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New York · History

From New Amsterdam to America's First Capital

The southern tip of Manhattan holds almost all of New York's early history: the Dutch fort, the statue of a king toppled by revolutionaries, the tavern where Washington said farewell to his officers and the balcony where he was sworn in as the first president. This walk follows that path on foot, among skyscrapers that hide 17th-century streets.

  • 6 stops
  • 2 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Federal Hall on Wall Street, with its Doric columns and the statue of Washington

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Castle ClintonA fort that never fired a shot in battle and went on to be a concert hall, the gateway for millions of immigrants and an aquarium.
  2. 2 Bowling GreenThe city's oldest park, where New Yorkers pulled down their king's statue in 1776.
  3. 3 Fraunces TavernThe brick tavern where George Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers in 1783.
  4. 4 Federal HallThe spot where George Washington took the oath as the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789.
  5. 5 Trinity ChurchThe Gothic Revival church that was once New York's tallest building and where Alexander Hamilton rests.
  6. 6 St. Paul's ChapelManhattan's oldest church, where Washington prayed and where 9/11 rescue workers found refuge.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From New Amsterdam to America's First Capital

The city before the skyscrapers

Find out where the fort of New Amsterdam stood, the wall that gave Wall Street its name and the island's original shoreline.

The Revolution at street level

A fence with crowns sawed off in 1776, an 18th-century tavern and the exact spot of the first presidential inauguration.

Churches that survived everything

Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel withstood fires, wars and September 11, 2001.

Keep exploring

More routes in New York

Back to New York
Mysteries & legendsNew York Below the Surface: Crimes, Graves and Secrets EssentialsMidtown Must-Sees: From the Flatiron to Rockefeller Center