Tour Highlights

Titans of the Gilded Age. Stand before the former mansions of Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Astor, and uncover the ambition, rivalries, and power struggles that reshaped Fifth Avenue.

Architectural Grandeur. Discover Beaux-Arts palaces and European-inspired façades built to rival royal residences.

Life Behind the Limestone. Step inside a Gilded Age mansion, see its lavish interior and discover how the other half lived

What Survived & What Vanished. See which mansions remain, which were demolished, and how Fifth Avenue evolved into Museum Mile.

Discreet wireless earpieces included for clear audio, even in busy areas

Great tour Excellent tour guide convenient meeting and concluding location.

Venture527809
8/29/2026

Love the gilded age tour Ross was very informative and this tour touched on other buildings then the last time I took it so that was great.

Joann M
8/25/2026
Wonderful Our guide was super knowledgeable and taught us a lot of intriguing stuff about the Gilded Age.

Mark
8/24/2026

Awesome tour Excellent tour by Luke. Sooo interesting and fun.

Sarah H
8/20/2026
A taste of the gilded age I loved the detailed and very informative explanation of the tour guide! I’ve done some tours in New York and this tour with Untapped New York was really my favorite and it was really duly prepared.

Reina H
8/19/2026

A fun walk down 5th Ave. Great stories about “old” and “new” money in late 19th/early 20th century NYC society. We had a great experience! About 20 people in the group, but the ear piece allows for everyone to hear everything without crowding around the guide. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, fun and kept the walk moving along at a good (not too fast) pace. Keep in mind, this is a walk on the sidewalk next to Central Park, not inside tours. Although we haven’t watched the show (or even knew about it), we will now! Knowledge of the show isn’t necessary at all, but some knowledge of the history of that era is helpful. We learned a lot and enjoyed the experience in a section of the city we haven’t spent much time in. Best for high school age and up.

Kelly F
8/05/2026
Fifth Avenue Gilded Age Mansions Walking Tour I really enjoyed the Fifth Avenue Gilded Age Mansions Walking Tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and I learned a bit about the history and architecture of the area.

GeorgeC4
8/02/2026

Great tour that makes Manhattan even more interesting. Justin was an excellent tour guide! He had so much knowledge and kept a great pace. He was considerate to keep us in the shade as much as possible. It was well worth it and really fascinating. Highly recommend!

Tracy H
7/13/2026
Excellent Tour! Our tour guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and gave a great tour.

Kenneth M
7/13/2026

Gilded Age Delight Wonderful experience. Our tour guide was very nice and friendly, and he was very knowledgeable. It was a great way to learn more about the city and this time period. As most commented and how it listed in the tour details, this is an outside tour, which we enjoyed. Unfortunately, most of the Gilded Age homes no longer exist or off limits to the public. Highly recommend this tour for new and returning visitors to the city.

Dreamer57397123563
6/15/2026
Excellent tour guide on Gilded Age walking tour We are a family from Norway who joined a walking tour with guide Laura in May, and we could not have been more pleased with her and the tour. Laura was pleasant, interesting and knowledgeable about everything she showed us and could answer all our questions. We highly recommend Laura, and will definitely join more walking tours.

Merete G
6/11/2026

Gilded age tour in the late spring Ben was so knowledgeable about the Gilded age and its impacts on NYC architecture and migration up Manhattan. He was also a superb storyteller, weaving in foreshadowing as he told the personal stories of the wealthy (and quirky) leaders of this time. Highly recommend this tour, especially if you are looking for a calm walk with learning opportunity in a gorgeous section of Manhattan.

christine sears
6/08/2026
Lots to learn about NYC! We enjoyed out tour with Pete very much! He was interesting and engaging and very knowledgeable. Too bad it was soooo windy, but we still had a great time and learned a lot as well.

Judy A
6/01/2026

Great Tour Rosemary S did a great job explaining the Gilded Age era. Good energy and articulate.

Eileen S
5/30/2026
A very enjoyable tour AJ is a very good speaker and was quite knowledgeable. Dates and facts on all the the mansions on the tour were memorized. He spoke at a nice understandable pace that was very engaging.

