10 Backstage Group Tours in New York City

Museum of Broadway

Every day is opening night at The Museum of Broadway, an immersive theatrical experience that takes visitors from the birth of Broadway to the present day. Educational workshops give students opportunities to explore the magic of Broadway and teachers pre-visit lesssons, post-visit activities, and resources for additional content and further research.

Hudson Up Close

Journey back in time with our Green Team Guides to 1903 as guests get a rare insider look at Broadway’s oldest theater: The Hudson. This interior tour offers tour-goers an exclusive view of the nooks and crannies of this historic building that was restored in 2017 to its original glory after decades of narrowly avoiding demolition. Beginning in Times Square, tour-goers will be transported back to 1903 before stepping inside Hudson Theatre. For over 100 years the theater’s walls have witnessed tragedy, gangsters, and legends of pop culture, music, and Broadway who created iconic moments amid the glow of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s original lighting. For an hour and forty-five minutes guests will bask in these stories told in the theatrical silence of an empty Broadway theater – a rare, one-of-a-kind experience on Broadway! Utilizing iPads chock full of rarely seen photographs and videos from our intense research, tour-goers will see Hudson Theatre’s past and present merge before their eyes like never before. Although this tour is offered in-person, Broadway Up Close can schedule other virtual tours for your group.

Behind the Emerald Curtain

Ever wondered what it takes to produce a Broadway musical, or perform in one 8 times a week? Always wanted to get a detailed look at the inner workings of WICKED? Behind the Emerald Curtain takes newcomers and diehard fans alike through the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience at the Gershwin, led by WICKED’s own cast members. In your visit to the Behind the Emerald Curtain Museum, you’ll see an elaborate set model by Tony Award®-winner Eugene Lee, take an up-close look at Susan Hilferty’s Tony Award-winning costumes, enjoy a candid Q + A session with a few cast members, and more!

Lincoln Center Tour

The new Lincoln Center Tour provides a behind-the-scenes perspective of the past and present of Lincoln Center. During 75-minute, weekday guided tours, guests will learn about Lincoln Center’s history; explore the iconic arts organizations that call Lincoln Center home; and experience our vibrant campus the way only artists and staff do.

Carnegie Hall

Make your group visit to New York City unique with a private tour of Carnegie Hall. Your group will enjoy stories from our expert docents about this landmarked concert venue and national treasure. You may place requests for a private group tour for groups of 15 people or more no earlier than four months in advance. Remote, private virtual tours avaialble for groups.

Radio City Music Hall

Go behind the scenes at the Showplace of the Nation! Explore the history and beauty of Radio City Music Hall on this 60-minute guided tour. Discover art deco masterpieces including the palatial 60-foot high Grand Foyer and visit Radio City’s secret apartment, The Roxy Suite. Get exclusive views of the majestic auditorium and learn the history of the iconic Great Stage. Plus, complete your tour by meeting a Radio City Rockette!

Hamiltour

Tour-goers can join our Green Team Guides on Alexander Hamilton’s sidewalks and explore “the revolution happening in New York” in the 1700’s on our HamilTour. In addition to seeing the historical sites from the musical, guests will hear never-before-heard stories and secrets from the creation of the record-breaking musical. Culminating at the gravesite of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, tour-goers are sure to walk away even more obsessed with Hamilton: An American Musical than ever before! Don’t “wait for it,” join us today in the “greatest city in the world!” 

Schubert Brothers & Beyond

The SHUBERT BROTHERS & BEYOND TOUR will explore all of the Broadway theaters in the middle of the Broadway theatre district from 44th Street to 46th Street. As Times Square transformed from an area full of manure and horse stables to one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world, a battle for Broadway was brewing between a group of theatrical titans and three scrappy brothers with the last name of Shubert. Set against the backdrop of Broadway’s most famous theaters, tour-goers will hear about the Shubert Brothers who monopolized Broadway against all odds with the help of an awkwardly named architect. Add in the true origins of the Tony Awards and rarely heard stories from famous musicals ranging from Oklahoma! to Hamilton and we promise you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for just how far Broadway has come over the past 100 years. Utilizing iPads chock full of rarely seen photographs and videos from years of research, tour-goers will see Broadway’s past and present merge before their eyes.

Broadway Beginnings

The BROADWAY’S BEGINNINGS TOUR will explore all of the Broadway theaters at the southern end of the Broadway theatre district from 41st Street to 44th Street. Journey back in time with our Green Team Guides to Broadway’s early years full of roof garden theaters, tap shoes, and theatrical con artists. Learn the true difference between a Broadway theater and an Off-Broadway theater and revel in the secrets hidden in plain sight in some of Broadway’s most famous theaters. Tour-goers will hear how a show is created from the first rehearsal to opening night and all of the craziness in between. And, of course, we’ll explore the spirits that may still be lurking in the shadows backstage with a few unbelievable ghost stories. Utilizing iPads chock full of rarely seen photographs and videos from years of research, tour-goers will see Broadway’s past and present merge before their eyes.

The Drama Book Shop

Not a tour, but a quintessential New York theater institution nonetheless. Founded in 1917 by the Drama League, the Drama Book Shop became an independent book store in 1923 and since that time has been deemed a quintessential New York City cultural institution. Over the past 100 years, the Drama Book Shop has secured its reputation as the city’s best source for theatrical works, with over 8,000 plays regularly in stock.