Private Tour New York City In The Gilded Age: A History Of High Society

Couldn’t have asked for a better experience! Kevin is an amazing guide, very knowledgeable and professional.

Our entire family thoroughly enjoyed the Gilded Age Tour with Kevin Draper! Kevin was extremely knowledgeable and engaging, bringing the history to life in a way that kept everyone interested. We all learned so much and came away with a deeper appreciation for this fascinating period in New York’s history. A wonderful family experience—we highly recommend it!

Excellent walking tour of the mansions in New York through the Gilded Age provided by a very knowledgeable, entertaining and authentically passionate guide Kevin. Two hours sped by as we learned many interesting historical facts. Very well timed and absolutely no hesitation in recommending this business. We will definitely book again. P.s. if you like Downton Abbey or The Gilded Age TV shows, you will love this tour even more

History is beautiful and we saw so very much

Kevin was a great tour guide who knew the city spanning 400 years. He was able to give us new and old insights and paint the picture of what it would have been like during this glamorous period of wealth in the city. He was also familiar with the TV series and able to make the connections as we strolled along centeral park on 5th avenue. For those who love the error, or just love the history of NYC, this is a great tour to add to your itinerary!

This tour company was wonderful to work with, especially as we had to switch our time due to a conflict. Kevin was able to coordinate and give us the tour. This was a great way to spend 2 hours in the city to gain a little bit of history and see the glamour that once was. Kevin provided great insight into history, some knowledge about the area, and pointed out some great insights that are not recognizable by the normal "eye". You stay along centeral park on 5th avenue and see and hear about the history of the past, with a quick stop into one of the entries of the mansion, and at Carnegie's mansion to end the tour. For those of you who watch The Gilded Age and/or are familiar with the Newport, RI, mansion, it's a great addition to your tour experiences.

We had a nice tour with Dan walking up 5th avenue.He was very knowledgeable about the gilded age in NY. Would highly recommend.

Dan, the tour guide, was very entertaining. He told great anecdotes and brought the past to life. He’s very knowledgeable but gives the information in a very understandable and relatable way.

Kevin is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of the history of New York City and was able to answer every question we had. He was also able to get us into locations that are not open to the public. Great fun, Great guide.

Wonderful experience. Dan was very informative and entertaining. Would recommend to anyone wanting to experience NYC history.

Dan was amazing! We enjoyed our 2 hour journey through the Guilded Age tour. Thank you we definitely recommend!

Our guide , Jared was excellent and very knowledgeable all the topics that came up. He was very attuned to all around him ! He encouraged us to visit the Frick Museum. It was a true amazing highlight of our trip. Thanks Jared for an outstanding tour

Great walking tour with interesting stories! Made history come alive! Sara was a wonderful guide! Take this tour!

We loved our private tour of the Gilded Age mansions with Richard! Being locals and having lived in the Upper East Side for many years, it meant so much to us to learn about our neighborhood’s gorgeous architecture and more. Highly recommended!

Excellent tour . Our guide was very knowledgeable and loves history . Homes were beautiful and the history of each home was amazing . Highly recommend .

Our tour guide was Dan and he was absolutely fabulous and extremely knowledgeable and delivered the history accurately and with some well placed humour .

We had a great time with John, our guide. Even though there are only a few vestiges of the “Gilded Age” left in New York, John provided a lot of historical information and anecdotes about famous People who lived during that era and the time passed quickly. John obviously has a lot of knowledge of the era and enjoys giving tours. Pace was doable for retirees. Tour ends at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where there are free restrooms. Personally, I think that the tour will be more enjoyable if you have watched The Gilded Age on HBO - helps with visualization.

Great historical perspective of the city. Too bad many of the homes and buildings from the period were not preserved. The stories behind the people and the development of 5th was fascinating.

excellent tour guide, great way to learn and explore the history of NYC. we had a really great time! highly recommend whether you are new to NY or have visited or lived in it a long time.

We had the best time on our tour with Dan as our knowledgeable and charismatic tour guide. He truly knew the material inside and out. He presented in such a way that was engaging and tailored to our interests and questions we had. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get a historical perspective on many of the houses and properties from the Gilded era while also enjoying the views and sites the city has to offer.

Kevin provided an amazing Gilded Age tour that incorporated history, architecture, and art among many other key topics. I highly recommend incorporating this private tour into an understanding of the city. One of the most interesting aspects of the tour was identifying and learning about many of the mansions on the upper east side that are now protected historical homes. We now look at the city’s architectural landscape differently thanks to Kevin’s knowledge and stories. Kevin also provided insight into the TV show pointing out true facts and historical vs. composite characters. There’s a part 2 to the tour that we are looking forward to doing during our next visit.

Kevin was an incredible guide. My partner and I are avid history buffs, and this tour was above and beyond what we could have expected. Not only did it cover and explore aspects of the Gilded Age that we were unaware of, it wove in creative aspects of the HBO series, what things were true, what weren't. This added a lovely current tie in. The tour was extensive, but never rushed. The time flew by, and we can't wait to book Kevin for another tour - there are so many other parts of the city he can dive into. Highly recommend.

Dan was an incredible tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable and well prepared. I was with my 75 year old mother and we both loved every minute of this 2 hour walking tour. We have lived in Manhattan for over 40 years, and he taught us things and showed us interesting details that we never knew about!

