If you're a fan of Hamilton the musical, you would know that it takes place in "the greatest city in the world," New York. That isn't just a background—New York is the place to be if you want to know more about Alexander Hamilton. His house, Hamilton Grange, is well preserved, and he also has a statue in Central Park.
But did you know you can take a full-on Hamilton-themed tour with a knowledgeable guide? Thanks to the Playbill Partner Hotels Booking Engine, Broadway Up Close Walking Tours and founder Tim Dolan bring you the HamilTour, where he shares stories about the very streets A. Ham walked.
On September 15, 1776, George Washington, General Putnam, and his aide Aaron Burr reportedly met in a cornfield—which is now Times Square. Two hundred and thirty-nine years later, Hamilton opened on Broadway, returning Burr and Washington to Times Square—this time in a theatre. Cut to 2025, Hamilton is now celebrating 10 years on Broadway, and its popularity continues to soar.
If you want to learn more about the real people sung about in Hamilton, here are five sites around New York City you can visit.
STONE STREET / FRAUNCES TAVERN
Stone Street, located in lower Manhattan, is a Colonial-Era path where the real Hamilton first arrived in Manhattan in 1772, later establishing his law practice at 69 Stone Street before his son Philip's fatal duel in 1801. Just a block south is Fraunces Tavern, the sole surviving 18th-century New York City tavern, which witnessed pivotal moments, including George Washington's farewell to his officers in 1783. “It was also at Fraunces Tavern in 1804 that Hamilton, presiding over a Society of the Cincinnati dinner, had his final public encounter with a disgruntled Aaron Burr, just a week before their fateful duel,” shares Dolan.
BOWLING GREEN PARK
New York City's oldest park, Bowling Green, established in 1733 under British rule, once featured a 15-foot statue of King George III. On July 9, 1776, after George Washington read the Declaration of Independence nearby, Hercules Mulligan led a crowd to Bowling Green, where they toppled the statue. Dolan shares: “Its pieces were melted into 42,088 lead bullets for the Revolutionary War, allowing soldiers to fire upon the British with their 'melted majesty.' Remarkably, the park's original 1771 fence still stands, its main posts bearing jagged edges where Mulligan's group tore off matching orbs from the dethroned king's statue.”
26 BROADWAY
At 26 Broadway, where the Standard Oil Building now stands, Alexander Hamilton, Eliza, and Philip lived in a townhouse around 1795—it was one of their three downtown residences. Dolan points out: “This address would have been the setting for several Hamilton songs, including 'Burn.' It's a fitting title as the area north of their home was dubbed the 'burnt district' after the Great Fire of 1776, which destroyed 493 buildings, including the original Trinity Church, partly because melted church bells prevented alarms. Daily, Hamilton would have passed Bowling Green Park's original fence, its jagged edges a permanent reminder of the patriots' triumph and the empty pedestal where King George III's statue once stood, surely a comforting sight for a man who dedicated so much to the Revolution.”
WALL STREET
Wall Street's cobblestones reveal wooden markers, remnants of a 17th-century fortification that gave the street its name. This wall, removed in 1699, became material for the first British City Hall, which later served as America's first City Hall (Federal Hall) before being replaced in 1812 by the current Federal Hall built in 1842. The original Federal Hall witnessed key historical events: the first U.S. Congress, the Bill of Rights' ratification, and the Northwest Ordinance. It was on its balcony overlooking Wall Street that George Washington was inaugurated as the first President. For Hamilton fans, it's also the site of the Levi Weeks Trial mentioned in "Non-Stop." Plus as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was instrumental to the creation of the New York Stock Exchange.
“Steps from Federal Hall, the New York Stock Exchange stands as America's financial heart. Hamilton is credited by Ron Chernow for establishing the dollar as the basic currency, with presidential faces, starting with Washington, to encourage its use. The NYSE officially began in 1792 with the Buttonwood Agreement, under a tree on Wall and Broad Streets. Hamilton's Bank of New York was the first company traded. The current 1903 building, with its 72-foot-high trading room walls, was an early adopter of air conditioning and even included an onsite hospital for stressed traders," says Dolan.
TRINITY CHURCH
Trinity Church, featuring some of America's oldest stained glass, marks both Alexander Hamilton's arrival in New York City and his final resting place in 1804. Its graveyard is home to many Hamilton figures, including Samuel Seabury, Hercules Mulligan, Eliza Hamilton (buried beside Alexander), and Alexander himself. Angelica Schuyler rests in the Livingston family vault, "near you" but across the church, maintaining her lifelong distance even in death. Philip Hamilton, however, is believed to be in an unmarked grave nearby due to the church's disapproval of his death in a duel.
Says Dolan: “As Hamilton’s final song, 'Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,' recounts, Eliza dedicated 50 years to preserving Alexander's legacy. For centuries, he remained a name in history books and on the $10 dollar bill. Now, over two hundred years after Eliza's passing, Lin-Manuel Miranda continues to spread Hamilton's story through his impactful musical, performed nightly on Broadway and globally.
"Millions of people now know the story of the 'young, scrappy, and hungry' man who changed the course of both American—and musical theatre—history as we know it. Come and learn more by taking the Hamiltour!”
There are many additional places to visit, shows we recommend, hotels to stay at, and more! Keep checking back monthly as we continue sharing things to do in NYC (and London)!
Interested in a trip to New York City or London? Using our Booking Engine to find the right hotel for your stay. Powered by Travelwits, the booking engine allows you to discover the best hotels in both cities, with added benefits like hotel credits, free breakfasts, rewards points, and more. Check out the fantastic hotels available to book and make your experience that much more enjoyable!
