Tour Highlights
Have fun with a charismatic and energetic licensed guide, “BFAB”, who has called Hell’s Kitchen home for over a decade! Tours include a quiz game (with a prize for the winner!) to make learning about Hell’s Kitchen more interactive, as well as a tutorial on how to clack a fan like a pro!
Learn about the history of Hell’s Kitchen, including its working-class immigrant past, the origin of its name, and the evolution of the neighborhood from gangster-run slums into a multi-cultural artistic and gay enclave.
Get to know the story behind the gangs that ruled Hell’s Kitchen, and some of their most infamous leaders like Owney Madden, Battle Annie, and Mickey Spillane.
See some of the oldest existing buildings in Hell’s Kitchen, including the German Church (now Westside Theater), Hartley House, and row houses that date back to the late 1800’s.
Discover the home and training ground of numerous celebrities that helped shape Hell’s Kitchen into a pipeline for performers and artists, including Manhattan Plaza, and The Actors Studio.
Learn about groundbreaking community-based organizations such as Hartley House, Fountain House and the Clinton Community Garden, that have inspired similar organizations across the country and around the world.
See tenements typical of the late 1800’s and learn about their sordid history, as well as understand the Special Clinton District. Understand the difference between a Pre-Law, Old Law and New Law Tenement, and how these names came about.
Hear colorful and sometimes tragic stories about Hell’s Kitchen’s gay past and present, including the OUT Hotel, Sanctuary, Manhattan Plaza, the Ritz/Q murders, and Posh Bar/FLEX Bar.
Stops on the Tour
Meeting Point/Overview of Hell’s Kitchen
Stop 1:
OUT Hotel/Gayborhood History
Stop 2:
Manhattan Plaza/Clinton Special District
Stop 3:
German Church/Sanctuary/West Side Theater
Stop 4:
New Dramatists/The Actors Studio
Stop 5:
Poseidon Bakery/Int’l Food Festival/Film Center Building
Stop 6:
Mathews-Palmer Playground
Stop 7:
Hartley House/Frances Perkins Place
Stop 8:
9th Avenue Saloon/Restaurant Row/Ritz-Q Murders
Stop 9:
Fountain House
Stop 10:
Hell’s Kitchen Tenements, Pre-Law/Old Law/New Law
Stop 11:
Clinton Community Garden
Stop 12:
Mickey Spillane’s / Gangster History
Stop 13:
French Flats
Stop 14:
Posh/FLEX Bar
Stop 15:
Tour Deets
Total Time: 2.5 hours
Total Distance: About 1.6 miles
Price: $49
Max Capacity: 12
Meeting Point: NW Corner of W. 42nd St./9th Ave. (401 W. 42nd St., 10036)
Ending Point: Flex Bar (405 W. 51st St., 10036)
Private Tours
We offer both private and customized tours to suit your specific interests and needs.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@bfabtours.com if you have any special requests or would like more information about pricing and availability!
Disclaimer: Please note that the stops on the tour, and the information that is covered during each tour, are subject to change. The tour route, as well as specific information that is shared with participants, may be altered at the discretion of the guide due to time, participant interest, or other factors. However, this means that every tour will be unique, just like BFAB!