Uncover a unique part of New York history not always brushed upon during this New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad tour. Follow the NYC Freedom Trail, and learn how a group of brave men and women forged the network that became the Underground Railroad. View the former city stations that were included on the Underground Railroad, and discover how New Yorkers risked their lives to help people escape slavery.

Trace the Underground Railroad, and learn learn about its role in freeing slaves
See the NYC African-American Freedom Trail
A guide tells you stories about important abolitionist figures of the time
An afternoon start time allows you to fit this tour in before dinner

What's Included

Local guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Departure & Return

Departure Point

1 Bowling Green, 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004, USA
In front of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Return Details

African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, USA

What To Expect

Begin this walking tour at the Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan. Then get ready to journey back in time to trace the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad in New York City.

The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century African-American slaves to escape to freedom with the help of abolitionists and allies who supported their cause. This path from slavery to freedom ran right through New York City, where thousands of people, including noted social reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, escaped to the most populated city in the nation.

Visit the site of Fort Amsterdam, the first settlement in colonial Manhattan, and learn about the important role slaves played in transforming American society. Walk down Wall Street and see where slaves hid while escaping to free states with the help of abolitionists.

Visit the African Burial Ground National Monument, a sacred space in Manhattan and memorial dedicated to enslaved Africans in colonial America. It has been called the most important archaeological find of the 20th century and is an important reminder of a period in New York City history that is oftentimes forgotten.

Finally, walk to the former site of the first African-American church in New York, which was also one of the stops on the Underground Railroad.

African Burial Ground National Monument

One of the stops.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Operated by Inside Out Tours LLC

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

about cancellations

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour?

A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas

Q:What is the social distancing policy during New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour?

A:The policies on social distancing are:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour?

A:The policy on staff health & safety is:

Guides required to regularly wash hands

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

274 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 274 reviews

Informational

Nohemi_V, May 2022

Tour guide was amazing, she made sure all our questions were answered and explained everything thoroughly

Worth Time and Money

Debra_N, Apr 2022

Learning history that is not taught but crucial to any type of racial reconciliation. Be ready for a nice walk and a well informed tour guide

Excellent Tour

Carolyn_H, Apr 2022

This is an excellent tour which illuminates a significant part of NY history. I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about the history of slavery in New York.

This tour was really...

LARLESLIE_M, Feb 2022

This tour was really Great! Our tour guide (Miya) was incredibly knowledgeable. I highly recommend anyone traveling to NY - take this tour. Note: Content may not be good for children with short attention span.

Very informative

Ginny_L, Feb 2022

Sean was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. We learned many things about slavery in New York City that we never knew. As we anticipated it wasn’t the best tour for our six year old but our nine, 11 and 14 year old enjoyed it.

Really fascinating and well worth doing!

melanie_h, Jan 2022

Our tour guide was very knowledgable and obviously passionate. I’m from the UK and we are not taught in school about the history of slavery and our part in it so this tour was for me fascinating. I also work within the field of diversity and inclusion so have an additional interest in this. I highly recommend this tour to anyone, it really opens yours eyes to the realities of life for those forced into slavery.

Understand our history much better.

Kenneth_A, Sep 2021

I'm sure we all have those historical "facts" that we take for granted...many/most exploded by the facts. One of the best tours I have taken in New York. Maya, our guide was knowledgeable and provided us a excellent review of the history, along with numerous real-life tales concerning the environment in New York at the time. Such a fantastic, and thought provoking tour that I have begun reading further to learn and understand more. Looking forward to future tours.

Powerful

Rob_R, Aug 2021

Great information here. Our guide was really well I formed and personable. She did a fantastic job and was clearly passionate about this subject. The only critique I’d have was with traffic noise it could sometimes be difficult to hear. Maybe charging a bit more for personal listening devices would help that?

Knowledgeable

Tierra_F, Aug 2021

The tour is very knowledgeable and inspiring. I loved the way our guide broke down the hidden black history of NYC.

Interesting subject matter but needs more interaction

Joy_M, Jul 2021

Good history of Revolutionary times but tour guide should be more engaging and interactive to get group involved.

Excellent learning experience

Heather_M, Jul 2021

I really appreciated how Maya corrected the general perception of the North and New York as lacking slavery when they both relied heavily on them for their economies, just like the South. It was really useful to see examples of actual Indigenous and Black people, free and enslaved, who changed the face of New York.

History if Slavery in NYC

Erica_S, Jul 2021

While I won't say I was disappointed with the tour, I will say that the tour should be called "History of Slavery in NYC"; very little was about the Underground Railroad. And I am sure every tour is different depending in the group and the guide, but our tour ran long, more than 2.5 hours.

Damarus was fabulous and even though we froze through the tour would not leave it. Thank you

Gail_C, Dec 2019

Damarus was fabulous and even though we froze through the tour would not leave it. Thank you Everyone needs to know this stuff.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Very instructive

acfaucquez, Oct 2019

This tour is amazing, we look at New York City through a totally different angle. Understanding that New York became what it is now because of enslaved Africans toil is something everyone should now. Not only history nerds, slavery was not a Southern institution, it was part of American history as a whole.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Poignant & Informative

Donna P, Sep 2019

This was a deeply historical & densely informative tour. Having said that, it is also incredibly moving & touches your soul. It was not easy to hear about all the injustices that occurred & how NYC prospered through the slave trade, but I’d recommend for people to go & learn & ponder how we should value each other.

Super Great Experience

Aaron H, Aug 2019

I was really happy that we took this tour. Our tour guide was very good. She told the history of New York in such a meaningful and impactful way. I even learned some new things that I did not know before. 2.5 hour tour felt like 30 minutes. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Excellent-a must do

Demetrice_M, Aug 2019

Demaris was amazing! Great tour!!! She was so knowledgeable and interacted with the entire group. A must do when visiting NYC.

Very Informative

Jacqueline_J, Jul 2019

The guide was energetic and thorough and handled sensitive information well. The tour went at a reasonable pace, and the information given was thought provoking. I especially liked ending at the burial ground, and that we had time to just experience the memorial.

Great guide

Danna_S, Jun 2019

Demaris, the guide, was very knowledgeable but did walk a tad too fast. The title is a bit misleading as there was little mention of The Underground Railroad. It did very into the history of colonial NY, the slave trade and early black history. Would recommend.

Unknown facts of slavery

Laurie_H, Mar 2019

This was a fabulous tour giving you information about the role NYC played in the slave trade and also facts about slavery that you never knew. Our guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

...

Questions?

Product code: 5637UGRR

Privacy and Cookies Statement About Viator Careers Sitemap Supplier Sign Up Travel Agents Become an Affiliate News

Terms & Conditions

New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

From $35.00

Select Date and Travelers

Overview