Spectacular Historic Sites in New York City: 20+ Sites to See on a History-Focused NYC Itinerary

New York City contains a ton of history and played a large part in founding the United States. You can easily spend two days just visiting the historic sites in New York City. The following itinerary covers the most historical sites of Manhattan for you to visit on a NYC itinerary.

Want a guided tour to start out your trip and get acclimated to the city? Then check out Guru Walks for a free guided tour. You can book online to reserve your spot and pay what you wish when you get there. Check out the tours in New York here.

US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in New York here. They are very affordable too!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!

A Brief History of New York City

New York City officially became a settlement by the Dutch West India Company in 1624, named New Amsterdam. In 1664, the British captured New Amsterdam from the Dutch and renamed it New York. It then became a major port city and trading center. 

During the American Revolution, NYC served as a headquarters for the British military. Throughout the coming years, NYC rapidly developed and became a center for immigration and continued to be a major trading hub. 

Throughout the 1900s, NYC continued to develop and become industrialized as well as a hotbed for social and political movements. Present day, NYC continues to be one of the most iconic cities in the world.  

Looking for a good history book about NYC? Check out New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherford. 

Best Time to Visit NYC

New York City is such a fun place to visit any time of the year and each season has something special to offer. 

Fall: In fall you can catch fall colors in Central Park, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and if you go in early fall -cheaper prices. 

Winter: I love NYC in wintertime, especially around the Holidays. The winter markets pop up as well as the entire city is decked out in Holiday decorations. There are also many ice skating rinks! 

Spring: Spring is another shoulder season for New York. Sometimes winter ends early and the weather is pleasant. Other years, you may still have snow. Thus, you can typically catch good deals in the Springtime. 

Summer: Summer is typically peak season for NYC but there are a ton of outdoor activities to partake in. July and August can get very hot and humid so keep that in mind. 

Where to Stay in NYC

TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best New York hotels here!

My favorite area to stay in NYC is Midtown due to its central location to everything. You can typically find a good deal to stay in this area. I recommend anywhere between 34th Street and 60th Street. 

Some of my favorite hotels include:

• Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central*
• Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square South* 
• Hilton Times Square*
• New York Marriott Marquis
• Hilton Garden Inn New York/West 35th Street*
• Hotel Edison
• Voco Times Square South*
• Club Quarters Hotel Times Square, New York
• AC Hotel by Marriott New York Downtown
• DoubleTree by Hilton New York Downtown

*Means my personal favorites!

How to Get Around NYC

I love taking the subway to get around NYC. It is very easy to use and also affordable. Although Lyft, Uber, and Taxis are all always available, they can really add up. The subway makes it easy to get everywhere. You could also get a ticket for the Hop On Hop Off Bus.

How to Get to NYC

New York City has three major airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia International Airport, and Newark International Airport. JFK usually has the cheapest flights and the most international flights. You can read more about how to get to a from the airports here. 

You can also check out these transfers.

• Shared Transfer to LaGuardia 
• Shared Transfer to Newark
• Shared Transfer to JFK
• JFK Airport Private Transfer

Historic Sites in NYC Itinerary

GoCity Pass

GoCity offers a ton of different sightseeing passes for cities around the world. These passes allow you to visit the best of each city for one low price, rather than paying individually for each attraction. I have used it in several cities around the world and would recommend getting a GoCity pass! Check out the options for the New York GoCity pass here.

Alternatively, check out these other passes: NYC City Pass, The New York Pass, and NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Day 1

Castle Clinton National Monument

Cost: Free

Hours: 7:45am-5pm

Castle Clinton is a fun site to see on a historic New York City itinerary. This is the spot where New York began and the first immigrants stepped foot here. It helped prevent the British Invasion in 1812 and has welcomed immigrants and visitors to New York Harbor. 

There are several exhibits scattered throughout the monument. Castle Clinton is the area where you will wait to board your ferry to the Statue of Liberty, so plan to get there a little bit before your ferry departure time to check it out. 

