Central Park Walking Tour
(Scandal & Vice)
Explore the dark underbelly of the world’s most famous park!
Step beyond the picturesque paths and iconic landmarks to explore the shadowy stories of the world’s most famous park. From shady dealings that shaped its creation to tales of illicit behavior beneath its lush canopy, this tour reveals Central Park as you’ve never known it.
Main Features
The scandalous controversies and misconduct behind the park's design and construction
Notorious crimes and peculiar misadventures that history has tried to forget
The risqué tales of The Ramble, the park's most storied and mysterious corner
After-dark intrigues that have sparked curiosity for generations
This is your chance to delve into the park’s fascinating—and sometimes sordid—past. Experience the intrigue and vice hidden in plain sight!
Meeting point: 5th Avenue and East 64th Street entrance to Central Park/the Arsenal
Tour length: 2 hours
Distance covered: 1.5 miles
Meeting point: 5th Avenue and East 64th Street entrance to Central Park/The Arsenal
My wife and I had a blast on this tour courtesy of our lovely, personable and super-knowledgeable guide Liz! When she told us this was a new one for her at her company Purefinder, we were stunned, as we would've gotten the impression she had already given this one a hundred times. Fascinating historical stories (which I, as a lifelong Gothamite, knew little to nothing about) and a truly memorable stroll through Central Park on a gorgeous fall day!
This deep-cut tour into the seedier histories of NYC's most famous park ranges from the hilarious to the horrific and is deeply fascinating and enlightening for those who are over-confident in their knowledge of Vaux and Olmstead's urban oasis (mirage?). From scandals surrounding the famous Balto statue and pergolas, to the sometimes tragic, sometimes comic story of America's first supermodel, from the more recent tale of Baby-faced butchers to tales of the days when the LGBTQ+ crowd was confined to the shadows, no matter what you think you know about his park, you are sure to learn something new on this tour from the always reliable Purefinder New York. I have been on all these tours and this one might be my favorite. Of course, the experience was in no way lessened by the lovely autumnal colors in the trees and the generally scenic grounds of Central Park.
This tour was no walk in the park. It was so much more. I’ve taken a number of Central Park tours, all good, but this was in a class by itself. A wealth of information, beautifully presented. And INTERESTING information that takes off where other tours end. As promised, it’s what the City doesn’t want you to see; but it’s what YOU want to see. Too dark, too strange, too funny, too mysterious, too scandalous. And fascinating every minute. Purefinder does the best tours in the most interesting city on Earth.
Tripadvisor, 5 stars