Take some of the best walking tours in New York City!

Private and Public Tours, and Gift Cards are offered. PRIVATE TOURS are available on flexible dates and times. Contact brucer@discovernewyork.com or call 917 475-6839.  

Visit Hamiton & Washington in NYC

Visit Best of Brooklyn

Visit Secret Places of Central Park

Visit Central Park Experience

Washington & Hamilton: Secrets of the Past
New York City Walking Tour

Hamilton & Washington: Secrets of the Past – New York City Walking Tour.  This tour is the perfect complement to the musical, Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda based on the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. This tour will provide you with even greater insight and understanding of the people, events and situations of the Broadway show. Come join us and you’ll hear amazing stories, see reproductions of paintings and images of events, and experience awe-inspiring and little-known locations and objects that helped shape what America is today.

New York City, the most iconic city in the world, is home to more than 240 years of rich American history. Few stories are more powerful, influential and moving than that of the partnership between founding fathers George Washington and Alexander Hamilton before, during and after the American Revolution.

On this immersive walking tour, experience American history as you never have before, on the streets where it happened, and through the lives of the first commander-in-chief and president, George Washington, and orphaned immigrant turned Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.  These are two men who were truly indispensable in guiding and shaping the destiny of the United States.  You’ll also discover lesser-known people in the narrative of the United States and the critical roles that women and African Americans played in fulfilling the founding vision of the nation. 

We invite you to join one of the most unique and exciting walking tours the city has to offer. Together we’ll venture through the streets of New York to recapture unforgettable moments in the story of the United States, such as British colonial times, the Sons of Liberty resistance, the devastating Battle of Brooklyn, Hamilton’s early days as a courageous and valiant new patriot, Washington’s emotional farewell to his troops, triumphant return, and inauguration on Wall Street, and the development of Hamilton’s brilliant monetary policies that would forever shape the American economy.  Please see the current TripAdvisor reviews.

Through fascinating stories along our engaging walk in the Hamilton & Washington Walking Tour NYC, you’ll be drawn into the past as you learn about:

• The earlier North American war that led to the epic Revolutionary War
• The first New York reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776, and the mob protest that followed
• George Washington’s daring and miraculous nighttime river retreat
• The famous tavern where Washington led a moving farewell
• The  deception of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring
• The moving inauguration of George Washington
• African Americans in the Revolutionary War
• Alexander Hamilton’s prolific 100,000 words in the Federalist Papers that secured ratification of the Constitution
• The resting place of Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza
• Women’s contributions and service to the Patriot cause
• The splendid 18th-century chapel where Washington attended services
• The conflict behind the infamous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. . . and so much more!

Secrets of Central Park Walking Tour

Get away from it all and immerse yourself in some of the least-visited, most scenic and historical parts in the Best Central Park Walking Tour in New York City.

“Translate Democratic ideas into trees and dirt” is how Calvert Vaux, the partner of Frederick Olmstead, described the concept of a Central Park in the 1850’s. It is a park for all people. Today, with about 42 million visitors annually, the park continues to fulfill that vision. Set in the center of the largest city in the United States, the majestic 843 acre, man-made, 2.5 mile long park, set in the largest city in the United States continues to astound. As a New Yorker or visitor, you’ve probably seen the well-known places of Central Park such as the Lake and Bethesda Fountain, but this tour, the Secret Places of Central Park will take you to places that will surprise and delight you. The tour is conducted by Bruce Racond, a licensed New York City tour guide with 20 years experience.   Please see the current TripAdvisor reviews.

You will be amazed as you . . . 

• Explore the forest of oak hickory, maple and ash trees of the North Woods.
• Visit the Secret Garden of the Conservatory Gardens
• See an ornate French iron gate that protected Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s mansion
• Hear about the history and see the grounds of a convent built on the site of Central Park
• “Look out” for invaders as you stand high on fortresses from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812
• Overlook the scenic vistas of the Harlem Meer and Fort Clinton
• Tread the same ground that General George Washington rode on to triumphantly retake New York in 1783
• Stroll near an 1866 arch made of uncut boulders of Manhattan schist
• Find peace and tranquility along the beautiful Loch and waterfalls of the captivating Ravine. . . and so much more!

You will be transported to scenery of the Adirondacks, right in the middle of Manhattan island!

You’ll learn the fascinating history of the park and gain an even greater appreciation for what the creators Frederick Law Olmstead, Calvert Vaux and commissioner, Andrew Haswell Green accomplished 160 years ago. You’ll see alternative proposals for the park’s design, and find out what was there before. This tour is a must for lovers of New York City and Central Park.

THE BEST OF BROOKLYN WALKING TOUR

Discover the best Brooklyn tour and the revolutionary history of Brooklyn in this exciting walking tour!   

Discover the revolution that is Brooklyn in this exciting Brooklyn walking tour!   Step back in time and experience the Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Brooklyn Heights.  Discover the borough’s revolutionary history and modern reinvention from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to today.  Take in breathtaking waterfront vistas, extraordinary locales, picturesque parks, and cultural surprises.  The Revolutionary Brooklyn Walking Tour is led by a 20-year historian and licensed New York City tour guide.

Our journey begins by crossing the historic Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan.  Learn about the 14-year epic saga of the great engineering achievement of the 19^th century that connected the “twin cities” of Brooklyn and New York.

