What to See on Wall Street NYC

Updated: 5 marzo 2024

This post is about things to do and see on Wall Street, including a list of the top sights, nearby attractions and places to eat.

Wall Street is a stop on our pay-what-you-wish Lower Manhattan tours that run multiple times a week. So our local tour guides are very familiar with the area so we based this post on their expert knowledge.

We also looked at what members of our NYC Travel Tips Facebook group had to say about visiting the area. At the bottom of this post, you can see what they had to say.

Our group has over 230,000 members and consists of locals, regular visitors to NYC, and those just getting to know the city.

There's no need to join to read the posts, comments and recommendations. So take a look at our group for more NYC advice!


WHAT IS WALL STREET?

Wall Street is a street in Lower Manhattan that is the heart of the Financial District.

It’s named Wall Street for the actual wall here during Dutch colonial times.

When New York City was New Amsterdam, its governor Peter Stuyvesant ordered that a defensive wall be built at the northern border of the colony.

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The wall was meant to keep out any hostile native Americans, but also invasions from the British who were attempting to take over the colony.

Eventually, the town outgrew its wall and the structure was torn down.

Today, the name Wall Street is synonymous with American financial capital.

The New York Stock Exchange is located on Wall Street and is one of the most significant financial institutions in the world.

Thus, Wall Street is so much more than a street - it is considered a hub of international business, part of America’s history and rich in tourist attractions.


How To Get Here

Wall Street is in the Financial District on the east side of Lower Manhattan. All hop-on-hop-off bus companies stop at Wall Street.

You can use this link for directions to Wall Street from your departure point.

Where is Wall Street

By subway

  • 2, 3, 4, 5 to Wall Street
  • J or Z trains to the Broad Street
  • 1 or R trains to Rector Street
  • A or C trains to Fulton Street

You may find our posts on the subway helpful:

By bus  

  • M55, M15, M22

Let Us Take You Here

Many of our pay-what-you-wish guided walking tours of Lower Manhattan include Wall Street.

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Also, Wall Street is a site in our GPS-led audio tour of Lower Manhattan, which is available in English, Spanish, and German for $2.99/download.

Listen to a clip below.


Hotels Nearby

There are many nice - and affordable - hotels within the Financial District. Take a look at the options that have great reviews on TripAdvisor.

Hotels Near Wall Street

For more options in teh area and all of teh city, see our post, Where to Stay in NYC.


TOP THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Here are what we consider the top sights within the immediate area of Wall Street. 

We also list other activities within a 10-15 minute walk from Wall Street.

See our section on nearby attractions and our post on things to do in Lower Manhattan for even more ideas.


Take a Tour of Wall Street

There are several in-depth tours of Wall Street. For details on the many tours, see our full post on tours of Wall Street.

Here is a summary of what is available.

Free Tours a pie

On our pay-what-you-like Lower Manhattan Walking Tour, Wall Street is one of the locations we visit.

If you prefer to explore the area on your own, you might like our GPS-enabled audio tour of Lower Manhattan. Listen to a clip below.

Another option is to use our self-guided tour of Wall Street which you can view on your smart device or print.


Wall Street Experience (also called New York Tour 1)

This company's tours are so good that they have received praise from The New York Times, the BBC and The Guardian. 

They have two in-depth tours of Wall Street offered throughout the week. 

  • Wall Street Insider Tour (tour is 75 minutes)
    • Every day at 1:30 pm
    • Adults $39 | Children (ages 4-12) $35 | Under 3 years old free
  • Financial Crisis Tour (tour is 2 hours)
    • Every day at 10 am (our lasts approximately 2 hours)
    • Adults $50 | Children (ages 4-12) $40 | Under 3 years old free

Wall Street and Financial District Walking Tour 

This company offers a highly rated 2-hour tour of Wall Street every day (except  Tuesdays) at 2:30 pm.

Ticket prices:

  • Adults (age 13+) $34.95 
  • Children (age 4-12) $19.95
  • Seniors (62+)  $32.95
  • Infant (Age 3 and younger) Free

Social Justice Tours

To learn about the darker side of Wall Street, you might like this tour. Tickets are just $16 and a portion of the proceeds go to a worthy non-profit organization. 

*currently being offered only as a private tour

To read more about tour options including a self-guided version with a map, see our post, Wall Street Walking Tours.


Visit Trinity Church

The magnificent Trinity Church is the third structure to house the Anglican parish established here in 1697 under charter by King William III.

Trinity Church contains some of America’s oldest and most beautiful stained glass.

The interior is on par with many of Europe’s historic churches.

