tours of new york stock exchange

New York Stock Exchange

• Broad St • 1 min walk
• Wall St • 2 min walk

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New York Stock Exchange - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Visiting the New York Stock Exchange

You can't go in but the Financial District is worth a look

Sebastian Bergmann/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world, and billions of dollars worth of stocks are traded there every day. The Financial District that surrounds it is central to the importance of New York City. But because of tightened security measures after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which occurred mere blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange  (NYSE), the building is no longer open to the public for tours. 

The History 

New York City has been home to securities markets since 1790 when Alexander Hamilton issued bonds to deal with debt from the American Revolution. The New York Stock Exchange, which was originally called The New York Stock and Exchange Board, was first organized on March 8, 1817. In 1865, the exchange opened in its current location in Manhattan's Financial District . In 2012, the New York Stock Exchange was acquired by InterContinental Exchange.

The Building

You can view the New York Stock Exchange building from the outside at Broad and Wall streets. Its famous facade of six marble Corinthian columns below a pediment sculpture called "Integrity Protecting the Works of Man" is often draped with a huge American flag. You can get there by subway trains 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Wall Street or the R or W to Rector Street.

If you want to learn more about the financial institutions in New York, you can visit the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , which offers free tours to visit the vaults and see the gold with advance booking. It is also in the Financial District and offera insight into the inner workings of Wall Street.  

The Trading Floor

Although you can no longer visit the trading floor, do not get too disappointed. It is no longer the chaotic scene that's dramatized on TV shows and movies, with traders waving slips of paper, yelling stock prices, and negotiating million-dollar deals in a matter of seconds. Back in the 1980s, there were up to 5,500 people working on the trading floor. But with the advance of technology and paperless transactions, the number of traders on the floor has dwindled to about 700 people, and it is now a much calmer, quieter environment if still loaded with daily tension.

The Ringing of the Bell

The ringing of the opening and closing bell of the market at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. guarantees that no trades will take place before the opening or after the close of the market. Starting in the 1870s, before microphones and loudspeakers were invented, a large Chinese gong was used. But in 1903, when the NYSE moved to its current building, the gong was replaced by a brass bell, which is now electrically operated at the start and end of each trading day.

Sights Nearby

The Financial District is the scene of a number of different sights in addition to the NYSE. They include the Charging Bull, also called the Bull of Wall Street, which is located in Bowling Green, near the intersection of Broadway and Morris streets;  Federal Hall ; City Hall Park; and the Woolworth Building. It is easy and free to see the exterior of the Woolworth Building, but if you want to take a tour, you will need advance reservations. Battery Park is also within walking distance. From there, you can take a ferry to visit the  Statue of Liberty  and  Ellis Island .

Tours Nearby

This area is rich in history and architecture, and you can learn about it on these walking tours: History of Wall Street and 9/11, Lower Manhattan: Secrets of Downtown, and the Brooklyn Bridge. And if you're into superheroes, the Super Tour of NYC Comics Heroes and More might be just the ticket.

Food Nearby

If you need a bite to eat nearby,  Financier Patisserie  is a great spot for light eats, sweets, and coffee and has several Financial District locations. If you want something more substantial,  Delmonico's , one of NYC's oldest restaurants, is also nearby.  Fraunces Tavern , which first opened as a tavern in 1762 and was later headquarters to George Washingon and home to the Department of Foreign Affairs during the Revolutionary War, is another historic restaurant where you can sit down for a meal, as well as tour its museum. 

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New York City Tours

New york city sightseeing tours, new york stock exchange.

For visitors, it’s always mind-blowing to see where most of the world’s stocks, bonds and common commodities travel through, and gives a sense of reality to the fragility of currency. It’s just one of those places you always hear about, but never get the chance to see. So, while you’re visiting Manhattan, New York, make sure to stop by, and give the building some time of the day, so you can be the one to return home with a little knowledge of the largest stock exchange.  To make sure you learn all about it, take the NY See It All Tour or the NYC Freedom Tour to see the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.  The New York Stock Exchange is a popular stop on OnBoard’s sightseeing tours.  Our Tour Guides walk the group off Broadway onto Wall Street and provide the tour group a historical narrative on the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the history of Wall Street and Federal Hall, where George Washington was inaugurated.  This brisk walk down to Wall Street takes only 10 minutes.

The NYSE is situated on Broad Street. The Visitor Gallery has been shut down since the terrorist attack in 2001, and there is no sign of whether it will open again. However we get a wonderful perspective of the spectacular Corinthian columns on the front of the building. The Exchange was established in 1792 when 24 New York City companies and suppliers finalized the Buttonwood Contract under a buttonwood shrub.  Since then, the NYSE has expanded to become the international icon it is these days.

From the NYSE, you can head back to Broadway and stroll down to the popular Wall Street Bull, one of the best picture possibilities in the area. Designed by then-unknown artist Arturo Di Modica, this icon since 1989 features a 7,000 pound version of a asking for bull with flaring nose that are touched or rubbed for best of fortune by many investors in the day. The statue was motivated by the 1987 Crash.

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Reserve Your Spot with Confidence! Full Refunds with 24 Hrs Notice. Reschedule at any point, even after tour, if space allows!

New York Stock Exchange Tours

This post is a guide and a virtual tour of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) headquarters in Lower Manhattan, with tips on planning your visit.

Click here for a self-guided tour of Wall Street .

HOW TO GET TO THE NYSE

Located at the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is by far the world's largest stock exchange and is the symbol of American capitalism.  

