Central Park Secret Locations: Historian-Led Tour
5.0
56 Ratings
New York
Uncover the hidden gems of Central Park on a historian-led tour. Explore secret locations, learn about the park's history, visit Revolutionary War forts, and discover stunning gardens.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- The Pool - We start off with the history of the park including the designers, why the park was built, when it was built, how it was built. We’ll start the walk along the path and the rolling terrain of The Pool area. You’ll also visit the secret Grotto waterfall and understand its purpose………..Keep in mind that there are many SECRET PLACES that are not listed here!
- Glen Span Arch - As we leave the Pool area, you’ll walk through this sensational stone arch designed in the 1860s. Nothing prepares you for the scenery that you’ll see when you pass through this high arch.
- The Ravine - Visit the manmade Adirondack Mountain scenery of the spectacular North Woods and leave the hustle and jar of New York City. We’ll walk along The Ravine of Central Park. You’ll see a waterfall, rustic bridges of stone and wood and be surrounded by trees and the sounds of birds.
- Harlem Meer - Get a great view of this body of water from one of the forts.
- The Loch - Walk along this beautiful body of water in the North Woods.
- The Blockhouse - Visit this War of 1812 fortification.
- Conservatory Garden - Visit all three serene French, English and Italian formal gardens built in the 1930s.
- Andrew Haswell Green Bench - Hear about the most important person in the history of New York that you haven’t heard about.
What's Included
- Accommodation as per itinerary
- Small group - Limited to 15 people
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Uncover the hidden gems of Central Park that only an authentic New York City historian can guide you to. Explore some of the park’s most historic and picturesque locations situated above 100th Street, which are also less frequented. Learn about the park’s past, its founders, what was previously located there, and visit landmarks from the Revolutionary War, splendid formal gardens, trek through Central Park’s artificially created Adirondack Mountains, and more. This highly engaging, informative, and amusing tour is led by a certified New York City tour guide and historian with two decades of experience.
- Tours go out in rain, snow and shine. There are no cancellations or rescheduling for rain or snow within 24 hours of the start of the tour.
- The tour is approximately 3.25 miles and takes about 2.5 hours. You should be in good physical shape; there is uneven terrain, unpaved trails, rocks, some steep (but short) hills on dirt and mulch, uneven stairs and potentially slippery areas. It is essential that you dress appropriately and wear suitable shoes.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Some locations may not be open or accessible depending on weather conditions and/or park closings.
- Visit RevolutionaryToursNYC . com web site for additional dates and times.
Location
405 Central Park West
Central Park West
Meet at 100th Street and Central Park West ACROSS THE STREET from 405 Central Park West. Meet on the Central Park side of the street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(56 Ratings)
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Jennied2024
Mar 17, 2024
Amazing guide and beautiful walk - Bruce was an amazing guide. He is very knowledgeable and made the walk interesting and fun. He made the park come to life with his encyclopedic knowledge of the park's history. Now we're ready to join him next time on his Brooklyn tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z5915yselizabethl
Oct 2, 2023
Great way to learn about Central Park - Bruce is an exceptional tour guide with an incredible knowledge of the history of the park. He brought history alive with his descriptions
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eva_r
Aug 28, 2023
Informative and amazing - I enjoyed this tour at Central Park. I have been in this park before but not to the places the tour guy, Mr. Bruce Rocand, took the group to explore. Mr. Bruce Rocand was very knowledgeable and engaging. In addition to the information he provided us, he provided maps and pictures of the historical places he referred to.
Review provided by Viator
L4228lsevar
Aug 28, 2023
Informative and fun! - I loved everything about this trip. I would have never explored the history of these secret places in Central Park if I wouldn’t had participated in this amazing trip. Mr. Bruce Racond, who gave the tour, was very knowledgeable and engaging with the group. In addition to the history he provided, he provided maps and pictures to everything he referred to. It was just amazing!!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leonard
Aug 27, 2023
Great New York experience - Wonderful tour of the unexplored parts of the Central Park. In a fun and lively manner Bruce combines history and nature, making this an unforgettable New York experience. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy
Aug 27, 2023
Great! - Bruce was interesting, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to have as a guide. I have lived here 36 years and am in the Park almost everyday and he showed us places I have never seen. Will definitely do one of his other tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Devorahs456
Aug 8, 2023
New Central Park Experience - I am a native NYer and I found this tour to be highly educational. I learned and saw so many new things about Central Park. Bruce is an incredible and experienced guide. He packs an immense amount of history into this 2.5 hour tour. His knowledge is impressive and answered a huge range of questions about the park and NYC. We took this tour because we loved his Washington and Hamilton tour so much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K8625wsdanr
Jul 4, 2023
Amazing! - A wonderful tour of Central Park. I highly recommend this tour. Bruce had a ton of historical knowledge not only about the park, but about NYC in general. It was time and money well spent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
339jaymiem
Jun 26, 2023
Great Tour, Great Guide! - Bruce is incredibly knowledgeable about NYC history. Even though I’m a long-time New Yorker, I feel like I learned many new things about Central Park, Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. His presentation is rich with fascinating statistics and great stories about the key players who were responsible for the creation of the park. The tour was the perfect length of time and our group size was small enough that everyone had a chance to ask questions, which he expertly fielded. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Constance802
Jun 26, 2023
Passion was infectious!!! - Bruce led a dimensional tour which not only was informative but clearly connected to the depth of knowledge he has of this park. I was impressed by the depth of his holistic mastery of NYC’s history, every reveal transported us back to a space in time where the Central Park vision was in its infancy. What a treat to see the city through Bruce’s layers of research and passion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
