Translate
AccessibilityHistory
Travel back in time with these history walks and lectures. Learn about the city's epic past, and visit some of its less-known relics. Want to learn more? Visit our Parks History page.
History Events
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
"Tales of Chinatown" Special Screening with AAAAH!
at 14th Street Passage (in The High Line), Manhattan
4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Join us for a special screening of Tales of Chinatown by Luka Yuanyuan Yang with AAAAH! (Asian Artists And Activists Hub) on July 9.
Free!
Event
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Historic New York: Van Cortlandt and the American Revolution
at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Van Cortlandt Park was a significant location during the American Revolution. Visit historic sites and learn more about battles and events which impacted the American Revolution.
Free!
Event
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island 
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Grand Army Plaza Arch Tour
at Grand Army Plaza Arch (in Grand Army Plaza), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers for a special access tour of Prospect Park's Grand Army Plaza and Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch. Lottery registration begins on Wednesday July 2
Free!
Event
Second Sunday Castle Tours
at Bayside Historical Society (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Bayside Historical Society staff and volunteers are offering guided tours of The Castle and its exhibitions on the second Sunday of each month from 1pm-3pm.
Free!
Event
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century Noho
at Merchant's House Museum, Manhattan
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century.
Event
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Backporch History 2025: "The Amazing Story of the Dyckman Farmhouse" with Don Rice
at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (in Dyckman House Museum), Manhattan
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
What’s the most historic thing in Inwood? For many, the DYCKMAN FARMHOUSE would be at the top of the list. It’s not only a national landmark, it’s one of the oldest structures in Manhattan.
Free!
Event
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Historic New York: John Golden and Crocheron Park
at Entrance - 215th Place and 33rd Road (in Crocheron Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Learn more about the natural landscape and cultural significance of this popular location within the neighborhood of Bayside.
Free!
Summer on the Hudson: Locomotive Open House
at Locomotive Lawn (in Riverside Park South), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Visit the renovated locomotive in Riverside Park South and learn about the rail yard history of Manhattan’s West Side.
Free!
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Angels, Rebels, or Criminals? The Women Who Made New York
at Merchant's House Museum, Manhattan
3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
This tour will also provide insights into the lives of the Tredwell women and other notable women who shaped New York from 1820 to 1880.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Hart Island Tour (South Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore Hart Island's unique past, present, and future. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday July 9, 2025.
Free!
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century Noho
at Merchant's House Museum, Manhattan
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century.
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Tree Folklore Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Tree expert and New York naturalist Levi O'Brien leads this walk that examines the histories of specific Wave Hill trees.
Free!
Event
Historic New York: Sunset Park Finntown
at Central Lawn (in Sunset Park), Brooklyn
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Explore the history of the Finnish enclave that thrived around Sunset Park in the early to mid 20th century.
Free!
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Backporch History 2025: "Home Field Advantage: The Story of Negro League Baseball and its Roots in Inwood" with Andrew Stolarski
at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (in Dyckman House Museum), Manhattan
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Join us on Wednesday, July 30th from 6-7pm as we honor the legacy of the Negro Baseball Leagues through a lecture about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues and how they found their way to the Dyckman Oval.
Free!
Event
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Historic New York: New York Harbor
at 43rd Street and 1st Avenue (in Bush Terminal Park), Brooklyn
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Explore the significance of New York Harbor in both the past and present and learn about the working harbor and its role in global supply chains.
Free!
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Hart Island Tour (North Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore Hart Island's unique past, present, and future. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday July 23
Free!
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Historic New York: Downtown Brooklyn History Super Hike
at Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers in a history tour of Downtown Brooklyn. Learn about Brooklyn’s role in the Revolutionary War and the aftermath that led to its first parks.
Free!
Second Sunday Castle Tours
at Bayside Historical Society (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Bayside Historical Society staff and volunteers are offering guided tours of The Castle and its exhibitions on the second Sunday of each month from 1pm-3pm.
Free!
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Hart Island Tour (South Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore Hart Island's unique past, present, and future. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday August 6, 2025.
Free!
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Summer on the Hudson: Locomotive Open House
at Locomotive Lawn (in Riverside Park South), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Visit the renovated locomotive in Riverside Park South and learn about the rail history of Manhattan’s West Side.
Free!
Event
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Historic New York: The Battle of Brooklyn
at Old Stone House (in Washington Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn with the Urban Park Rangers at the Old Stone House.
Free!
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Battle of Long Island History Hike
at Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Hike from the Patriot front lines at Fort Putnam (today’s Fort Greene) to the ferry landing at Brooklyn Bridge Park where General Washington joined the last of his men retreating.
Free!
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, August 30, 2025
CANCELLED: Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Historic New York: Privateers, Pirates, and New York’s Golden Age of Piracy
at Entrance - Beach 44th Street and Boardwalk (in Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as we delve into the world of pirates in New York’s history. Uncover the true story of Captain William Kidd, a complex figure who navigated the murky waters.
Free!
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, September 6, 2025
1776 Peace Conference Celebration
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island , The Conference House (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
This living history event will commemorate the 248th Anniversary of the only Peace Conference held during the American Revolution on September 11th, 1776.
Event
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Hart Island Tour (North Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore Hart Island's unique past, present, and future. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday August 27
Free!
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Colonial Culinary Series
at Queens County Farm Museum (in Queens Farm Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Experience History Through Taste: Colonial Culinary Classes!
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Hart Island Tour (South Island)
at Hart Island, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore Hart Island's unique past, present, and future. Participants are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday September 11, 2025.
Free!
Museum of Interesting Things
at Holley Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Conference House Tours
at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 4 pm until December 13th.
%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B%2B__utmv%3D23023447.-%3B)