We’ll continue in DUMBO where you’ll discover how a dilapidated warehouse and factory district was transformed into a prime residential, cultural, and commercial/tech center that businesses such as Etsy and West Elm call home.  Enjoy a stop at the first store of the most famous chocolate maker in New York, Jacques Torres.  You’ll see the stunning Brooklyn Bridge Park, and encounter awe-inspiring views, and a perfectly restored 1922 carousel within a “crystal” box.

We’ll stand near where George Washington conducted a maritime retreat in 1776 that saved American independence during the Revolutionary War and where Robert Fulton operated steamboat ferries to and from the Brooklyn suburbs.  We’ll also explore Brooklyn Heights, New York City’s first suburb and historic district, with spectacular views of Manhattan from the Promenade. Discover hundreds of elegant pre-Civil War homes and hear stories of famous residents such as Truman Capote.  See a house from the movie “Moonstruck,” and discover the 1849 church visited by Abraham Lincoln and led by the most famous preacher in America, Henry Ward Beecher.

Experience the cultural and historical phenomenon that is Brooklyn on this walking tour.  Reserve your place by joining the “Brooklyn Revolution” tour today!

Here are just a few of the many experiences that await you:

• We’ll start in Manhattan with a walk over the monumental Brooklyn Bridge and take in breathtaking vistas of the Manhattan skyline.  You will discover the epic story of the Brooklyn Bridge, the great engineering achievement of the 19th century, and learn about the family that helped create it
• Visit the stunning, recently built Brooklyn Bridge Park on the picturesque waterfront near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges
• Visit Jacques Torres chocolate shop, the most famous chocolatier in New York City
• Walk through the DUMBO neighborhood and experience the modern transformation of an 1800s factory and warehouse district into a sensational commercial and residential neighborhood
• See a fully-restored sensational 1922 carousel on the river
• Visit historic locations involving George Washington and the Revolutionary War
• Walk through the elegant and quiet tree-lined streets of Brooklyn Heights with hundreds of beautiful townhouses from the 1800s
• See the historic 1849 Plymouth Church that helped elect Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, led by the charismatic minister Henry Ward Beecher, brother to Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . . . The church was known as the “Grand Central Depot” of New York’s Underground Railroad.  Discover the church’s fascinating history and legacy of abolitionism
• Walk along the streets featured in famous movies such as Moonstruck with Cher and Nicholas Cage
• See the mansion where Truman Capote lived and wrote “Breakfast at Tiffany’s . . . and so much more!

Experience the cultural and historical phenomenon that is Brooklyn on this walking tour.  Reserve your place by joining the “Best of Brooklyn: The Brooklyn Revolution” tour today!

Led by licensed New York City tour guide Bruce Racond, who has spent more than 20 years entertaining and educating visitors on the vast history and showing the unique locations of New York.

Central Park Experience: A Scenic & Historical Walking Tour

Experience the ultimate lower Central Park tour.  Whether you are a first-time visitor or have visited the park numerous times, you’ll make discoveries and learn the intricacies of this urban artistic masterpiece.  

Indulge in the spectacular scenery, hidden gems, history, and original motivations for creating the first large-scale public park in the United States.  Experience the park with a New York City historian and Licensed New York City Tour Guide with over twenty years of experience in educating and entertaining.  

This walking tour traverses Central Park from 59^th Street through the Pool, Mall, Bethesda Terrace, Angel of the Waters statue, Lake, Bow Bridge, Ramble, Belvedere Castle, and Shakespeare Garden.  You will overlook the majestic Great Lawn, the Delacorte Theater, and Turtle Pond.  You’ll also discover the pre-park history, including an African American and immigrant community that thrived for thirty years before the park’s construction. 

The tour is conducted by Bruce Racond, a historian and licensed New York City tour guide with over 20 years of experience.   Please see the current TripAdvisor reviews.

You will be captivated as you . . . 

• Discover the intricacies and history of Central Park with a New York City historian and licensed tour guide with over twenty years of experience
• Encounter breathtaking vistas throughout the tour
• Learn about Central Park’s fascinating history, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s design and vision, and the ambitious fifteen-year construction
• Walk through the exquisite Bethesda Terrace, Bethesda Arcade, and see the glorious Angel of the Waters statue and Jacob Wrey Mould’s delicate stonecutting designs
• See the Dairy, a wooden Victorian structure first built in the 1860s and the surrounding children’s “Kinderberg”
• Delight in the spacious fifteen-acre Sheep Meadow and learn about the Southdown sheep that once grazed there
• Walk over the elegant cast iron Bow Bridge seen in numerous classic movies
• Depart the chaos of the city as you walk through the tranquil and mystical landscape of the Ramble
• Stand before the Gothic Revival Belvedere Castle and take in impressive views of the famous Great Lawn
• Stroll along the Mall surrounded by rows of magnificent American Elms and pay homage to “Women’s Rights Pioneers” in the recent monument
• Discover life before Central Park, including the remarkable African American and immigrant community named Seneca Village . . . and so much more!

This tour is for first-time, experienced visitors, and native New Yorkers alike.  There’s much more to Central Park than meets the eye!  Delights and surprises await you in the most famous and visited urban park in the United States. 

The best walking tours New York City, NYC