New York Subway Experience: Unveiling History and Secrets
4.8
49 Ratings
New York
Uncover the hidden history and secrets of New York's subway system on this engaging 2.5-hour private tour. Discover the art, technical breakthroughs, and fascinating stories behind one of the world's most extensive transportation networks.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Brooklyn Bridge - The subway station, not the bridge. It is here, out side the station, were we get a bulk of the history. We enter the system here and it is here where the admission is paid. TIMING IS APPROXIMATE.
- New York City Subway - We ride the original route and see the most beautiful abandoned station in the world. We will stop at Astor Place, then Grand Central Station and switch to the Shuttle to Times Square. Admission is paid one time only when we enter the system. TIMING IS APPROXIMATE.
- Times Square - The subway station, how it became the most important station in the system as well as the several million dollars worth of art installed there. Admission is paid when you enter the system at the beginning of the tour. TIMING IS APPROXIMATE.
- Astor Place - Subway Station with gorgeous terra cotta work. Admission is paid at the beginning of the tour when we enter the system. TIMING IS APPROXIMATE.
- Grand Central Terminal - How Grand Central Terminal Came to be, the prior 2 stations, how and why we almost lost the Terminal and the drastic steps to save it and renovate it. TIMING IS APPROXIMATE.
What's Included
- Professional local guide
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees (the cost of one subway ride).
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
This exclusive excursion will thoroughly elucidate the renowned subway system of New York, offering you an inside perspective on the founding history of the original 1904 subway line and its evolution into one of the biggest transportation networks worldwide. It encompasses all the art, all the history, all the technological advances, all the reasons, and all the mischief that constitute this outstanding achievement. This tour provides a unique perspective for both tourists and residents alike. The duration of the tour is around 2.5 hours.
For additional details, please refer to the activity information.
- Price shown is per group
- A small amount of walking is involved and there are some stairs
- We DO NOT enter the tunnels. We view the City Hall Station from the safety of the train. We do not do anything illegal. We visit areas that are open to the public but, in some cases, overlooked.
Location
1 Centre St
Centre Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(49 Ratings)
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Tourist292070
Feb 10, 2024
NYC Subways…WOW! - Gary is amazing! He steeped us in the history of the subway/train system before we even set foot in the subway itself. His knowledge and visual aids on his tablet made for an engaging and enlightening tour. We will definitely be looking him up again for some of his other tours. There were just three of us on our tour so it felt extra personal and intimate. If you live in NYC or are visiting, don’t miss out on this fabulous subway tour with Gary!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrisf856
Dec 30, 2023
Very informative tour in a relaxed and enjoyable way - Gary was a great tour guide, with lots of information. The use of the photos on his ipad added valuable context to what he was talking about. Our group of five ranged in ages 18-55 and he ensured everyone was engaged throughout, through jokes and TV/Movie location references. Highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gina_b
Sep 11, 2023
Very interesting - Gary my guide was very knowledgeable and funny .. we are New Yorkers and learned a lot of things I never knew and it was very interesting.. I would definitely suggest it to tourist and people from New York if you wanna know the history .. I did think we were supposed to see areas that the public doesn’t go too but he explained that from the beginning that those are completely different tickets
Review provided by Viator
Bosco49
Aug 12, 2023
gary knows his stuff - A few weeks ago, I signed up for a subway tour; sounded cool.
Well, let me tell you that it was great! Gary is a wonderful tour guide,He is knowledgeable and engaging. the tour was just the right amount of time. After this morning, I will see the subway in a totally different way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cyndi_c
Aug 7, 2023
Guide Gary was very... - Guide Gary was very knowledgeable and did a great job!!!! We enjoyed it very much. Kids with me….ages 12, 16, 17. We all learned a good bit about the subway.
Review provided by Viator
Sean_m
Jul 31, 2023
Gary did a great job -extremely knowledgeable - Great pictures Gary did a great job -I really enjoyed the tour and learned a lot -it was a lot of fun -I’ll definitely do it again
Review provided by Viator
Mikegb4293kb
Apr 17, 2023
The amazing NYC Subways! - Gary was unscripted and his knowledge of the city and the subway system is amazing. I was not bored for a second. I recommend his tour highly and might do another with him soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pam_s
Sep 7, 2022
Best tour ever! - This tour is one of the best tours we've ever taken! Gary was extremely knowledgable about everything New York subway. He provided pictures to accent the stories he told. I'd be willing to bet we have seen and know more about the subway than most New Yorkers. I could have listened to his stories all day. I highly recommend this tour. You won't be sorry.
Review provided by Viator
Sookers1
Jul 24, 2022
My 12 Year old LOVED him. - We really loved Gary, my twelve year old learned a lot from him. He is fun and is funny, with great knowledge in addition to all of that.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_s
Jan 10, 2023
Tour was disappointing. - I was very disappointed in this tour. We all were really looking forward to seeing parts of the subway system most people don’t usually see or pay attention to and towards the end we did finally see some unusual artwork. The problem is that for half of the 2.5 hr time we were with the tour guide all we did was listen to him talk ( standing ) about the evolution of the subway cars. He had a prepared speech and no matter how load the noise was around us he proceeded weather we could hear or not. Gary is a very personable man obviously knows almost everything there is to know about the history of the NYC subway system but it would be so much more enjoyable if he would ask “ is there something in particular you would like to know about on this tour “. To me the evolution of the subway car should have been a small part not the main part of the presentation.
Review provided by Viator