William W
5/24/2026

Worth the time and money Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us really interesting tidbits about the gilded age and mansions. It was a good length and worth the cost with details you would never know about many of the buildings along the way.

PeggyM912
5/20/2026
Gilded Age in a New Lens I came with my sister, and we had such a great time. Our tour guide, the younger gentleman’s name escapes me, was great. Very enthusiastic and passionate about his job. We also enjoyed that he’s a fan of the Gilded Age show.

Shanelle
5/17/2026

Nice walk around the Upper East Side Richard, our tour guide, was enthusiastic and kind throughout the trip. I will say I was expecting to see more of the actual mansions, but that was my fault because I didn’t realize most of them have been torn down. Still nice to hear the stories and a great walk around a beautiful area – that still has some beautiful buildings, even though they mostly weren’t the actual mansions Richard told us about. A very nice time though!

bethgz
3/22/2026
Guilded Age – excellent! Richard was excellent. Very knowledgeable re the guilded age and the mansions along 5th avenue. Highly recommended!

Betsi F
3/22/2026

Awesome tour This was a really great tour. I know a lot about New York City history and wasn’t sure I’d learn that much but I barely knew anything Laura, the tour guide, said. She was great! Entertaining and personable. And to top it off, I made a new friend who was on the tour as a solo also. Highly recommend!

JennLo74
3/12/2026
Must see tour of Gilded Age mansions What a great tour. Laura our guide was fantastic and well versed in the complex content of the tour.And she was a trouper given it was sooooooo cold. I think there has been a renewed interested of late of this period so it is popular and I would HIGHLY recommend whether you are coming after seeing period movies or televisions shows or simply enjoy the history and architecture of NYC, Thank you fou hosting us. It was a treat!

P Paul G
2/10/2026

Fun, interesting, leaves you wanting more in a good way. Our tour guide was very friendly a super knowledgable! I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone that is interested in the Gilded age

Stephanie M
2/01/2026
Perfect tour! Perfect guide and perfect experience! Knowledgable and fine public speaker.

Jordan B
1/22/2026

Very knowledge and entertaining tour guide! Our guide was excellent – both super informative and hilarious. Great side stories that really brought the area alive. It was also great that we were such a small group — 4 people.

alexandra
1/17/2026
great tour, knowledgeable guide Beautiful architecture, knowledgeable guide, memorable time! So many stories behind each corner. it’s a good tour to have if you are in the city.

Sihua P
12/31/2025

Must Do for Architecture loves Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and energetic while walking us through the magical history of the Guilded Age!👍🏻 Hand warmers for those cold days and head sets provided to hear the stories.

Colleen B
12/31/2025
Excellent tour of NYC History and Soaking in the Atmosphere of a Bygone Era. Great tour for anyone interested in NYC History, architecture, or the Gilded Age, whether you live in NY or elsewhere. You will learn a lot, see some amazing surviving beautiful mansions of different styles that somehow survived the constant “renovation” of NYC, and hear some fascinating stories that will leave you digging for more.

Richard, the guide, was knowledgeable and affable, kept everyone together, and answered any questions. It was a very pleasant way to spend two hours, even on a cold NY day.

Zach R
12/08/2025

Gilded history I thoroughly enjoyed the Gilded Age tour of 5th Avenue mansions. Richard was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about NYC and that time in history. He was also very thoughtful regarding our comfort when the day turned chilly.

Lisa
11/29/2025
Gilded history I thoroughly enjoyed the Gilded Age tour of 5th Avenue mansions. Richard was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about NYC and that time in history. He was also very thoughtful regarding our comfort when the day turned chilly.

LisaAnneP123
11/29/2025

My experience with the tour for the gilded mansion tour was amazing. Richard was our tour guide and he was very knowledgeable, professional and helpful. He answered every question and overall made it a great experience. I highly recommended if you like history or enjoy Gilded Age TV shows.

Male
11/28/2025
NYC Gilded Mansion Tour Our guide was engaging, informative, and friendly. Would recommend this tour to anyone interested in this slice of NYC history.

David Z
11/24/2025

Great walk through the Gilded Age Kate provided a really informative walk through the Gilded Age. She is very well informed and quite articulate. Her presentation was both comprehensible and very engaging. It was a great morning and an excellent complement to the tv show of the same name.

