Bodies, Bohemians & Basement Bars
Eight stops through Greenwich Village — where twenty thousand bodies lie under a dog park, a nineteen-year-old kid rewrote American music in a horse stable, and a drag queen kicked a cop and changed the world. Walk the crooked streets the grid forgot and figure out which stories are real.
View in App — $9.99What You'll Experience
Plan your walk
Know the route before you buy
- Starts at
- Introduction
- Ends at
- The Reveal
- Walking plan
- 2h · ~0.9 miles
- Schedule
- Start, pause, and resume anytime
Included in the app
- Professional narration
- GPS-triggered stops
- Downloadable tour audio
- Ask the Historian Q&A
- Optional end-of-tour reveal
- All 10 story stops
A taste of what you'll hear
10 stops, each with its own story. Here's a preview.
"You're in Greenwich Village. Which means you're standing in the one neighborhood in Manhattan that looked at the city's famous grid system — the perfectly numbered streets, the right angles, the order — and said, no thanks."
"You're standing in a triangle. Father Demo Square — a little wedge of park at the intersection of Bleecker Street, Carmine Street, and Sixth Avenue. Across the street, the church with the Italian name — Our Lady of Pompeii."
"All right. You made it through Greenwich Village. Eight stops, eight stories, and somewhere in all of that, eight lies. Let's see how you did. The twenty thousand bodies under Washington Square Park? Real. Every one of them."
Tour itinerary
Every stop on this walk
Explore the route before you go. Each stop has its own story preview, location details, and place in the larger tour.
- 1Introduction Read this stop
- 2Washington Square Park Read this stop
- 3The Brown Building (Triangle Fire) Read this stop
- 4MacDougal Street Read this stop
- 5Minetta Lane Read this stop
- 6Father Demo Square Read this stop
- 7Jefferson Market Library Read this stop
- 8Bedford Street Read this stop
- 9Stonewall Inn Read this stop
- 10The Reveal Read this stop
Stories first
Every stop is built around people, conflict, ambition, and consequences—not a plaque read aloud.
Most of it is true. The extra mischief is just a wink at the end, but the story is what carries the walk.
Have questions? Just ask.
Curious about something you heard? Want to know more about a place? Ask us anything — we have a lot to say. It's more fun when it's a conversation.
Ready?
Download the app, head to the starting point, and press play. The stories start themselves.
Get the AppBefore you go
Quick answers
How much is this tour?
$9.99 as a one-time purchase in the iOS app. The New York City city pack is $14.99 and includes every currently available tour in the city.
Can I use it with spotty cell service?
Download the tour audio on Wi-Fi before leaving. Cached narration plays without streaming; map tiles and other online features may still need a connection.
Do I have to start at a specific time?
No. Start when it suits you, pause for a detour or meal, and resume later. Check the opening hours of any venue you personally plan to enter.
Are admission tickets included?
The purchase covers the Bad Historian audio experience. Transportation, food, and admission to third-party attractions are not included.
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One-time
$9.99