Private or Group | Foundations of a Metropolis: The Multicultural History of Early New York

Quick Details

ⓘ Tour Type: Private & In-person

⌛ Duration: 2.5 hours

Experience early New York’s vibrant and complex history from a fresh, inclusive perspective on this engaging walking tour. Journey through the streets of Lower Manhattan as you uncover the untold stories of Native Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, and colonial women—communities whose vital contributions are often left out of traditional narratives.

Tour Highlights

  • Foundations of New Amsterdam:
    Explore the origins of Dutch New Amsterdam and discover how Indigenous peoples, free and enslaved Africans, and women helped shape the city’s earliest days.

  • Transition to British New York:
    Learn how the city changed under British rule and the ways diverse communities adapted, resisted, and thrived during a time of transformation.

  • Hidden Stories & Unsung Heroes:
    Encounter the pioneers, leaders, visionaries, abolitionists, and resistance movements that laid the groundwork for New York’s future as a center of diversity and progress.

  • Expert, Inclusive Guides:
    Tours led by licensed local guides with deep expertise in NYC history, art, and social justice. Bilingual guide options available for a welcoming, accessible experience.

Why Choose This Tour?

  • Unique, Off-the-Beaten-Path Experience:
    Go beyond standard colonial tours and discover the real stories that shaped New York City.

  • Award-Winning, Inclusive Approach:
    Offered by Inside Out Tours, a certified Black- and woman-owned company recognized for celebrating NYC’s diversity and untold stories.

  • Perfect for All Audiences:
    Ideal for students, educators, locals, visitors, and anyone interested in a more complete and inclusive understanding of New York’s past.

What’s Included

  • Guided walking tour of historic sites in Lower Manhattan

  • Licensed, bilingual tour guide (English and Spanish; additional languages upon request)

  • Opportunities for discussion and Q&A throughout the tour

Testimonials for sliders
Highly Recommended

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you’re ever visiting NYC, I highly recommend taking Inside Out Tours’ ‘the Slavery and Underground Railroad Walking Tour’ which is one of the tours featured in HOW THE WORD WAS PASSED. I learned a ton and it was really well done.
- Clint Smith

Best thing I did while in NYC

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So glad I took this tour. Real history is revealed and the end of the tour was so moving to me. I would highly recommend this to people who want to learn some things that were not taught to you in school.
- Lee L.

Excellent and Eye Opening

It all begins with an idea.

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