Steven M
11/17/2025
Nice tour of beautiful Fifth Ave! The tour was interesting as we learned new things about the mansions on Fifth Avenue, and how life was for the super wealthy during the Gilded Age period. Katie our guide was great!

Kerry C
11/17/2025

Fantastic tour We were a group of 5 women who took the Gilded Age tour with Ro as our tour guide. Ro was engaging, very knowledgeable and kept our attention for the two hour tour. I highly recommend this experience.

Marcy K
11/13/2025
We were a group of 5 women who took the Gilded Age tour with Ro as our tour guide. Ro was engaging, very knowledgeable and kept our attention for the two hour tour. I highly recommend this experience.

Marcy Klein
11/13/2025

Great tour of NY city gilded mansions Our guide Laura did an outstanding job of providing background and the history of the mansions we viewed. She used a tablet to show us pictures and documents pertaining to the mansions we saw

Freedom31333495925
11/09/2025
Great tour ! Ro was an excellent tour guide!!! She was very knowledgeable and was great at telling us the information about each mansion. She was very engaging. I loved seeing these buildings and hearing the history of each. I definitely recommend this tour to anyone who loves NYC, who loves the gilded age and anyone who wants to learn more! Thank you, Ro, and thank you Untapped!

diwinyc
11/02/2025

Glider age mansion tour review worth the walk Guide was amazing He was pleasant knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. Would recommend d this tour and this guide. He knew his stuff. Wow I would warn people. The tour involves a bit of walking

Marisol B
10/30/2025
Gilded age tour The guide was friendly and well prepared. She was able to answer all questions and was very detailed. I would definitely use this group again.

Jose M
10/25/2025

Got our Gilded Age fix Great way to explore 5th Ave, our guide Richard was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. A good way to spend a nice fall afternoon outside.

Cara K
10/22/2025

A tour group poses outside the Ukrainian Institute

Woodwork details inside a Gilded Age Mansion

Tour Guest on Gilded Age Fifth Ave Mansions Tour

A tour group outside the Central Park Arsenal

The General Sherman Statue on Fifth Avenue

Your Own Guide. Your Own Schedule.

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Itinerary

Meet your guide

Meet your guide in front of the gold statue of General William T. Sherman on a horse, located on 5th Ave between 59th and 60th St, Manhattan.

Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan

The heart of the Gilded Age’s Millionaire’s Row home to the famed Pulitzer fountain and the historical site of Cornelius Vanderbilt II the largest single residence in NYC.

Plaza Hotel

The iconic hotel which became the replacement for single mansions on Fifth Avenue.

Metropolitan and Knickerbocker Clubs

The two Gilded Age gentlemen’s clubs one the bastion of the blue blood old money and the other a lavish hangout for the new money Gilded Age barons.

Frick Collection

The iconic home of Henry Clay Frick now a museum of fine arts and one of the hottest museum tickets in NYC.

Rhinelander Mansion

The large lavish home with an even larger story; built by a Gilded Age widow and never moved into, now the flagship location of Ralph Lauren.

Joseph Pulitzer Mansion

This storied mansion is said to be the most customized every built to fit the needs of its exacting publication mogul.

Hidden Bookstore inside a Gilded Age Mansion

Villa Albertine is a delightful French/English bookstore inside the old parlors of the Payne Whitney Mansion now the French Cultural Institute.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of the most iconic museums in the world, designed by the famed architects of the Gilded Age.

Tour Ends

The tour concludes across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.

About This Tour

Fifth Avenue became the epicenter of American wealth, and the stage for its fiercest rivalries.

On this expert-led walking tour, explore the rise of the Vanderbilts, Carnegies, Astors, and other industrial titans who transformed Manhattan into a stage for power, rivalry, and architectural ambition. Learn how fortunes built from railroads, steel, and finance funded limestone façades modeled after French châteaux and Renaissance palaces. Discover which mansions survive, which were demolished, and how this stretch of Fifth Avenue evolved into today’s Museum Mile.

Expect a story-driven walk filled with social drama, architectural insight, and the real forces that shaped New York’s most prestigious address.

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Cancellation policy

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Fifth Avenue Gilded Age Mansions Tour