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Cost: $30.50

Hours: 9am-5pm

Begin your historic New York City itinerary with a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island come together as one ticket. Reservations for tickets should be made ahead of time. Ticket reservations open up about 4 months  in advance.

First, the ferry will stop visitors at Liberty Island. Here, visitors have the opportunity to climb to the pedestal or the crown (pending which ticket you bought). There is also a small museum about the history of the Statue of Liberty. You can spend some time wandering around the island and taking in the views of Manhattan and New Jersey.

Next, the ferry will take you to Ellis Island, the immigration center during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main hall has three floors of exhibits about the history of immigration in the United States and the Ellis Island experience. Over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island. You can easily spend a couple of hours going through the exhibits.

Liberty and Ellis Islands are two of the best historic sites in New York City. While you can easily spend most of the day visiting Liberty Island and Ellis Island, catch the earliest ferry possible and plan on having a late lunch during this historic New York City itinerary. 

Alternatively, you can book a guided Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour. If you do not want to actually step foot on Liberty Island, you can also book a Circle Line Landmarks Cruise.

Fraunces Tavern

Cost: $7 (museum), Food $$$

Hours: 11:30am-12am

Fraunces Tavern is one of the fun and unique historic sites in New York City. This historic tavern is where George Washington said farewell to his troops at the end of the American Revolution. You can opt to eat in the restaurant on the first floor, grab a drink at the whiskey bar, and visit the museum upstairs. 

The museum houses various Revolution era artifacts and information about the building. You can even see the room where George Washington said his farewell. It is a must visit stop for a historic New York City itinerary.

Hamilton’s Grave

Cost: Free

Hours: 9am-4pm

A must visit of the historic sites in New York City to see is Alexander Hamilton’s grave. Hamilton is buried in the graveyard at Trinity Church Cemetery in the Downtown NYC area. It is free to enter the cemetery, but the gates are not always open. Even if the gates are not open, visitors can view the gravesite from the sidewalk. 

Hamilton Walking Tour

Cost: $40

If you want a more detailed historical tour of the Downtown area sites, you can also go on a Hamilton Walking Tour. This tour will take you to all the historic sites from Hamilton the Musical and the historic downtown area. There are 10 different stops on the tour and it lasts around 2 hours. It is the perfect tour for those who want to dive more into history. 

Federal Hall National Memorial

Cost: Free

Hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm

After a lunch stop at Fraunces Tavern, head to Federal Hall, the first capital of the United States. It is here where George Washington took the oath of office and it was home to the first Congress and Supreme Court. It later also served as the US Treasury. 

Present-day visitors can visit various exhibits explaining the history. On some days there are also tours and talks you can attend, so check online for more information on that schedule. 

African Burial Ground National Monument

Cost: Free

Hours: Tues-Sat: 10am-4pm

This is the largest and oldest known burial ground in North America of free and enslaved Africans. Visitors can view the museum inside for free. There is also an outside memorial that commemorates the people buried here. You can visit other historic sites in New York City along the African-American freedom trail here. 

See Hamilton or Six on Broadway

Cost: $118 and up

Hours: Shows every day but Monday

Hamilton is the perfect way to end your first day in this historic New York City itinerary. Not only is seeing a show on Broadway a must do when visiting NYC, seeing Hamilton is the perfect culmination after a day full of historic sites in New York City. You could also see the musical Six, which is about Henry VIII’s wives.

Day 2

Hamilton Grange National Monument

Cost: Free

Hours: Wed-Sun: 10am-5pm

Begin the second day of your historic New York City Itinerary with a visit to Alexander Hamilton’s house. Hamilton Grange National Monument is the home of Alexander Hamilton. His home, located in Harlem, is run and preserved by the National Park system. 

Visitors can opt to visit his home on a guided tour, take a self-guided tour, or walk the grounds. Make sure to check the website for tour times. Plan to spend 1-2 hours here.

