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Private Tour: Colonial and Revolutionary New York

1 Review 5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 1 reviews collected by Cool New York City and TripAdvisor |
Recommended by 100% of reviewers
100% of reviewers gave this experience a rating of 4 or higher.
| New York City, USA
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from $75 per person

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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 27 (0) days in advance.
2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
and 1 more
Spanish

Overview

New York wasn’t a sideshow to the American Revolution—it was the center of it. This tour follows the city’s transformation from a divided colonial port to the first capital of the United States.

Before independence was declared, violence had already erupted here—months before Boston. From that moment, we trace the Revolution across New York: where resistance formed, where Washington’s army struggled to hold the city, and where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the troops on July 9, 1776.

We follow the collapse and survival of the American cause—from the escape from Brooklyn to seven years of British occupation—and end where it all came full circle, with the evacuation of British forces in 1783.

This is the Revolution as a continuous story—exactly where it happened.

What's Included

  • Guided Tour
  • Gratuity
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

43 Park Row
New York, NY 10038, USA

Show on Google Maps

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

End point

PX3P+XG
New York, NY 10004, USA

Ends at Bowling Green, steps from multiple subway lines, the Staten Island Ferry terminal, and ferries to the Statue of Liberty.

What To Expect

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Our secure website provides real-time availability, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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Tweed Courthouse

We begin at the steps of the Tweed Courthouse, on ground once surrounded by British barracks, a jail, and the city’s poorhouse. This was a center of unrest in the years leading to the Revolution. Here, the Sons of Liberty defied British authority, raised liberty poles, and clashed with soldiers. We’ll focus on the lesser-known New Yorkers—artisans, laborers, and merchants—who organized resistance before independence was even imagined.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Municipal Building

Behind one of the most imposing government buildings in New York lies one of the darkest chapters of the Revolution. This area was tied to the prison system where thousands of American prisoners died during the British occupation—on land and in the waters of the East River. We’ll also identify the site of the first Presidential Mansion and the original location of the Bank of New York, linking the suffering of the war to the foundations of the new nation.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Paul's Chapel

At this colonial-era church, we step into both the personal and national consequences of the Revolution. We’ll visit the resting place of a key figure from the 1775 campaign in Quebec and examine how the war forced both patriots and loyalists into exile at different moments. The chapel also witnessed one of the most symbolic early events of the new republic, tying the Revolution directly to the creation of the United States government.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

John Street United Methodist Church (pass by)

Founded in 1766, this is the oldest Methodist congregation in North America and one of the most important religious sites of early New York. While Anglicanism was the established church, the city was already religiously diverse, especially in areas like the North Ward. Here, we focus on the everyday New Yorkers—artisans, laborers, and immigrants—whose lives shaped the city during the Revolution.Just behind the church stood the house Thomas Jefferson leased while serving as Secretary of State under George Washington. This stop marks a shift in the story—from revolution to nation-building—where the future of the United States was shaped not only by war, but by negotiation, compromise, and political conflict.
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South Street Seaport Historic District

Colonial New York was deeply tied to Britain—commercially, financially, and culturally—but resistance took shape along the waterfront. Here, merchants and sailors pushed back against imperial control. We’ll cover the early violence that erupted in New York before the Boston Massacre, as well as the strategic retreat that preserved Washington’s army and kept the Revolution alive in its earliest days.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Wall Street

Wall Street was already a place of power before the Revolution—home to a slave market, a growing financial center, and some of the city’s most prominent residences. At its core lies one of the most consequential intersections in American history, where we encounter the site that became the birthplace of the United States government.Here, the Revolution, finance, and politics converge. We’ll explore how money, power, and information—sometimes through formal institutions, sometimes through informal networks and espionage—shaped both the war and the nation that followed, on one of the most influential streets in the world.
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Federal Hall

At this site, the Revolution transitions into government. Here, George Washington was inaugurated in 1789, and the first Congress met under the new Constitution. We’ll examine how a fragile confederation became a functioning federal system—through financial policy, political compromise, and the early structures that still define the United States today.
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Trinity Church Cemetery & Mausoleum

Trinity Church stood at the center of colonial New York’s religious and political life. Severely damaged during the Great Fire of 1776, it became a symbol of the city’s destruction during the British occupation. Its reconstruction after the war mirrors New York’s broader recovery.In its churchyard, we connect the Revolution to the early republic through the people who shaped it—founding figures, signers of the Declaration of Independence, financiers, judges, and Treasury officials who moved between commerce, law, and government. Alexander Hamilton, buried here, anchors that story. This is where power consolidated after the war, as the same networks that supported resistance helped build the institutions of the new nation.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fraunces Tavern Museum

One of the most important surviving sites of the Revolutionary era, Fraunces Tavern served as a hub of political and military activity. Here, Washington delivered his farewell to his officers in 1783, marking the end of the war. The tavern also operated as a center of communication and intelligence, where merchants, officers, and revolutionaries exchanged information that shaped the conflict.
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bowling Green

We end where British power once stood strongest—at the site of Fort George, overlooking Bowling Green. From here, the British controlled New York for seven years, turning it into the military and political center of their North American operations.What began on July 9, 1776—when Washington’s troops first heard the Declaration of Independence—finds its conclusion here. On November 25, 1783, British forces evacuated the city, and American troops returned. The war in New York had come full circle.At this final stop, we examine what that transition actually meant: the return of patriot refugees, the departure of loyalists, and the transfer of power from empire to republic. From occupation to independence, the story that began at our first stop ends here.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Private Tour: Colonial and Revolutionary New York?

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 (EDT). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

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

Still have questions?

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Activity code: C-5648988P2

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Reviews

5.00
1 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 1 traveler reviews collected by Cool New York City and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 27 (0) days in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool New York City customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Private Tour: Colonial and Revolutionary New York?
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 (EDT).
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Guided Tour.
The following is NOT included:
  • Gratuity.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the weather cancellation policy?
A:

This tour requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

The minimum age to participate is 3..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the Private Tour: Colonial and Revolutionary New York is as follows:

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Private Tour: Colonial and Revolutionary New York will be included in your confirmation email from Cool New York City. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024

What's Included

Activity name

  • Guided Tour
  • Gratuity

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Report Product Issue

Activity name