The first Trinity Church was built in 1698, in the style of the surrounding colonial architecture. It was made of wood and was burned down by the Great Fire of 1776.

The church is truly a gem of NYC. You can visit the church during opening hours. They ask that you be quiet and respectful, especially when worship is occurring.

Learn more about this historic site, visiting hours, and their service schedule by reading our post on Trinity Church.


See the New York Stock Exchange

Located at the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street, you can find the iconic New York building that houses the NYSE.

It was completed in 1903 and has since been home to the NYSE ever since.

The NYSE predates the building, however. The Exchange grew out of a 1792 agreement between 24 stockbrokers that would regulate their trading.

Twenty-five years later, this agreement was codified with the creation of the New York Stock & Exchange Board. 

In 1863, the name was shortened to the New York Stock Exchange.

The building is one of the most photographed in the world. Though public tours are no longer permitted, you can take a "virtual tour”.

Take a look at our full post on the New York Stock Exchange, for the virtual tour as well as a video of the trading floors.

TIP: For those interested in finance and history, we recommend that you take a finance-focused tour of Wall Street. You can see what tours are available here.


Go to Federal Hall National Memorial

Located at the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street, this impressive neo-classical building is built on the site where New York City’s first City Hall stood.

The statue of George Washington depicts his swearing-in in 1789 as the first president of the United States.

The site was also the first home to the U.S. Congress before it moved one year later temporarily to Philadelphia and then to its permanent home in Washington, DC.

It is free to go inside the memorial where there is a small museum. Though there is not a lot to see, it’s quality over quantity that counts!

If you are looking for other free attractions and museums, click here.

Find out about what you will see inside, as well as open hours, from our detailed post on Federal Hall National Memorial.


See the Fearless Girl Statue

On March 8, 2017, International Women’s Day, “Fearless Girl” appeared in Lower Manhattan staring down the “Charging Bull” Statue (See below).

The statue was conceived as part of an ongoing push for corporate boards to include more women. "Fearless Girl” symbolizes the fight for gender equality in the workforce.

Considered a piece of art illegally left on a city street, the NYC government originally agreed to let her stay only for 7 days.

Nevertheless, she persisted and she was moved to a more permanent location across the New York Stock Exchange.

Since 2019, replicas of Fearless Girl have appeared in London, Melbourne, and Oslo.

Read more about her in our post on the Fearless Girl.


40 Wall Street (The Trump Building)

40 Wall Street is one of the most famous and oldest skyscrapers in NYC. It was constructed in 1929, it was designed to be the tallest building in the world.

Unfortunately, at the same time, some other buildings were fighting for the same title.

In the 1929 ‘race to the top’, 40 Wall Street lost out to the Chrysler Building, which then was topped by the Empire State Building.

Today, 40 Wall Street is owned by a quite famous New Yorker – Donald Trump. It is free to visit Trump Tower. Read our post to find out all about it. 

You can also take a free ‘presidential’ tour of all his buildings in NYC. Just click here.


Additional Sites

Morgan Guaranty Trust - corner of Wall Street and Broad Street. This was J.P. Morgan’s bank.

In 1920 it was the site of a bomb blast believed to be caused by ‘anarchists’. No one was ever arrested.

Bank of New York - 1 Wall Street. This Art Deco building was constructed between 1929-32 for the Irving Trust Co.

Bankers Trust Company - 14 Wall Street.  Erected in 1912, the stepped pyramid at the top is so iconic that Bankers Trust adopted it as the company logo.

68 Wall Street - Site of the 1792 creation of the Buttonwood Agreement, a precursor to the New York Stock Exchange.

Read more about these sites from our self-guided tour of Wall Street.


THINGS TO DO NEARBY

9/11 Memorial 

One of the most significant memorials in NYC, the 9/11 Memorial is just a 10-minute walk from Wall Street and well worth seeing. The Memorial is free to visit.


Federal Reserve Bank

This is one of the 12 regional Reserve Banks of the Federal Reserve System. In other words, it's where the gold is kept! Literally!

One World Observatory (“Freedom Tower”)

The views from the observatory atop this 1,776-foot (541 m) skyscraper are jaw-dropping.

It is one of the three observatories you can visit in NYC, the other two being the Empire State Building and Top of The Rock.

Consider going to the Freedom Tower before or after your trip to Wall Street.

National September 11 Museum

The Museum is next to the Memorial and is an excellent collection of artifacts from the events of September 11, 2001.

There is an entry fee but on Tuesday nights they offer free admission. See our post on free museums in NYC.


