Fall is here and with the new season comes a new line-up of Untapped New York walking tours! Join us over the next few months as we host brand-new experiences, specialized limited-run tours, and expanded editions of longtime favorites that will reveal the hidden secrets of New York City. Untapped New York’s expert and licensed tour guides will lead you in exploring sites like Manhattan’s iconic Art Deco skyscrapers, the oldest Brooklyn subway stations, the gritty remnants of Times Square’s red light district, and more. Find your next urban adventure below!
Don’t see a date that fits your schedule? Any of the tours listed below can be booked as a private experience for your group at your preferred date and time. Reach out tours [at] untappedcities.com to request a private tour.
NYC’s Irish History Tour
Tour Highlights
Stroll to the Asch Building where a tragic fire spurred the implementation of the Sullivan Hoey fire control laws
From the famine ships at Cobh to the fairytale of New York, learn about the history of the Irish Famine and St. Brendan the Navigator at The Irish Hunger Memorial
Uncover the FDNY’s Irish roots and hear about generations of brave Irish firefighters
Take a short subway ride and stroll to Columbus Park where you’ll uncover the secrets and shenanigans of New York City’s mythic slum The Five Points
Hop on the iron horse to spin a yarn or two with a light and a dark at McSorley’s, the world’s most famous Irish pub in operation for more than 170 years
NYC’s Irish History Tour runs on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Learn the history of the Metropolitan Opera in the iconic 4,000-seat auditorium
Visit backstage areas like the scenic and carpentry shops, wig shop, costume shop, and armory*
See where opera singers get ready in rehearsal and dressing rooms
Admire the stunning mid-century lobby with its iconic curvy red staircase
Met Opera Backstage Tours run once a month. If you are an Untapped New York Insider, you can get tickets to a backstage tour on November 20th for just $10! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today.
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Unframed,” an immersive art installation by world-renowned artist JR on an exclusive hard hat tour inside the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital, in partnership with Save Ellis Island
Access buildings usually off-limits to the public to view larger-than-life images pasted onto the walls, floors, furniture, and more
Hear the heartwarming story of the “babushka grandmother” arriving at Ellis Island
See images of young girls undergoing treatment for Favus, a fungal scalp infection
Experience a poignant encounter with the somber faces of those navigating immigration
Get a glimpse into the historic operating room, populated by doctors and nurses from a bygone era
This walking tour runs twice a month, on Thursday and Saturday.
Learn about the largest sex emporium in New York City (and maybe the world), the freak show where Diane Arbus found her inspiration, as well as the last remaining hot sheet hotel and live peep show in Times Square
Discover the dirtiest hotel in America, the oldest building on 42nd Street (it’s not what you think), and the most dangerous block in New York City
Visit sites for classic films like Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Taxi Driver (1976)
A Taste of New York: Food Tour of Chinatown, Little Italy, and the LES
Tour Highlights:
Discover how the historic buildings of these areas have been transformed and repurposed into art galleries, churches, and event spaces as well as restaurants and more
Sample traditional Chinese, Italian and Jewish food
Learn about the history of immigration in these areas and the impact that each group played in this part of New York City, once the most densely populated district in the world
Uncover the history of what tenement life was like in Chinatown, Little Italy and the Lower East Side, and find out where immigrants shopped, banked, and how they obtained news of the times
Stop by significant Lower East Side landmarks including the Synagogues, the Jarmulowsky Bank, old movie theaters, Old Saint Patrick’s Basilica, the Bowery, Doyers Street and many more
Learn the Brooklyn Bridge’s greatest secrets, including its use as a Cold War fallout shelter, its hidden champagne vaults, the bridge jumper survivor’s support group, and more
Cross the historic bridge span, experiencing one of the best vantage points in New York City to see Lower Manhattan, Governor’s Island, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn
Discover an often-overlooked roof-top park in DUMBO serving up one of the best views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges
Experience one of the most iconic and Instagrammable views in the world
Uncover hidden gems of the once industrial Brooklyn waterfront now transformed into one of the most visited in NYC complete with its own beach, carousel, and amazing waterfront views
This NYC walking tour runs once a month on alternating Saturdays and Sundays.
Discover the hidden-in-plain-sight remnants of the 1939/40 and 1964/65 inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Visit the monument to a 5000-year time capsule
View the original guidebooks from each of the World’s Fairs
Get a comprehensive history of the past, present, and future of Flushing Meadow-Corona Park, with Insider information from our partners involved with the preservation of the New York State Pavilion
Receive reproductions of World’s Fair Maps from both 1939 and 1964
Complimentary Admission to the Queens Museum, to admire the Panorama of the City of New York
This tour runs once a month on alternating Saturdays and Sundays.
