New York Underground Railroad Historical Walking Tour

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.

Meeting Point

1 Bowling Green

1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004, USA

In front of the National Museum of the American Indian.

What's included:

• History of the Underground Railroad
• Slavery in Historical Context
• The site of New York’s first slave market
• Local guide
• African Burial Ground
• New York’s Role in Slavery
• Fraunces Tavern

Not included:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

National Museum of the American Indian

1 Bowling Green, , New York City, 10004-1415, New York

(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.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Battery Park

State Street and Battery Place, New York City, 10004, New York

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.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Fraunces Tavern Museum

54 Pearl St, , New York City, 10004-4300, New York

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

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Wall Street

New York City, 10005, New York

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.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Foley Square

111 Worth St Apt 4G, New York City, 10013-4017, New York

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

15 minutes

African Burial Ground National Monument

Duane and Elk Streets, next to 290 Broadway, New York City, New York

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.

10 minutes