The massive facade of the building is actually not on Wall Street but on Broad.  

Click here for directions to the NYSE . Or why not stay in the area?

The Financial District has a number of inexpensive hotels with great reviews on TripAdvisor .

Or, let us take you here. Many of our tours of Lower Manhattan include or start at the NYSE.

Calendar of all Lower Manhattan Tours (including our pay-what-you-wish tours)

This includes our GPS-led audio tour of Lower Manhattan, which we offer in English, Spanish, and German. Here's a sample.

As you can see on the map, the NYSE is within walking distance from several New York City subway lines.

For those new to the NYC subway, read the following 2 posts.

• How to Use the NYC Subway
• Which Subway Pass to Buy

NOTE: If you are considering any of the t ourist attraction concession passes when in NYC, then keep in mind that all include one or more hop-on-hop-off bus tours for free. 

HISTORY + DESIGN

When you turn the corner to see the Broad Street side of the Exchange, you will be standing in a location of great historical significance.

Prior to 1792, businessmen who engaged in the trading of goods and money met under a tree to transact business.

It was a sycamore tree but known more commonly as a buttonwood tree.

Thus in 1792, when 24 stockbrokers signed an agreement that would regulate their dealings, they named it the Buttonwood Agreement.

25 years later, the members of the Agreement drafted an official constitution and the New York Stock & Exchange Board was born.

In 1863 its name would be shortened t o the New York Stock Exchange.

The first location of the NYSE was a room rented in a small for $200 a month in 1817 located at 40 Wall Street (now the location of the Trump Building, one of the top 10 skyscrapers in New York City .  

When the original NYSE HQ’s were burned down in the Great Fire of New York (1835), the Exchange moved to a temporary headquarters and then again in 1865 moved to 10-12 Broad Street.

As the Exchange grew in business, a larger, grander building was needed.

Construction of the current NYSE building began in 1901 and George B. Post was the architect (known for his neo-classical buildings around New York including the glorious Customs House at Bowling Green).  

It took two years to complete the Exchange and costs ran over the estimated price. In the end, the final cost was $4 million.  

R.H. Thomas, chairman of the Building Committee justified the what-was-then substantial amount of money by saying,  “Where so many of our members spend the active years of their lives, they are entitled to the best that architectural ingenuity and engineering skill can produce.”  

Little could he know that a century later, the price of the building was no more than a typical trader’s end of the year bonus!

Above the columns is a pediment with a sculpture designed by John Q.A. Ward (who also designed the over-life-size standing statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall diagonally across from the Exchange.

Ward’s sculpture, called “Integrity Protecting the Works of Man” centers on the wing-hatted Mercury, the god of commerce.

To her left are representations of mining and agriculture and on her right, symbols of industry, s cience, and invention, all sources of American prosperity.    

THE TRADING FLOOR

Although you cannot visit the trading floor for security reasons, don’t feel too disappointed.

It is no longer the chaotic scene we’ve become familiar with throw movies and TV shows, with traders waving slips of paper, yelling stock prices, and negotiating million-dollar deals in a matter of seconds.  

Back in the 1980s, there were 5,500 people working on the trading floor.

But with the advance of technology and paperless transactions, the number of traders on the ground has dwindled to a mere 700 people and is now a much calmer, quieter environment.

Click the image for the interactive 360-degree view of the main trading floor.

Discovery Education  offers an online virtual visit to the NYSE trading floor.

If you are missing the good old days, you can see what a typical day of trading used to be like by watching movies like “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas, “ The Pursuit of Happiness” starring Will Smith, and “ Trading Places” starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. 

THE RINGING OF THE BELL

The ringing of the bell at 9 am and again at 4 pm is more than a gesture - it guarantees the marketplace that no trades will take place before the opening or after the close of the market.

Starting in the 1870s, before microphones and loudspeakers were invented, used a large Chinese gong to let traders know to start or stop trading for the day.

But in 1903, when the Exchange moved to its current building, the gong was replaced by a brass bell which is now electrically operated.

Each of the 4 trading areas of the NYSE has its own bell which operates synchronously from one single control panel.  

You can see a detailed video history of the Exchange bell here.  

STUDENT GROUP VISITS

Unfortunately, the NYSE can no longer accommodate private requests for visits by school groups.

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• Finance Tours of Wall Street
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Financial Crisis Tour

Wall street insider tour, unofficial succession tour.

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Don’t just see Wall Street, experience it!

Guided tours with former traders, bankers, and others with insider knowledge of NYC's Financial District

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Our wall street tour guides.

Financial experts with firsthand stories from the trenches

New Yorkers who know the Financial District inside and out

Top-rated guides keeping you entertained — and informed

We bring the buildings and landmarks of downtown Manhattan alive. Our goal? To demystify Wall Street. Bring your cameras and your questions!

I was seriously impressed with George’s knowledge and his ability to convey 
it to a mixed group,It is one thing to wander around the buildings in the Wall Street area without knowing what goes on there but quite another to walk around with George and hear about the inside story.

Wendler-Philipp, Germany

We learned so much from Jon White. Not just the history, but the real boots-on-the-ground view of the world of investment. Jon gave us a clear understanding of the financial meltdown and how to avoid the noise of financial information and get to the real indicators.

TommyTTom2003, New York

There are a lot of interesting things that you would never find out about unless you had a knowledgeable guide… His background as a trader allowed him to give an informed and thorough account of Wall Street culture, attitude, and lifestyle.

NeilM646, London

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