The Ghost Walk and the Rock and Roll Walk
The ghost walk, after dark
The Greenwich Village Ghost Tour meets at 385 6th Avenue and runs after dark. Its route moves between documented history and stories the listing itself presents as legend.
- Washington Square Park and the Hangman’s Elm. The park was a potter’s field and a place of public executions. The English elm in its north-west corner is estimated at over 300 years old; the hanging stories attached to it are legend.
- The Brown Building. Site of the Triangle Waist Company fire of 1911, in which 146 people died.
- The Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue, built in 1841.
- 14 West 10th Street. Mark Twain lived here in 1900 and 1901. The “house of death”, said to hold 22 spirits, is a story from the ghost-tour trade, not from records.
- The former home of Emma Lazarus.
- Jefferson Market Library. Built in 1877 as a courthouse; Mae West was tried here in 1927. The Jefferson Market Library page has its history.
- 12 Gay Street, with the legend of a former mayor’s ghost.
- The Stonewall Inn and Chumley’s on Bedford Street, the 1920s speakeasy behind an unmarked door.
The walking is moderate and comfortable shoes are advised. Pets, weapons, oversize luggage, large bags, alcohol and drugs are not allowed. The listing does not state its accessibility or a distance. No minimum age is stated, and the content is dark by design. The walk moves as a group through a residential, well-lit neighbourhood; the safety page covers the Village at night.
The rock and roll walk
The Rock and Roll History Tour meets by the green Keith Haring statue outside 101 Astor Place, on the corner of Third Avenue, and asks walkers to arrive 10 minutes early. It begins outside Greenwich Village: about 40 minutes in the East Village, which has never been counted part of the Village, then the site of CBGB. From there it crosses into Greenwich Village, passes Cafe Wha? and Washington Square Park, moves on into the West Village and finishes at the White Horse Tavern. The themes along the way are where Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix launched their careers, the birthplace of punk, the Fillmore East, the Pyramid Club, where Buddy Holly recorded, Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable, the Sid Vicious site, John and Yoko’s first New York apartment and album-cover locations.
Two of the stops carry dates. Dylan played Cafe Wha? soon after arriving in January 1961, and Hendrix played there in 1966 as Jimmy James; the Cafe Wha? page has more. At the White Horse Tavern, open since 1880, Dylan Thomas drank the night before he collapsed; he died on 9 November 1953. The walk includes the live guide and nothing else. It is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Pets are not allowed; assistance dogs are.
Side by side
| After darkGreenwich Village Ghost Tour | New York: Rock and Roll History Tour with Dylan & Ramones | |
|---|---|---|
| Time of day | After dark | Start times in the booking widget |
| Time on foot | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Distance covered | Not stated | About 3 miles / 4.5 km |
| Group size cap | 10 people | 6 people |
| Starts from | 385 6th Avenue | Keith Haring statue, 101 Astor Place |
| Finishes at | Not stated | White Horse Tavern |
| Wheelchair access | Not stated | Not suitable |
| What the guide points at | Legends, hauntings and the 1911 fire | Where Dylan, Hendrix and punk began |
| Book this | Book this |
After darkGreenwich Village Ghost Tour
- Time of day
- After dark
- Time on foot
- 2 hours
- Distance covered
- Not stated
- Group size cap
- 10 people
- Starts from
- 385 6th Avenue
- Finishes at
- Not stated
- Wheelchair access
- Not stated
- What the guide points at
- Legends, hauntings and the 1911 fire
New York: Rock and Roll History Tour with Dylan & Ramones
- Time of day
- Start times in the booking widget
- Time on foot
- 3 hours
- Distance covered
- About 3 miles / 4.5 km
- Group size cap
- 6 people
- Starts from
- Keith Haring statue, 101 Astor Place
- Finishes at
- White Horse Tavern
- Wheelchair access
- Not suitable
- What the guide points at
- Where Dylan, Hendrix and punk began
Two lenses on the same park
Both walks cross Washington Square Park and read it differently. On the ghost walk it is the potter’s field of 1797 to 1825 and the elm with its hanging legend. On the rock and roll walk it is the park of the Sunday folk gatherings, which ended in arrests on 9 April 1961 after the parks commissioner refused the singers permits; Dylan and Baez lived nearby. The ghost walk keeps to the Village; the rock and roll walk starts on the far side of Broadway and ends on Hudson Street.
What travellers mention
On the ghost walk, Aurelie from France found it easy to follow with beginner English, Katy from the UK wrote that Cameron backed the stories with newspaper clippings, and Joel and Alex, New Yorkers, still learned things. On the rock and roll walk, Thomas from Germany mentioned “places whose significance is no longer apparent”, and Corinna from Germany wrote about Tom’s knowledge of the bands and musicians. The close-ups of the ghost walk and the rock and roll walk collect the rest.
The two themed walks
After darkGreenwich Village Ghost Tour
Max 6 peopleNew York: Rock and Roll History Tour with Dylan & Ramones
The two meeting points are on opposite sides of Broadway: 385 6th Avenue for the ghost walk, Astor Place at Third Avenue for the rock and roll walk, where arrival 10 minutes early is asked for. Start times for both show in the booking widgets below.
Check dates for the ghost walk
The ghost walk runs after dark and allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the rock and roll walk
Groups are capped at 6, so departures can fill. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Greenwich Village ghost tour suitable for children?
No minimum age is stated on the listing. The walk runs after dark and its content is dark by design, covering executions, the 1911 fire and ghost legends. The ghost walk close-up sets out the route.
Are the ghost stories on the tour true?
The walk mixes the two. The potter’s field, the 1911 fire and Mark Twain’s stay at 14 West 10th Street are documented. The 22 spirits of the “house of death”, the mayor’s ghost on Gay Street and the hangings at the elm are legend.
How far does the rock and roll walk go?
About 3 miles, or 4.5 km, over 3 hours, from Astor Place in the East Village to the White Horse Tavern in the West Village. It is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. The rock and roll close-up has the practical details.
Does the rock and roll walk stop at Cafe Wha?
Yes, Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street is on the listed route; the listing does not specify whether the group goes inside. The Cafe Wha? page covers the club.