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The Awesome American History Tour Of New York

By aliciak
updated 2 months ago

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American History. You probably hated it, maybe you even failed it, but it's everywhere you go, so you may as well learn it. No? Too boring? I'm with you, but the teacher and tourist in me is drawn to the history of New York in particular, as many of the founding fathers made powerful decisions right here in Manhattan, and so, I'm turning on the nerdness a bit. Get out your composition notebooks and pencils!

Lenape Indian

A Lenape Indian in Philadelphia

New York City History: A Few Facts

Don’t go reaching for the remote control just yet; history can be fun!

  • New York City was “founded” by the Dutch around 1625, which in American-speak, usually translates to,”stole” it from someone, specifically the Lenape Native-Americans.
  • Oh wait, no, it was “purchased” for about $24 in beads.
  • Nope, that’s a myth; it was unfairly taken by the Dutch, and reconquered by the British, going from being called “New Amsterdam” to “New York.” And hence, we speak English and not Dutch.

The History Museums

Reading dense history books can be dull and boring, but if done correctly, museum exhibits can not only be more fun, but will teach you something in the process. New York’s art institutions get more attention, and let’s face it, a Picasso exhibition sounds more exciting than a Patrick Henry one. Nonetheless, brush up on your history already!

New York Historical Society

170 Central Park W, New York, NY 10024

I interviewed for a job here to be an Alexander Hamilton exhibit tour guide with the bare minimum of history going in (um, I thought he was a President) and when asked what my personal goals for the tours would be, I started off with, “Well, my guess is that these kids won’t remember 90% of what I say….” AND I got the job.

I recommend the top floor for aimlessly wandering: it’s all “open storage,” meaning that your senses will be bombarded with artifacts from the last 3 centuries. Exhibits vary in terms of excitement factor, but there are some fun re-enactments, shows, plays and readings on the schedule as well.

I interviewed for a job here to be an Alexander Hamilton exhibit tour guide with the bare minimum of history going in (um, I thought he was a President) and when asked what my personal goals for the tours would be, I started off with, “Well, my guess is that these kids won’t remember 90% of what I say….” AND I got the job.

I recommend the top floor for aimlessly wandering: it’s all “open storage,” meaning that your senses will be bombarded with artifacts from the last 3 centuries. Exhibits vary in terms of excitement factor, but there are some fun re-enactments, shows, plays and readings on the schedule as well.

N-YHS Site

NYC - UWS: New York Historical Society

New-York Historical Society (Yes, the hyphen is supposed to be there…why?...look it up!)

Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave, Manhattan, NY 10029

How does this differ from N-YHS above? It tends to be…dare I say it…cooler? Less steeped in ancient New York history, and more about recent and/or just plain cooler things, the Museum of the City of NY is more friendly to all ages and doesn’t feel so academic when you walk in.

How does this differ from N-YHS above? It tends to be…dare I say it…cooler? Less steeped in ancient New York history, and more about recent and/or just plain cooler things, the Museum of the City of NY is more friendly to all ages and doesn’t feel so academic when you walk in.

Museum of the City of New York Site

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

91 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

You can’t talk about New York history without bringing up the word “tenement.” This bare-bones type of housing actually originated right here in 1839, as a cheap option for all of the immigrants pouring into the city. Nowadays, you can still find tenements, but hopefully your only personal experience with one is visiting this museum.

You can’t talk about New York history without bringing up the word “tenement.” This bare-bones type of housing actually originated right here in 1839, as a cheap option for all of the immigrants pouring into the city. Nowadays, you can still find tenements, but hopefully your only personal experience with one is visiting this museum.

History Detectives shoot at the LES Tenement Museum

PBS shooting their “History Detectives” show at the LES Tenement Museum

Lower East Side Tenement Museum Site

Ellis Island

Ellis Island, New York, NY 10004

This is where the magic happened…well, sort of. The majority of all immigrants back in the day came through Ellis Island en route to who knows where. It attracts the tourist set nowadays, but if you know your ancestors landed on American soil at some point, you can probably find the documentation to prove it.

Or find out after this many years that you WERE in fact adopted.

This is where the magic happened…well, sort of. The majority of all immigrants back in the day came through Ellis Island en route to who knows where. It attracts the tourist set nowadays, but if you know your ancestors landed on American soil at some point, you can probably find the documentation to prove it.

Or find out after this many years that you WERE in fact adopted.

Ellis Island in 1906

Wow, NYC was indeed always filled with hustle and bustle.

Governors Island Preservation & Education Corp (Gipec)

New York, NY 10004

 

History Buff Destinations

Go For A Walk

The confines of a museum makes you claustrophobic—you’ll never learn anything in there!  Fine, fine. New York is home to many walking tours with various themes, and not surprisingly, many of them are historical in nature. Led by guides you wish had been your teachers, if you really get bored, you can wander off and continue your “education” by visiting an old bar where some famous person in history once drank.

CantabNYC take on the 'Bloody Angle'

A Big Onion Walking Tour

Big Onion Walking Tours

So many tours, so little time! The Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour, Historical Fort Greene, Chinatown, Gangs of New York—you name it, they’ve probably got it! There is a Big Onion tour almost every single day, and they run about the same price as museum admission.

Oh, and the eating tours? Not a bad way to learn some history!

Scavenger Hunts

Remember how fun those were as kids? Not education, but pure fun. Watson Adventures runs scavenger hunts indoors and out, and just like walking tours, there are themes. Some revolve around one neighborhood like the East Village or one venue like Grand Central Terminal.

Joe's Ginger: Siu Long Bao

Foods of New York Tours

The city is known for its ethnic enclaves and accompanying restaurants, delis and food shops. Go on, learn with your mouth and tastebuds. :)

Lower East Side Walking Tour

The Lower East Side made this city what it is in terms of retail businesses and ethnic diversity. Maybe it’s known now for annoying bars and crowded streets, but slivers of history can still be found in the pickle seller and some of the Orchard Street retailers and signs.

Free Walking Tours

Sometimes you don’t want to pay to learn something. This list of freebies is like the public library version of the walking tours, free and open to all! No late fees though.

The back of someone's head

Joyce Gold History Tours

How I would love to run my own New York history tours company, and come up with walk names like, “Morningside Heights: From the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum to the Acropolis of New York.”

New York Talks and Walks

Recommended Reading

There is no shortage of New York history books, but because of the large volume, where do you even begin? Exploring the city can teach you a lot, but having some book knowledge about historical context is valuable.  I recommend the following:

Alexander Hamilton, American by Richard Brookhiser-why a book about one founding father? Because Hamilton was responsible for what New York is today: he founded the first bank (Bank of New York), created what we know today as the stock market, got the whole paper-money thing started, was an early supporter of industrialization, and influenced a lot of the government policy we still have today.

Forgotten New York by Kevin Walsh-this “Ultimate Urban Explorer’s Guide” goes neighborhood by neighborhood, pointing out historical remnants, important buildings, and significant events. It’s a fun companion to have if you are walking alone.

The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher-learn about a city’s infrastructure, down to the plumbing and up to those ubiquitous water towers, and you’ll learn a ton about its history. Such a fascinating read!

manhattan 004

U.S. Custom House in downtown Manhattan…Hamilton hung out here!

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