Spies of the American Revolution

Discover the spy networks and secret codes that won America its freedom, on a 2-hour expert-led walk through Revolutionary War Manhattan.

Before the skyscrapers, New York was an occupied city where spies fed intelligence across the harbor, and the fate of a new nation hung on decisions made in taverns and print shops.

On this two-hour walk through Lower Manhattan, you'll trace George Washington's Culper Spy Ring through the Seaport District, stand at the site of the Battle of Golden Hill, a confrontation that erupted weeks before the Boston Massacre, and see a surviving remnant of the British prison where 17,500 American soldiers died. The tour ends at Washington's favorite tavern, still open today.
Wireless earpieces keep every story clear. This tour will change the way you see Lower Manhattan, whether it's your first visit or have walked these streets your whole life.

What's included

• Guided walking tour in English

• Wireless earpiece to hear the guide clearly

• Fraunces Tavern Museum Admission ($10 value)

What's not included

• Gratuities (optional)

Itinerary

1. Manhattan Municipal Building. Meet under the Guastavino arches at the entrance to the J/Z Chambers Street subway stop.

2. Sugar House Prison Window. A monument behind the Manhattan Municipal Building, believed to be the remains of the Sugar House Prison, where more than 17,500 American prisoners of war died during the British occupation.

3. City Hall Park & the Liberty Pole. The site where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud in New York, and home to a largely forgotten monument to freedom of speech.

4. St. Paul’s Chapel. George Washington's favorite New York chapel, built in 1766 and still standing. The only church in Manhattan to have survived both the Great Fire of 1776 and September 11.

5. Ryders Alley, the Battle of Golden Hill. A small alley off Fulton Street where the first armed conflict of the American Revolution took place, weeks before the Boston Massacre. A clash most history books don't mention.

6. 273 Water Street, The Rat Pit. Built in 1775 as a stately captain's home, this is Manhattan's only surviving Revolution-era townhouse. It later became the city's most notorious 19th-century sailor hangout and illegal sporting venue, then a stately home again.

6. Peck Slip, Seaport District. One of the most important intelligence locations of the entire Revolutionary War. Home to a key Continental Army officer and the ferry that carried Culper Spy Ring intelligence back and forth to Long Island, and sheltered Washington's troops during the retreat from Brooklyn.

7. Bowne & Co. Stationers. A print shop founded in 1775, still operating today. The continuity alone is worth a stop.

8. Site of Hercules Mulligan’s Shop. The clothier Washington called 'a true friend of liberty', who gathered intelligence on the Loyalist elite while appearing to serve them.

9. Federal Hall. Where George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States. Also the site of the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices.

10. Fraunces Tavern. The tour concludes at 54 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004. One of the oldest operating establishments in NYC and Washington's favorite tavern. The site where he bid farewell to his officers in 1783. Admission to the Museum is included in your ticket ($10 value)

Highlights

• Washington's Secret Network: Walk the streets where the Culper Spy Ring operated and learn how it helped the Continental Army survive and defeat the British 

• A Hidden Relic of British Occupation: See one of the only surviving physical remnants of the Revolutionary War still standing in Manhattan: a window from a prison where more than 17,500 American captives died.

• The Clash That Predates Boston: Stand at the site of the Battle of Golden Hill, a forgotten conflict between colonists and British troops that erupted weeks before the Boston Massacre.

• Washington's Farewell Tavern: End at Fraunces Tavern, where the general bid farewell to his officers in 1783. One of the oldest operating taverns in New York City, now a museum.

• Discreet wireless earpieces included for clear audio, even in busier areas.

Meeting pointGuastavino Tiles Ceiling New York, NY US 10013
Meet at the Manhattan Municipal Building, under the large arched walkway on Centre Street, at the entrance to the J/Z Chambers St subway stop.