Wall Street is perhaps one of the most widely known streets in the world. It’s famous for the New York Stock Exchange but there is so much more to see here.
To some people, Wall Street is synonymous with money. To me, it's home to some of the most significant events in American history.
Wall Street is just eight blocks long and I find it astonishing just how much took place on this small street that shaped the United States.
As a local NYC tour guide, I never tire of telling my guests about Wall Street.
I can’t encourage you enough to take a stroll along the street beyond the Stock Exchange. You will be walking in the footsteps of history!
This free, self-guided Wall Street walking tour with a map will guide you to the top sites and tell you the fascinating stories behind them.
For a guided experience, you might want to join one of our guided Lower Manhattan Walking Tours that include Wall Street as well as the Financial District.
See our full calendar of NYC walking tours.
Wall Street is also a stop on our GPS-enabled audio tour of Lower Manhattan.
If you are interested in in-depth tours of only Wall Street, see these guided Wall Street tour options.
How To Get Here
Wall Street is in Manhattan's Financial District on the east side of Lower Manhattan.
The street stretches eight blocks between Broadway and the East River.
You can use this link for directions to Wall Street from your departure point.
Multiple subway stations take you to Wall Street or within a few streets.
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
By bus
- M55, M15, M22
SELF-GUIDED WALL STREET TOUR
The tour starts at the corner of Broadway and Wall Street. If you don't stop too long at any one location, it will take you no more than 30 minutes.
Map of Wall Street sites
A - Trinity Church - Corner of Wall Street and Broadway
Many places on this tour revolve around money. The splendid Trinity Church is not one of them.
This Anglican parish was established here in 1697 under charter by King William III. Since that year, three Trinity Churches have stood on this spot.
The first one burnt down in the Fire of 1776. The second was structurally unsound and partially collapsed under the weight of snow from a storm.
The current church, which was built in 1846, is a National Historic Landmark and houses some of America's oldest and most stunning stained glass. Step inside and marvel.
Trinity Church's steeple measures 284 feet (87 meters). That’s not all that impressive. But it was once the tallest building in New York City.
I love the view of Trinity Church with One World Observatory behind it, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Take a few minutes to roam about its small cemetery with tombstones that date back to the 1600s.
I did say that Trinity Church isn't about money. Well, I kind of misspoke.
American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, who established the Bank of New York and who is pictured on the $10 bill, rests in this cemetery. Read more from our self-guided tour of Trinity Church.
B - 1 Wall Street and Historic Plaque
When you cross Broadway from Trinity Church, look at the building to the right. You‘ll see a plaque entitled Site of the Wall of New Amsterdam.
So there really was a wall here!
(New Amsterdam is what New York City was called when it was a Dutch Colony.)
The wall was constructed by the Dutch to protect its colony from attacks from north of the wall first from aggressive Native American tribes but later from British colonists who wanted to push out the Dutch.
So now you know Wall Street got its name.
As for the building itself, it is an Art Deco-style early skyscraper constructed between 1929-32 for the Irving Trust Co.
Irving Trust was acquired by the Bank of New York in 1988. I’m not that interested in bank mergers and acquisitions but go with me here.
What is cool about the Bank of New York is that it was founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1789 and was the first stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1792!
C - Bankers Trust Company - 14 Wall Street
One aspect of New York City I aim to impart to my tour guests is the architectural diversity and history of the city.
Wall Street has a few interesting examples including the Bankers Trust Company building at 14 Wall Street built in 1912 by Trowbridge & Livingston.
It’s on the left side of Wall Street at the intersection of Nassau Street.
It has a massive granite stepped pyramid at the top which is so iconic that Bankers Trust adopted it as the company logo.
The building stands out among many of the neighborhood’s buildings because it has a straight design and does not have setbacks as it rises.
This is because this building was constructed before New York City instituted its Zoning Law of 1916, commonly referred to as the set-back law.
This law was a response to complaints that buildings like the Bankers Trust Building prevented nearby buildings from getting sunlight or even sufficient ventilation.
You can see the difference between this building and 40 Wall Street which is a set-back building.
A perfect example of a set-back building is the Empire State Building.
