Service Description

Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, where the Hudson and East Rivers meet New York Harbor, New York City has been central to the American story from the very beginning. This was a Revolutionary battleground, the nation's first capital, and the gateway through which millions of immigrants arrived to pursue their dreams. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, no city tells that story with more depth or more honesty than New York. This special 250th anniversary tour traces two defining chapters of the American experiment: the founding of a nation and the ongoing story of what it means to become American. In just one mile through Lower Manhattan, you'll walk from revolution to reinvention and discover how those two stories have always been the same story. We begin at Battery Park, where the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island rise across the harbor. Lady Liberty has greeted millions arriving by ship, families who left everything behind for a promise they couldn't yet see. Ellis Island processed over 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954, and an estimated 40% of Americans today trace an ancestor through its doors. Their leap of faith is part of what built this country. From there, we reach Bowling Green, where in July 1776, just days after the Declaration of Independence was signed, a crowd tore down a gilded statue of King George III and melted it into musket balls for the Continental Army. The Revolution wasn't just fought on battlefields. It was fought in occupied cities, on prison ships in the harbor, and in the hearts of people deciding what they were willing to risk for freedom. We continue to Federal Hall, where on April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. The Bill of Rights was proposed here. The federal court system was established here. For one extraordinary year, this was the center of American government, and every decision made here set a precedent that still holds today. We conclude at Fraunces Tavern, where Washington said farewell to his officers in December 1783. He could have seized power. Instead, he walked away, a choice so remarkable that King George III himself called it the greatest act of leadership in the world. $79 for each additional screen (does not apply to corporate customers.) * This tour is not designed for our corporate customers. For our corporate programs and rates, please contact hello@discover.live for more information.