Oppenheimer in New York: Upper West Side Walking Tour

13 Reviews 5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 13 reviews collected by Cool New York City and TripAdvisor | Recommended by 100% of reviewers | New York City, USA

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On average, this is booked 33 (0) days in advance.

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
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Instant confirmation
Offered in: English

Overview

Discover the New York story behind one of the 20th century’s most complex figures. This guided walking tour explores how J. Robert Oppenheimer’s years on the Upper West Side shaped his ideas, ambitions, and the world-changing science that followed. Walk through the neighborhoods, institutions, and meeting places where intellectual debate, politics, and innovation converged during the New Deal and wartime eras. Learn how the city’s energy, ideals, and contradictions influenced the man often called the “father of the atomic bomb.”

What's Included

  • All Fees and Taxes

    Meeting Location

    Meeting point

    Broadway
    New York, NY 10025, USA

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    Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

    End point

    116th and Broadway
    New York, NY 10027, USA

    Main campus by Columbia University Plaza

    What To Expect

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    Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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    Upper West Side

    We will visit the premarital home of Ella Oppenheimer, Robert Oppenheimer's mother, to discuss J. Robert Oppenheimer's immigrant ancestry.
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    10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Upper West Side

    We will visit the site of Oppenheimer's birth to discuss his parents' life in New York.
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    10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Upper West Side

    We will visit the former home of Edwin R. A. Seligman to discuss Oppenheimer's education at the Ethical Culture School.
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    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Upper West Side

    We will visit the Clarendon, the former home of William Randolph Hearst, who was the talk of Oppenheimer's childhood neighborhood and had ties with the world leaders who would be forever connected by WWII and Oppenheimer.
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    10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Riverside Drive

    We will visit the childhood home of J. Robert Oppenheimer to discuss his childhood and adolescence.
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    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Soldiers' and Sailors Monument New York

    Visitors will learn about the history of Riverside Drive that coincided with Oppenheimer's formative years.
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    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Riverside Drive

    We will visit the Master Apartments to discuss FDR's New Deal and the various ideologies of that era that prospered and informed Oppenheimer as a young man.
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    10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    New York Buddhist Church

    We will look at the Shinran Statue to discuss the cause and the effect of the atomic bomb.
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    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Riverside Drive

    We will visit the home of Isidor Rabi, a pioneer in 20th-century physics, a Nobel Prize winner, and a close friend of Oppenheimer.
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    10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Show 8 more stops

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

    Frequently Asked Questions

    (6)

    Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Oppenheimer in New York: Upper West Side Walking Tour?

    A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EST). Read more Apr 2025

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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    Activity code: C-317194P7

    Traveler Photos

    Reviews

    5.00
    13 reviews

    Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 13 traveler reviews collected by Cool New York City and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

    5 stars
    13
    4 stars
    0
    3 stars
    0
    2 stars
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    1 star
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    On average, this is booked 33 (0) days in advance.

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    Additional Info

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    • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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    Free Cancellation

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    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EST).

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