D - New York Stock Exchange - corner of Wall Street and Broad Street
Originally formed under a buttonwood tree farther down Wall Street, the NYSE moved into this Classical style building in 1903.
Here's tour guide Katherine with Tours by Foot NYC discussing the Exchange with her tour guests.
Now part of the ICE, the Intercontinental Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange is the largest in the world, responsible for about $169 billion in trading daily.
The sculpture in the Broad Street portico is “Integrity Protecting the Works of Man” by John Quincy Adams Ward.
Disappointingly, you can’t go in for a tour, unless you know someone.
But our detailed post on the New York Stock Exchange includes a virtual tour and video of the trading floors.
As you are looking at the NYSE, you won't be the only one. I don’t mean the other tourists taking pictures.
Look for a fierce-looking short girl made of bronze. That is the famous “Fearless Girl" statue, which made waves in the Financial District in 2017.
The statue serves as a reminder that women are underrepresented in important roles in the corporate world.
She’s there across from the NYSE saying, “Hey, I can do that too!”
E - Federal Hall National Memorial - corner of Wall Street and Broad Street
This is my favorite of the Wall Street structures. I am a sucker for history and boy, oh boy, was some serious history made here.
See that statue on the staircase? It’s a depiction of George Washington being sworn in as president on April 30, 1789.
He stood on what was then the second-floor balcony of Federal Hall.
Though a few buildings have stood at this location, it has always been the site of government activity.
The first was the City of New York’s City Hall. This was during the British occupation of the city.
From 1785 to 1789, the old City Hall building was used by the new American Congress which ratified the Constitution in 1788.
This is where Congress adopted the Bill of Rights and the Judiciary Act which established the court system.
The building is impressive too. It was the first example of what we now refer to as Federal-style architecture.
Designed in the Classic style, with Greek and Roman details, the building is said to reflect the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and the power of the Roman Empire.
If you have about 10 to 15 minutes in your schedule, I think you should step inside.
There are some pretty nifty American history artifacts to see.
Read more about the Federal Hall National Memorial.
TIP: There are public restrooms inside if nature is calling.
F - Morgan Guaranty Trust Company- corner of Wall Street and Broad Street
The former Morgan Guaranty Trust Company building at 23 Wall Street was the bank of J.P. Morgan.
This short, squat building packs a punch when it comes to interesting facts.
It was built in 1914 when skyscrapers were being erected all around.
Morgan is believed to have said that he did not need a skyscraper as a testament to his wealth since everyone knew how much he was worth.
In 1920, in an early act of domestic terrorism, a cart of TNT was detonated in front of the building killing 33 people and injuring 300 more.
G - Trust Company of America - 37 Wall St.
This lovely Beaux-Arts-style building designed by Francis Kimball was the site of a not-so-lovely moment in America.
The Trust Company of America was one of the institutions involved in the Panic of 1907.
Also known n as the Bankers Panic, it was the first financial crisis in the United States. As a result, the Federal Reserve was created.
Today, there is a Tiffany on the street level. That puts my wallet into a financial crisis!
H - 40 Wall Street - Bank of Manhattan (now the Trump Building)
The best part of this 927-foot-tall (283 m) neo-Gothic style skyscraper is the gorgeous copper-clad pyramidal roof.
To get a view, you need to be up somewhere high, like the nearby One World Observatory or the Brooklyn Bridge (which is free to walk over).
I love the story behind this building! It was a contender in the "Race into the Sky" in the late 1920s.
This was a unofficial competition b bulding owners to construct the talest building in the world.
The Bank of Manhattan hired highly esteemed architects H. Craig Severance and Yasuo Matsui for the project and in 1929, 40 Wall Street was comelted and became the tallest building in the world…an honor that would slip away within a few days.
Rival architect William Van Alen, who was building the Chrysler Building in Midtown Manhattan pulled off a stunning surprise by raising a spire atop that building three days after 40 Wall Street opened, thus snatching the title of talest buiodog in teh world.
The Chrysler Building’s glory was short-lived too. In 193, the Empire State Building topped them all.
Read our post about the Top 10 Skyscrapers in New York City that includes these buildings.
I - Museum of American Finance - 48 Wall Street 
The Museum of American Finance is in the grand hall of the former Bank of New York Building.
