Walking Tour of New York

In this episode of Walking Tour of New York, we head to the hamlet of Mumford in Monroe County -- about twenty miles southwest of Rochester -- to explore Genesee Country Village and Museum, the largest living history museum in New York State. Covering more than six hundred acres, the museum was founded in the 1960s by John "Jack" Wehle, son of the Genesee Brewing Company's founder, who spent a decade rescuing 19th-century structures from across the Genesee Valley and reassembling them into a fully realized historic village. The result is sixty-eight restored and furnished buildings -- from a simple pioneer log cabin to an elaborate Victorian mansion -- organized into three chronological sections representing the Early Settlement, Center Village, and Gaslight District eras of Western New York life. Costumed interpreters bring each building to life with active demonstrations of blacksmithing, coopering, pottery throwing, weaving, historic cooking, and more. The episode also explores the John L. Wehle Gallery of Sporting Art (home to works by Audubon, Remington, and Bateman, plus a 3,500-piece historic costume collection), the Carriage Museum, Silver Baseball Park -- the first replica 19th-century baseball park in America -- and the five-mile trail system of the Genesee Country Nature Center. On-site dining includes the Depot Restaurant, the Freight House Pub (featuring house craft beers brewed by Rohrbach Brewing Company), the Pavilion Garden Restaurant, and the historic D.B. Munger Confectionery. For nearby sites, the episode highlights the JELL-O Gallery Museum in LeRoy (about ten miles west), and the New York Museum of Transportation in Rush (with the only vintage trolley ride in New York State). Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

At the very tip of Long Island's North Fork, where the land narrows to a slender finger of sand and the waters of Gardiner's Bay stretch wide and glittering toward the horizon, Orient Beach State Park waits quietly for the visitors who find their way out here. It is one of the few places on Long Island where the landscape still feels genuinely untouched -- a 363-acre sanctuary of beach, salt marsh, and a rare maritime forest that has earned the distinction of being a National Natural Landmark. This episode takes you through every corner of the park, from the legendary Long Beach spit and the Roy Latham Maritime Forest Trail to the lighthouse nicknamed Bug Light that has stood guard over these waters since 1871. Along the way, you'll discover why birders, paddlers, and beachgoers alike make the long drive out to the North Fork's eastern edge -- and why the nearby village of Greenport is worth staying for. Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

At the very tip of Manhattan, where the Hudson meets the Harlem River, lies a 196-acre forest that most New Yorkers have never visited. Inwood Hill Park is home to the last old-growth forest on the island, dramatic glacial caves used by the Lenape people for thousands of years, a legendary site where Peter Minuit may have purchased all of Manhattan, and a salt marsh that somehow survived the city's relentless growth. This episode explores the deep Indigenous history of Shorakapok, the amateur archaeologists who uncovered pots and axes in the 1890s, the park's stunning trails, and the lively Dominican neighborhood waiting just outside the park gates. Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Tucked along the southern edge of Ithaca in New York's Finger Lakes region, Buttermilk Falls State Park is one of the most spectacular and accessible state parks in the entire Northeast. With ten waterfalls cascading through a dramatic 600-foot gorge, emerald-green potholes carved by ancient glacial forces, and stone trails hand-laid by Depression-era workers, the park offers something rare -- a place where deep history and raw natural beauty arrive side by side. Whether you're wading in the natural swimming pool at the base of Buttermilk Falls, hiking the quiet shores of Lake Treman, or simply sitting beside the churning white water that gave the park its name, this is a destination that rewards every kind of visitor.Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Whiteface Mountain rises from the heart of the Adirondacks in the small town of Wilmington, Essex County -- the fifth-highest peak in New York State, the site of the alpine skiing events at the 1980 Winter Olympics, and the only High Peak in the Adirondacks you can drive almost to the very summit. Whether you come in winter for the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies, or in summer to wind your way up the Veterans Memorial Highway to a stone castle perched 4,600 feet above sea level, Whiteface delivers something rare: big-mountain drama made genuinely accessible, with a rich history of Olympic glory, scientific discovery, and Adirondack wilderness all wrapped into one unforgettable destination. Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Step inside one of the most storied sports venues on earth -- Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx. From Babe Ruth's thunderous home runs to Lou Gehrig's farewell speech, from Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio to Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge, this is where baseball's greatest dynasty has played out over more than a century. In this episode, we take you on a guided tour through the stadium itself -- the soaring Great Hall, the Yankees Museum, the sacred ground of Monument Park, the seating bowl, and all the hidden details that make this place unlike any other ballpark in the world. Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Bear Mountain State Park sits in the Hudson Highlands, roughly 50 miles north of Midtown Manhattan, where a mountain shaped like a sleeping bear rises above the western bank of the Hudson River. In this episode we explore more than a century of history -- from a prison that was never built to the birth of the Appalachian Trail -- and walk you through everything the park has to offer, from summit panoramas and lakeside paddleboats to a century-old inn and a carousel whose hand-carved animals come straight from the forest around you. Whether you're planning a day trip from the city or an overnight escape into the Hudson Highlands, Bear Mountain delivers something rare: genuine wilderness within reach of one of the world's great urban centers.Visit NorthStarTravelers.com to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Walking Tour of New York is a podcast built to enhance how you experience one of the world's most captivating cities. By combining storytelling with location-based insights, we help you connect more deeply with the places you visit -- before your trip, during it, or from the comfort of home. Our mission is to make exploration more meaningful, flexible, and accessible for everyone.Travel has always been about more than just reaching a destination -- it's about understanding the story behind the place. Some of the most memorable experiences come from learning the history, uncovering hidden details, and hearing the fascinating facts that bring a location to life. Guided tours often provide that depth, but they aren't always available or convenient when you're exploring on your own schedule.That's where this idea was born. We wanted a way to capture that informative, storytelling experience and make it accessible anytime, anywhere. Whether you're walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, strolling through Central Park, or planning your first trip to New York from across the world, having engaging, easy-to-digest insights at your fingertips can turn a simple stop into something far more meaningful.Walking Tour of New York was created to bridge that gap. Our goal is to provide you with the stories, history, and highlights of New York's most extraordinary destinations -- delivered in a way that fits your pace, your itinerary, and your style of travel. No schedules to follow, no groups to keep up with -- just you, your curiosity, and the freedom to explore.Above all, we hope this inspires you to discover new corners of New York, revisit familiar places with fresh perspective, and get out there to experience everything this incredible city has to offer. There's always something new waiting -- you just have to go explore.To see gear recommendations and other podcast shows to destinations around the world visit NorthStarTravelers.com.