Let me tell you—these weird walking tours are the best way to explore NYC
"Let Me Tell You" is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan explored a new study about the best neighborhoods in NYC —including her own!
On a typical tour of Manhattan, the big tourist attractions—Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park—get all the attention. But on these off-the-beaten-path walking tours, you'll see fascinating historical sites that you won't find in a typical guidebook.
Even if you're a born-and-raised New Yorker, these walking tours will show you a side of the city you've never seen before. Since the weather is finally pleasant again, it's the perfect time to get outside for a stroll while learning something along the way. As a certified New York City tour guide who has taken almost all of these tours, I can vouch for them—and even have a tour of my own to share. So lace up your sneakers, and let's get out there.
Garbage and Rat s walking tour
Sure, this one is a little gross, but it's also engrossing. You'll learn about the history of garbage in New York City dating back to its days as Dutch New Amsterdam. Plus, you'll get a crash course on the life of rats, from their sex life to their tastebuds to their teeth. It's led by a certified rat pro, tour guide Suzanne Reisman, who is a graduate of the city's Rat Academy and a member of the NYC Rat Pack. That means she can really rat-tle off (sorry) a lot of facts.
Details: Two hours. $40/person. Lower Manhattan. Book here.
Death in New York walking tour
This tour covers more than four centuries of life and death in Lower Manhattan exploring Battery Park, the Financial District, Tribeca, the Civic Center and Chinatown. You'll learn about the first death of a European in NYC (a murder), hear about President Lincoln's funeral tour through Union Square, discover where intact skeletons are still being found, walk through the city's funeral row and lots more. As guide K. Krombie puts it: "There's no ghosts, there's no legends. The theme with all my tours is what the city doesn't want you to see. So it's the municipal management and mismanagement of death."
Details: Just under three hours. $42/person. Lower Manhattan. Book here.
Lit Pub Crawl
Perhaps you like your history with a little booze. We won't judge—and neither would Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac or Edgar Allan Poe, just a few of the authors featured on this tour. This tour is both lit and literary, as it weaves through Greenwich Village exploring the neighborhood's history as a "dumping ground of social misfits" (a.k.a. really great writers). On the tour, you'll also learn about J.D. Salinger, Edith Wharton, Louisa May Alcott, Frank McCourt, Langford Wilson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Baldwin—and even hear recitations of their work.
Details: Three hours. $49/person. Greenwich Village. Book here.
True crime fans, this one is for you. This walking tour led by the South Street Seaport Museum unearths the neighborhood's freaky and fascinating facts. Expect to hear tales about theft, organized crime, murder and even pirates. While many stories come from the area's crime heyday in the 1800s, some stories stretch back to the 1790s and others up to the 1990s. It's grim subject matter, of course, but it's delivered in a lighthearted way.
Details: 90 minutes. $30-$40/person. Seaport. Book here.
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Scratch the surface of some NYC history with a furry twist. The Cats About Town Tours pop up in three different neighborhoods (Brooklyn Heights, Financial District and the Lower East Side) for some fascinating historical cat stories. Expert guides will bring these tails—ahem, tales—to life while showing you cool landmarks along the way. Just a note that this is not a cat-spotting safari, but if you spot a feline friend along the way, consider it a purrfect bonus.
Details: Two hours. $40/person. Brooklyn Heights, Financial District, or Lower East Side. Book here.
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The Ghostlight Tour: Haunted Broadway
Do you believe in ghosts? You might after this creepy Haunted Broadway tour. You'll learn about the superstitions of Broadway, including the iconic ghostlight, and hear stories of spirits that still lurk in the shadows backstage. Guides carry iPads full of rarely seen photographs, news clippings and videos from years of research to bring the stories to life.
Details: 1 hour, 45 minutes. $41/adult. Midtown. Book here.
These seasonal tours promise a "dose of dark history, women's history, hauntings, ghosts, the occult" and more. Tours are available in certain months, like the Ghosts of Christmas Past tour around the holidays, Ghosts of the Titanic in April, and Haunting Histories and Legends of Astoria in summer and fall.
Details: Times, prices, and locations vary. Book here.
Secrets of Lower Manhattan Walking Tour
Finally, a tour from yours truly! This new walking tour digs into the secrets of Lower Manhattan: a treasure trove of mysteries, obscurities, and hidden history waiting to be unearthed. Learn about NYC's time under Dutch rule, revolutionary history, and incredible works of art. Without ever leaving Manhattan, this tour will transport you to Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. It's based on my book, "," and each tour ticket comes with a signed copy.
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