




Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
What visitors will take away from this tour was just how small the Gilded Age city of New York was. Distrcits for shopping and theaters, for the upper and middle classes, were all a block or so away from each other. Not only that, but the apartment building, department store and office tower were all new innovations, and at their social heights in the same place around Madison Square just as telephones and electicty were coming on the scene.
Most fascinating will be the proximity all of these venues, from the carriage trade shops and the homes of familes like the Roosevelts, Astors, and Schermerhorns, were to the blocks of illiicit, often raucous nightlife activity in the old Tenderloin just a few blcoks away.
This is a tour de force of the Gilded Age City of NEw York around Madison Square.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
We begin the tour with a general overview of history and the city's move uptown. Pictures help recreate the evolution of the area from farmland to a fashionable city center. We learn the history of the Astors, the creation of the first Waldorf=Astoria, and their social interactions with families like the Vanderbilts of the new Industrial class wealth.
Madison Square
Pictures enhance a short walk and talk around Madison Square, including the hisotries of Met Life and the first Madison Square Gardens at the height of the Gilded Age.
Expert guide
Gratuities
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1 review
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Alexis F,Aug 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
Rob is passionate and knowledgeable about all things New York and our Gilded Age walk really highlighted this. We learned so much and have a great understanding of the progression up the island of Manhattan.
Operated by Manhattan Unlocked Historical and Architectural Walking Tours