General Grant National Monument

Cost: Free

Hours: Wed-Sun: 10am-12pm, 1pm-4pm

Next, head towards the Hudson River and visit the tomb of Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant National Monument is the final resting place for President Grant and his wife. A two story memorial commemorates the former general and president. Visitors can also stop at the Visitor’s Center which contains an exhibit about Grant. You will spend maybe an hour here.

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Cost: Free

Hours: Wed-Sun: 10am-12pm, 1pm-4pm

A lesser known historic site in NYC is the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace. This was the boyhood home of Theodore Roosevelt. The museum was founded in 1923. Visitors can spend time in the museum or opt to go on a ranger-led guided tour of the hour. It is the perfect place to visit for those interested in the childhood of presidents. 

Tenement Museum

Cost: $30

Hours: 10am-6pm

The Tenement Museum preserves two tenement buildings that were home to 15,000 different people throughout the years, It covers a lot about the immigrant experiences as well. They have at least 6 different tours you can take. 

Each hour-long tour offers a different experience and gives you access to different parts of the building. We opted to do the Hard Times tour which went over life in the area in the 1880s. It is also known as the Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site

Building for the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: 23 Washington Place

Cost: Free

Hours: Anytime

Now part of NYU, this building was once the location of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911/ While you cannot go inside, you can walk by and see the outside of it and imagine how it must have been back in the early 1900s. 

9/11 Memorial

Cost: Free

Hours: 24 hours

The next of the historic sites to see in New York City is the 9/11 Memorial. The 9/11 Memorial commemorates where the Twin Towers once stood and the victims who lost their lives that fateful day. It is free to view the memorial. For those interested, there is a tour you can take of Wall Street and 9/11 Memorial. This tour lasts around 2 hours. 

9/11 Museum

Cost: $33

Hours: 10am-6pm

The 9/11 Museum goes over the history of 9/11 and the events that happened in the aftermath of that day. The museum is extensive and goes into a lot of detail. You will want several hours to go through it. Make sure to be emotionally prepared for the museum as some of the exhibits can be quite graphic. You can get tickets 9/11 Memorial and Museum Tickets  or 9/11 Museum Tickets. 

Other Historic Sites in New York City

You can easily add several more historic sites in New York City to your itinerary if you have some more time! Check out the following sites if you have an additional day or two. 

New York Historical Society

Cost: $22

Hours: 11am-8pm

The New York Historical Society is another exciting of the historic sites to see in New York City. This museum focuses on American history and art. It was founded in 1804 and was the first museum established in NYC. They have tons of cool collections like the Hudson River School artwork, Tiffany Lamps, and information about the US presidents. There are frequently more modern history rotating exhibits. 

Museum of the City of New York

Cost: $20

Hours: Thus: 10am-9pm, Fri-Mon: 10am-5pm

The Museum of the City of New York is another fun museum and one of the historic sites in New York City. This museum goes over the history of NYC. It was founded in 1923 by Henry Brown to help preserve the history and story of New York City. You can easily spend an hour or two looking around the museum. They have both a permanent collect and temporary collections. 

Governors Island

Cost: Free

Hours: May 1-October 31

Another one of the lesser-known and fun historic sites in New York City is Governor’s Island. Governor’s Island once served as a station for the US army. Later, it became a popular summer hangout. You can take the free ferry over to Governor’s Island from May to October. Once there you can take in the awesome views of the Manhattan skyline.

Weehawken Dueling Grounds

Cost: Free

Hours: 24 hours

If you want to add on another one of the more historic sites in New York City, you will need to head over the bridge into New Jersey for this one. Located along the banks of the Hudson River, a small memorial commemorates the area where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had their infamous duel. 

Historical Sites in New York City

These are just some of the many amazing historic sites in New York City. There is history hidden throughout the entire city and visitors can spend an endless amount of time checking them all out. Other sites include Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Empire State Building, and New York City Hall. Alternatively, check out NYC in the winter for other unique sites. Let me know if you have a favorite historical site that I missed.

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