Gangs of New York – The “Official” Walking Tour

This history of the legendary Five Points. A guided walking tour created in partnership with the film "Gangs of New York".

A tour that goes beyond Martin Scorsese’s landmark film Gangs of New York! Come explore the legends and lore of Five Points and Herbert Asbury’s 1927 classic The Gangs of New York — the inspiration for the film — and learn about the REAL history of the area – the first multi-ethnic urban neighborhood in America! Stops on the Gangs of New York tour could include: Paradise Square, “Murderer’s Alley,” the African Burial Ground, the lost intersection of Five Points, and sites associated with Bill “the Butcher” Poole, Pierre Toussaint, William M. Tweed, “Master” Juba, and the 1857 police and 1863 draft riots.

The Big Onion “Official” Gangs of New York walking tour was originally commissioned by Miramax Films as the historical companion tour for the 2002 release of the fictional movie by Martin Scorsese. The “Official” Gangs of New York tour does contain mature content within the historic discussion.

For related programs please see our Immigrant New York walking tour or, for private bookings only, the Immigrant New York Virtual Adventure.

Tour Info

Cost: $30
$20 Seniors and Full-Time Students

Health & Safety Guidelines
For our in-person walking tours, see our FAQs below for information regarding our Stay Well NYC Pledge.


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Public Tour
Private Tour
Tour Schedule
Friday, May 171:00 pm
Friday, May 311:00 pm
Sunday, June 91:00 pm
Thursday, June 201:00 pm
Tour Reservations

Big Onion requires all walkers to reserve and pay in advance. Prepayment helps us determine group size and appropriate guide numbers.

NOTE: You will select your date in the next step.

Reserve Your Spot
Refund Policy

For bigger groups, consider a private walking or virtual tour!

Whether you are looking to integrate a tour into your academic curriculm or entertaining out-of-towners, a Big Onion walking tour is a great way to experience the city.

For more information, or to arrange, please call (718) 499-3001 or email info@bigonion.com.

Meeting Location

Location:
The southeast corner of Broadway & Chambers Street, at the edge of City Hall Park.

Subway Trains
4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge, 1/2/3/A/C/E to Chambers Street, R to City Hall.

FAQs for In-Person Street Walks

Social Distancing
On in person tours, Big Onion will follow the current recommended outdoor social distancing protocols.

Contact Tracing
Big Onion will securely retain client contact information for one month, for contact tracing purposes, if necessary.

Guides
The finest group of tour guides anywhere. Most of us are full-time graduate students researching and writing doctoral dissertations in history passionate about the history, architecture and people of New York.
More about our guides.

Finding Your Guides
All guides carry an 8×11 sign that says “Big Onion Walking Tours”.

Time & Distance
All tours last approximately two hours. We start on time and walk between one and two miles at a moderate walking pace, stopping at various sites along the tour.

Rain/Inclement Weather
Big Onion generally presents tours rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather please check our home page for notifications or call our hotline [(888) 606-WALK (9255) ext. 1], to confirm our schedule.

Tips
Gratuities are always appreciated, but never expected.

Reschedule Policy
With 24+ hours prior to a walking tour, Big Onion offers a full credit for the value of the booking. Credits will be given as Gift Cards in dollar amounts. Gift Cards are good for two years and can be used on any Big Onion outing. Cancellations with less than 24 hours prior to the tour or no shows cannot be credited.

Walks are held rain or shine, but may be cancelled for severe weather or if museum is closed. In the event of a Big Onion cancellation or museum closure, full refunds or rescheduled tickets will be offered.

More Questions? Check out How it Works for more details.

Helpful Links
Local weather forecast
NYC Subway Map
Weekly Service Advisories
Subway Fares

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