Charging Bull

This 7,000 lb. (3175 kg) bronze bull statue was ‘dropped off’ at the New York Stock Exchange on December 15, 1989.

Like the “Fearless Girl” statue listed above, this sculpture was an illegal piece of art placed on an NYC sidewalk.

The culprit was an Italian sculptor Arturo DiModica.

He created the sculpture and left it by the NYSE as a sign of encouragement that the American economy could fight the recent recession.

The Bull was so loved by the workers in the Financial District that the city decided to allow the Bull to stay.

Drop by to take your picture with one of the most photographed sculptures in NYC.


City Hall

Erected in 1811, New York’s City Hall is the country’s oldest city hall still used for its original purpose: housing local government.

You can take a free tour of the impressive building and see many historic works of art and original furnishings. Find out about tours here.


Battery Park

This large park at the tip of Manhattan has incredible views of the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

This is also where the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island depart from.

You can also catch the free Staten Island Ferry just a block away from Battery Park.


South Street Seaport

This is a historic district at the eastern end of Wall Street. Its cobblestone streets and restored 19th-century two-story buildings are charming.

There is also a small museum which is well-suited for children. See our post on things to do with kids in NYC for more ideas.


Brooklyn Bridge

Walking across this historic and beautiful bridge is one of the top 10 things to do for free in NYC.

You can walk the bridge on your own, or join one of our pay-what-you-wish guided tours.

No matter what you decide, the Brooklyn Bridge is a must-see sight!


PLACES TO EAT

Fraunces Tavern Pub and Restaurant

Within walking distance of Wall Street, this restaurant is beneath the landmark Fraunces Tavern Museum.

Just prior to the American Revolution, this pub served as a low-profile meeting place for revolutionaries.

At a dinner here in 1789, General George Washington bid farewell to his officers as he left the military to become America’s first president.

Here's our guide Renee discussing the tavern on our Lower Manhattan tour.

Stone Street Restaurants

A few blocks south of Wall Street is this lovely pedestrian mall with restaurants that have outdoor dining in good weather. 

South Street Seaport Restaurants

At the east end of Wall Street is the Southstreet Seaport which has many options for dining.

Try the Cowgirl Seahorse, casual Mexican, Ambrose Beer for a beer and a lobster roll, or the Paris Cafe, one of NYC’s oldest pubs (1873).

The Oculus at the World Trade Center

You can find many familiar food shops, like Shake Shack, Pret a Manger, Starbucks, and more as well as semi-upscale cuisines like Eataly and Epicerie Boulud.

Brookfield Place Restaurants

Located about a 15-minute walk from Wall Street, west of the World Trade Center, you can find the wonderful Hudson Eats Food Hall with 14 restaurants including Blue Ribbon Sushi, Chop’t, Dos Toros Taqueria, and more.


TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS

We hope that this post provided you with enough information about visiting Wall Street and the nearby attractions to make your time there enjoyable.

We think these tips from members of our New York Travel Tips group on Facebook will come in handy.

With so much to do in New York City, you may have a jam-packed schedule. If you plan to see Wall Street and the nearby attractions, you will probably want to give yourself a few hours.

Here one group member notes that adding in special activities, like the free Staten Island Ferry or One World Observatory, will take a big bite out of your day.

The Charging Bull written about above is one of the most popular attractions in Lower Manhattan. There can be lines to get a photo in front of it.

Wisely, the members suggest getting there early.

One tip is that if you are in a rush and have a sense of humor, you can pose next to the bull’s rear. There is a line, but not nearly as long as it is with the front of the bull!

As for the Fearless Girl statue, she is much smaller than the bull so she’s not as easy to spot. Follow these members' advice to find her.

Most people who tour Wall Street pose with George Washington in front of Federal Hall National Memorial but don't take the time to go in. That’s a mistake according to this member.

If you have the time, head to the South Street Seaport, at the eastern end of Wall Street for charming streets and amazing views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Lastly, you might want to consider staying at a hotel in the Financial District where Wall Street is located. It may not have the glamour of Times Square, but it has other nice perks.

This group member has stayed there three times and here's why:

If you have any more questions about Wall Street (or anything else about NYC) that we haven't covered here, check out our New York Travel Tips Facebook group!


About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

Stephen is the CEO of Free Tours by Foot and has overseen the transformation of a local walking tour company into a global tour community and traveler’s advice platform. He has personally led thousands of group tours in the US and Europe, and is an expert in trip planning and sightseeing, with a focus on budget travelers. Stephen has been published and featured in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Yahoo, Washington.org, and more.
Updated: marzo 5th, 2024
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