Taylor Swift-inspired walking tour in New York City
Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West checks out the GetYourGuide 90-minute NYC walking tour through Soho and West Village.
Entertain This
- A Taylor Swift-themed walking tour takes fans to various locations in New York City frequented by the singer.
- The 90-minute tour includes stops at places where Swift has filmed music videos and recorded albums.
- The tour costs $40 per person for public groups and $65 per person for private groups of three or more.
“Welcome to New York,” says Alison Hagan. “I’m Alison, spelled just like Taylor’s middle name.”
Hagan is a tour guide for “Taylor Swift’s New York: A Walking Tour.” Her bright red shirt stands out in screaming color against the neutral brownstone buildings of Soho. She gives fans of the superstar her spiel before they embark on a 90-minute adventure with 13 stops associated with the “Cornelia Street” singer.
“We are going to walk around West Village and Soho, essentially anywhere Taylor Swift has touched either through her lyrics or in person,” Hagan says in front of the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, where Swift shot part of “All Too Well: The Short Film.”
Father-daughter duo Joe and Fiona Coakley signed up for the tour while visiting from Dallas.
Fiona walks inside the bookstore and is directed by Hagan to the exact spot where Swift filmed. On the ground behind a book table are two pink footprints with the words “Taylor stood here.” Coakley smiles in excitement.
Long live the Eras Tour with our enchanting book
As the Swift brigade exits the bookstore, they walk for a few miles through lower Manhattan.
Hagan shares factoids and stories about where the Eras Tour ringleader has frequented, dined and been seen out with friends. Every once in a while the tour guide turns to Coakley and asks trivia questions.
“Fiona, what is the name of the studio where Taylor recorded ‘Folklore,’ ‘Midnights’ and ‘The Tortured Poets Department’?
“Electric Lady,” the high school freshman quips, not missing a beat. Frankly, she could go on to win a Taylor Swift trivia night.
“Yes, and the studio is very unassuming,” Hagan says to segue into a discussion about the chocolate brown building.
GetYourGuide launched the Taylor Swift-inspired walking tour last May. The global tourism marketplace cast a bedazzled net hoping to land the most dedicated Swifties in the role of tour guide.
“I saw this on Playbill,” Hagan says. The 23-year-old moved to the Big Apple after graduating from the University of Utah hoping to make it as a musical theater actress. “I was looking for side hustles, and Taylor Swift has been my favorite artist since I was 6 years old. When I applied, I was like, ‘I talk about her enough for free, might as well see if I can make some money,’ and here we are. It worked out really nicely.’”
The end of the tour takes place at a public park referenced in one of Swift’s “Folklore” songs. To avoid giving the entire tour away, let’s just say some fans may need to bring their “Cardigan” to this scenic stop.
Public tours are $40 per person or private tours with groups of three or more are $65 per person. To sign up, visit GetYourGuide.
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Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network’s Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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