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New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

Overview

Learn the contributions of enslaved people to NYC including the brave uprisings against oppression. Then discover the exciting history of the Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada.

Visit an archeological site and memorial dedicated to the memory of enslaved Africans in colonial America. Visit the site of a former station on the Underground Railroad. Learn about the revolts, kidnappings and dramatic escapes that occurred during the era of American slavery. Listen to tales of courage and triumph and discover the stories of real New Yorkers who risked their lives and properties to help people escape slavery on this historical New York City walking tour.

City: New York City

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $35.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $35.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

What To Expect

National Museum of the American Indian

(Exterior Visit) Built in 1907, Alexander Hamilton Custom House stands as a Beaux-Arts treasure commemorating the rise of trade and commerce in NYC with 3 floors of art and artifacts dedicated to Native Americans.

Battery Park

For more than 200 years, The Battery has been an invaluable part of New York City’s history. Decades before Ellis Island was built or the Statue of Liberty gazed down at incoming boats, millions of newcomers arrived at The Battery from Europe and elsewhere.

Fraunces Tavern Museum

(Exterior Visit) The location played a prominent role in history before, during, and after the American Revolution.

Wall Street

An actual wall existed on the street from 1685 to 1699. The heart of the financial system and the former location of the Wall was built by enslaved people.

Foley Square

Foley Square is the location of the “Triumph of the Human Spirit,” a sculpture honoring the presence of enslaved people in New York.

African Burial Ground National Monument

African Burial Ground and memorial is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in New York documenting the lives of enslaved people in New York.

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (300)

Kelly_C

Aug 2022

A microphone should be a must. We could barely hear the young lady. My family and I were not comfortable huddling up so closely next to strangers in order to hear, especially during this COVID, Monkey Pox season. Pretty sure the tour was great. The young lady seemed quite knowledgeable, however, my family and I dropped out about 15 minutes in due to the fact that huddling in the heat in order to hear became unbearable. I strongly suggest getting a microphone.

Response from Host

Sep 2022

Thank you for your comments on our guide and the Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour. We shall make sure that this guide has a microphone for amplification. I do hope that you informed your guide that you could not hear her speech. By leaving after 15 minutes you did miss a wonderful tour. Again, thank you for your suggestion.

Annie_laviajera

Aug 2022

Everybody visiting NYC should book this tour - we are so glad it even was included in our New York Passes, so we learned about this great way of exploring NYC's local and cultural history. With profound knowledge, tremendous enthusiasm and endless patience for all our questions we were brought into touch with historic sites and the rarely told details of history. We learned about the Lenape first native inhabitants of the area, the arrival of all sorts of colonialists and in their wake the cruel and sad reality of slavery - finally, the importance of solidarity and courage to achieve safety and dignity for all people. We were led to places we would not have discovered in a short visit to NYC, e.g. the African Burial Ground. Highly recommended... no, a must!

elisehedlund

Aug 2022

We had a wonderful time on the NYC Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour! After learning about the tour in Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed, we were eager to learn more. The tour is roughly 2 and a half hours (so wear good walking shoes and prepare to be on your feet!), and we travelled through about a half dozen stops that related to slavery and the underground railroad in Manhattan. Our tour guide Mina and her colleague Sean led us through the stops in an engaging and thoughtful way. They expertly answered all our questions and shared lots of history that we hadn't learned before. We started outside the National Museum of the American Indian, then worked our way through Fraunces Tavern, the Slave Market Historical Marker, and the African Burial Ground National Monument, among other significant stops. We especially appreciated learning about Elizabeth Jennings place, named for the woman who, 100 years before Rosa Parks, fought to desegregate NYC transportation. Overall, we found the tour very impactful and informative. It was a wonderful opportunity for our family, and we would highly recommend it!