February is Black History Month, and NYC offers some wonderful tours where you can learn about African-American culture and have fun, too! Read on for all details:
Harlem Renaissance Multimedia Walking Tour. This two-hour walking tour kicks off at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Learn about the history of the neighborhood there and then listen to the voices of the Harlem Renaissance like Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey and Billie Holiday, which are played as you stroll through some of Harlem’s most beautiful and storied blocks. Walks are conducted by Harlem natives who give an insider perspective on the neighborhood. Tour includes a visit the Savoy Ballroom, the Langston Hughes House and more.
Saturdays and every other Monday from 1pm to 3 pm; $25; Schomburg Center at 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard); harlemheritage.com
Historic Harlem. Dive deep into the history, culture and architecture of one of New York’s most famous neighborhoods. You’ll visit the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Striver’s Row, the Big Apple Nightclub and important sites associated with W.E.B. Du Bois, the Harlem Renaissance and Madame C.J. Walker.
Dates and times vary, tours last approximately two hours; $20 in cash with no reservations required; northwest corner of 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard; bigonion.com
Great Day in Harlem Jazz Tour. This five-hour mini-bus tour from Big Apple Jazz Tours takes to you to the original Cotton Club, Apollo Theatre and Minton’s Playhouse along with the home of Duke Ellington, the haunts of Billie Holiday, and the popular club of Count Basie. Guests also get a soul food dinner and a chance to experience the modern day jazz scene with three live sets at authentic Harlem clubs still going strong today.
Sundays 3pm to 8pm; $149, which includes dinner but not drinks; 125th Street, exact location revealed after booking; bigapplejazz.com
Harlem Sunday Gospel Tour. Head uptown to Harlem on a Sunday morning for an informative morning-long bus tour through this vibrant neighborhood that hits all the high points (Morris Jumel Mansion, Cotton Club, Apollo Theater, the Schomburg Center, etc.) and ends with a visit to a local church service known for live gospel music. There’s a brunch option too, for soul food lovers.
Sundays 9:15am to 1:15pm; $59, advance booking required; 690 Eighth Ave.; harlemspirituals.com
Taste Harlem Food Tour. Soul food may be at the heart of Harlem cuisine, but the Taste Harlem tour opens up your palate to the other foods that the neighborhood is known for including dishes from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond. This walking tour will show you the rich history of Harlem fare (everything from deep Southern goodies like chicken and waffles to the soups and stews of West Africa) as you make five to seven stops to taste along the way and get a glimpse of local history with a visit inside a historic row house from the 1880s.
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 2pm; $95, advance purchase required; Harlem (details provided after booking; come hungry); tasteharlem.com
Hip Hop Tour. Travel to where a musical and cultural global phenomenon all began in the Boogie Down Bronx and beyond with this in-depth, four-hour bus tour. You’ll visit important landmarks in hip-hop history including the 1970s nightclubs where DJs and dancers made their moves along with the Graffiti Wall of Fame in East Harlem that is still a canvas for the superstars of street art. You will be guided by real life hip-hop legends like GrandMaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Rahiem of the Furious Five, and Reggie Reg of Crash Crew who provide first-person insights into the origins of the genre and answer questions and offer up autographs along the way.
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11am to 3pm; $75; near the Empire State Building (details provided after booking); hushtours.com
New York City Slavery & Underground Railroad Tour. This tour highlights the fight for freedom that took place across the city. From a Colonial burial ground with 419 Africans and African descendants interred that is now a National Historic Landmark to important sights along the Underground Railroad like a coffee shop that was once home to David Ruggles, who helped hundreds escape from slavery, this 2-hour tour touches on the slaves that history often overlooks and the true story of New Yorkers who risked everything to help them.
Saturdays 2pm to 4pm; $31.50 (get tickets!), advance purchase only; Lower Manhattan (meeting place provided after purchasing)
Weeksville Hunterfly Road Historic Houses. Weeksville, a thriving village of free African-Americans, was established in 1838 as an independent community in the heart of Brooklyn. Founded 11 years after the abolition of slavery in New York, it was in place a full 27 years before the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Weeksville Hunterfly Road Historic Houses are three original properties dating from 1840 to 1883.
Tuesday through Friday at 3pm; $5 (walk-ins welcome, but call to reserve as tours have a six guest max); 1698 Bergen St., Brooklyn; weeksvillesociety.org
Louis Armstrong House Museum Tour. Louis Armstrong was already a jazz legend by the time he moved into this humble house in Corona, Queens in 1943 where he lived the last 28 years of his life. You’ll also visit the handsome study where Louis met with famous guests, listened to music from his library, and recorded interviews.
Tuesday through Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 5pm with tours on the hour, every hour (last tour at 4pm); $10; 34-56 107th St., Corona; louisarmstronghouse.org
Romare Bearden Tour. This tour from Harlem One Stop highlights locations significant to the art and life of Romare Bearden, an important African-American artist of the 20th century who moved to New York as a young child. Bearden’s work can be found in MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Library of Congress. One of the tour highlights is seeing his studio and the site of The Block, one of his most famous works.
Dates and times vary; $25, RSVP required, call 917-583-4109 or 212-658-9160; location revealed after booking; harlemonestop.com
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