The Museum, a non-profit Smithsonian affiliate, is the only independent museum dedicated to providing educational programs on “finance, the financial markets, money, banking, and Alexander Hamilton.”
As of Jan 2025, the museum is not open to visitors as they seek a home.
But you can learn a lot from their website.
J - 55 Wall Street
55 Wall Street is one of those handsome short buildings that capture our eye without you having to crane your neck.
It was built after the Fire of 1835 destroyed the original Merchants’ Exchange on that site.
This three-story Ionic temple-style building boasts 16 single-block granite columns of Quincy granite and a commanding central hall that is now an events facility for Cipriani.
The upper floors were added by McKim, Mead & White in 1907 after the custom house relocated from this building to Bowling Green.
Today, the upper floors are 106 exquisite apartments for Cipriani Club Residences.
K - 60 Wall Street
This 50-story skyscraper is a latecomer to the Wall Street scene, built in 1985 for JP Morgan and Company.
The design is a modern interpretation of a Greek temple.
On the roof at 737 feet is a solar installation, the highest solar PV installation in the world.
After the the attacks of 9/11, Deutsche Bank's building on Liberty Street was so badly damnaged that the comany's 5500 employees were relocated here.
The building was bought by the Paramount. As of 2025, the buildig is unoccupied to make way for a $250 million dollar makeover.
Paramount is marketing it as “Wall Street But Not As You Know It".
I think that is a clever idea, as it's got the prestige of Wall Street, but without being stuck in Wall Street. It's facing-forwad!
L - 63 Wall Street
The 1929 headquarters of Brown Brothers Harriman was converted to apartments in 2004.
It's front is decorated with Greek drachmas. It's a lot prettier than putting dollar bils and American coins aling the buulding.
M - Site of the Buttonwood Agreement - 68 Wall Street
An event that instituted the New York Stock Exchange in 1792.
Traders gathered outside the building to do their business before moving inside.
The building burned during the fire of 1835, forcing the then non-profit association to move up Wall Street to its present location.
Buttonwood Agreement
So, this concludes our self-guided tour of Wall Street. Ev'e ended it where it all begain.
Be sure to read about other things to see and do in Lower Manhattan as well as our other self-guided tours of NYC.
PREMIUM WALL STREET TOURS
Although a self-guided tour of Wall Street is quick way to learning about the history of this street, hearing about it from an expert is voth fun, and enjoyable.
Bwlow are some very good tours that takes you on a journey through the past of Wall Street.
Discover how the New York Stock Exchange developed and learn about the people who built empires within the buildings in this financial district.
The Wall Street Experience
New York’s financial district is rich in history. There are so many details that anyone not taking a Wall Street tour is likely to miss something.
Thankfully, the Wall Street Experience tour provides a lot of information on its various walking tours.
Unlike their competitors, they offer 2 different tours of Wall Street.
Their 75-minute Wall Street Insider Tour covers the essentials of the development of Wall Street from the small Dutch colony founded 400 years before.
You'll see the important institutions and hear great stories.
Their two-hour Financial Crisis Tour covers the history of Lower Manhattan, from the first Dutch settlers to the origin of a new nation.
The tour then goes a step further by going into detail about the complex events that caused the recent Great Recession of 2008.
If you want to learn about more than just the formation of the stock exchange and the people who made a name for themselves on this busy street, this is an excellent option.
Wall Street Experience is also known as Experience First and a full list of their tours can be found here.
The Wall Street Experience has been given positive reviews by the likes of the BBC, The New York Times, and The Guardian.
Their full 5-star rating on TripAdvisor suggests that these high-profile reviews are very accurate.
Several reviewers have described their trip as both fascinating and informative, and you won’t find many comments that disagree with these sentiments.
This is one of the most well-respected tour companies in New York, and their excursions are worth consideration.
Ticket Prices and Tour Information
- 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 and Tour Information
- 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 dark side of Wall Street, you might like to take this tour which looks at corruption on Wall Street throughout history.
Tickets are just $16 and a portion of the proceeds go to a worthy non-profit organization. Check their calendar for dates.
*currently being offered only as a private tour
For more information on things to do on Wall Street and in the area, including where to eat and even where to stay, see our extensive post, What to do on Wall Street.
