located on the west side of Lower Manhattan and contains some of New York City’s earliest cobblestone streets lined with a vibrant mix of townhouses, shops, art galleries, theaters, historical points-of-interest and tucked away gardens.

Usually referred to as “The Village” by locals, this area offers visitors a truly incredible opportunity to experience historic attractions such as The Whitney Museum or take part in events including Jazz Festivals at Washington Square Park.

With its long standing history as an enclave for artists dating back to 1920s poets like E.E Cummings and Jack Kerouac who inspired much urban development here even today it maintains its relevance among art enthusiasts offering several self-guided tours that whisk you through various independent boutique galleries while also providing options for exploring paranormal occurrences said to haunt alleyways such as The Ultimate Self-Guided Greenwich Village Ghost Tour.

Times Square

A must-see destination for any visitor to New York City, Times Square is a vibrant crossroads of culture and commerce. It’s famous for its bright billboards, bustling streets, iconic architecture, and endless energy.

It's also an important filming location – many large blockbuster films use the busy square as a backdrop. Throughout history it has been transformed by new developments such as multi-million dollar restoration projects which have helped shape it into the world renowned attraction we know today.

With theater shows ranging from Broadway classics to experimental works, delicious eateries and sizzling street performances - Times Square truly has something for everyone!

Columbia University

Located in the heart of New York City, Columbia University is an educational institution filled with a rich history and cultural importance. The university boasts a wide array of iconic figures amongst its alumni such as Alexander Hamilton and Barack Obama.

Additionally, many important events have been held at the college which include John F Kennedy's famous ‘I Am A Berliner’ speech and Martin Luther King Jr's landmark address on peace from Riverside Church.

For travelers interested in walking through history, Columbia University offers self-guided walking tours that offer visitors maps and materials available at their Visitors Center located in room 213 of Low Memorial in the campus.

George Washington's New York

is a self-guided walking tour in New York City that takes visitors to various historical and culturally significant locations throughout the city. It offers a detailed route map available online or via mobile, allowing travelers to explore at their own pace.

The half-day path follows through downtown Manhattan, where George Washington and Alexander Hamilton once traveled and left their mark on the city. Take an informative pilgrimage along Broadway as it was intended to be – from King's College Hall, Founding Fathers statues like those of George Washington at Federal Hall National Memorial Park, Fraunces Tavern Museum (previously home to General Washington) all the way up to City Hall Park including notable memorials as well as other related places around town such as St.

Paul’s Chapel where President George Washington went for his first Sunday service after being inaugurated in 1789. Visiting these special sites helps illuminate what life was like during revolution times making this rich historic walk a must do for any traveler passing by New York City!

Conclusion

New York City offers the perfect combination of organized and self-guided walking tours for every type of traveler. With over 30 history-based guided tours from Big Onion Walking Tours, 16 expert-designed self-guided walking tours, and apps and maps available for convenience, there are plenty of ways to explore The Big Apple at your own pace.

Popular historic sites such as Lower Manhattan, Central Park, Chinatown & Little Italy, Columbia University can be seen on various types of tours. From Ghost Toursto Artifacts & Museum Tours - each tour has a unique angle that makes exploration even more enjoyable! Whether you choose a professional guide or a DIY route – see New York in its full glory with these amazing example of living history!