Jared met us near the Plaza Hotel. I am a history buff and have read countless books on the plaza, the gilded age, and all of the families of the era. Jared was fabulous and added tidbits of history and side comments and things I never knew. He knew his stuff and was not only amazingly knowledgeable, he was very gracious when my RA was bothering me and we sat for a bit so I could rest my knees. He was engaging and informative and showed us way more than we expected in a 2 hour tour! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tire and Jared as was worth every penny!!!!!

Kevin was an amazing tour guide! Two hours flew by learning all about the Guilded Age in NYC . We highly recommend booking a tour!

Our guide Kevin, took us an informative walk along Fifth Ave. detailing the people and cultural shifts that lead to the iconic NYC experience of today. He pointed out shadows of the past such as the now converted mansions and original skyscrapers that stared it all. Kevin, a local historian, was personable and offered many insights about one of the most famous streets in the world. I highly recommend this enjoyable tour.

Great experience! This tour was like taking a walk through the upper east side of NYC in the late 1800s. If you are someone who finds it fascinating to see and learn about some of the nation’s most extravagant structures built by titans of the gilded age, then you will love this tour. highly recommend this tour visitors and even locals.

Our guide was personable, well informed, and engaging. We all learned a great deal about the landmark architecture and personal lives of historical Gilded Age figures, even the local residents on the tour! A great way to see the city in new ways. Highly recommended!

What an engaging and educational walk along Central Park (5th Ave), learning about the mansions, the architecture and the drama of years long ago. Our guide, Kevin, was great. A true New Yorker with a passion for his craft and a depth of knowledge that was amazing.

Fabulous!!! Sara our guide was very knowledgeable and answered every question and then some. Even though the weather was cold we were enthralled with every word of this very informative tour. We would recommend SARA to anyone. Kudos to her!!!

It was absolutely fantastic, but do not count on being inside at all, especially if it’s extremely hot or cold out. Dress appropriate

Personable- knowledgeable. - professional Attentive to our needs. Stayed in touch. Available. Enjoyed our tour and highly recommend it.

Billy was a terrific guide, very knowledgeable and easy to talk with. Made the whole experience fun. Learned a lot and some interesting sites

Jarod was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and easy to converse with. A long walk worth taking! Returning through Central Park.

Dan was a great tour guide. It was a great tour and such interesting information. Can't wait to go back to the area for more exploration.

We had a fantastic tour of the Gilded Age in NYC! It was super interesting and fun. NY Historical Tours will be our #1 choice every time we visit NYC! We also find their live-streamed events outstanding. The team behind this incredible company truly makes the experience exceptional!

Very informative, loved learning the history behind these amazing buildings and about this influential time period. Our guide, Mark, was extremity knowledgeable & friendly. My husband has a cognitive and behavioral impairment and Mark expertly and compassionately tailored the tour to our needs. Would highly recommend to anyone who would like to peel back the layers & dive in a little deeper to history of this city. Fall foliage and crisp air a plus!

Amazing tour! Our guide was very knowledgeable and had so many fun facts. Even though it was raining during our tour, our guide was so willing and ready to go. Highly recommend.

It was fabulous! Our guide was so knowledgeable! He showed us so much history. I was intrigued for hours by his stories and pictures. I think meeting out front of Plaza hotel is better than a statue. Cab driver had a difficult time navigating the address. Traffic made us later than expected but our guide called and found us searching for statue. Cabbie didn’t know where it was. Loved the architecture!

Exciting experience, gasoline fun for the speed lovers😇😇 Great atmosfere with friends😊 Higly recomended😁😁 A visit is a must😉

We thoroughly enjoyed Dan’s tour up 5th avenue. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining ! He also adapted the pace for the members of our group which was very much appreciated!!! The day was lovely which added to such a positive experience!

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, informative and passionate about NYC’s history and architecture. Our tour was two hours long and we could have gone for another two.

Historic information was great, but I still wish we got to see inside of the buildings (all of them) that we talked about and at least a little longer guided tour of the last stop (design museum), but overall it was a great tour and learned a lot!

Great Gilded Age tour with Brad yesterday. Brad is very knowledgeable and engaging. We loved learning about the people and families who inhabited NYC during this time period. .

Don is an exceptional and knowledgeable guide. Even more important, he is fun, friendly, and very considerate of our needs and interests.

This is the 2nd tour with owner, Kevin Draper. We did the Gilded Age starting from the Plaza and ending at the Cooper Hewitt Museum. The 2 hours flew by and we learned so much about the city that we live in. Kevin has an unbelievable amount of knowledge and is so enthusiastic about sharing. We will continue to use his company for all of our future tours, which we will be scheduling. A++++ experience. Diane Johnson

Although not the cheapest of activities, the private tour was really great because first of all, if one is running a couple minutes late, the tour guide isn't going to leave. Second, we could sneak into The Plaza for a quick bathroom break and intro to the age without anybody noticing. And Third, the tour is easily customized to our interests. There is a great deal of material one could cover on a Gilded Age tour, so it's wonderful to have the tour guide zero in on exactly what you want to get out of the tour and provide that information to you in a well thought-out manner.

Our guide Sara was excellent: well-informed, articulate, humorous, patient and friendly. Her descriptions were literally fit to print, and highly relevant to present times, culture, trends and current events.

Great tour. Very knowledgeable and personable guide. Learned so much about the time period and mansions. Appreciated the opportunity to sit in a couple of spots.