Untapped New York - Edison, Tesla & NYC's First Electric Grid Tour

Normally: Adult $41.34 - Child $30.74

Admission included with your Sesame Attraction Pass

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Highlights

  • Stand at the spot where Edison’s first central power plant in NYC ushered in the electric age with the world’s first commercial electric grid
  • Visit the site of Nikola Tesla’s first laboratory, where he patented his most important electric invention
  • See the first building to have fast electric elevators, giving rise to the skyscraper and the world’s first modern office district in Manhattan
  • Find out who had the first electrified home in NYC
  • Untangle the drama between Edison, Tesla, and J.P. Morgan, and separate fact from fiction in the power struggle that shaped our wired world

What You Get

Free admission with the Sesame Attraction Pass.

How To Redeem

After you have purchased your Sesame Attraction Pass, go to your account to book your ticket.

Hours of operation

Tour Times Vary
Duration 2 hours

Address

Untapped New York - Edison, Tesla & NYC's First Electric Grid Tour

The group meets at the northwest corner of Pearl and Fulton Streets in Lower Manhattan.

How To Get There: By Subway: A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to Fulton Center then 5 minute walk

Description

On September 4, 1882, Thomas Edison flipped the switch on the world’s first electric grid—right here in Lower Manhattan.

This electrifying tour and history talk traces how that moment sparked a global revolution, transforming NYC’s gas-lit streets into glittering thoroughfares of skyscrapers illuminated by electric lights. You’ll follow in the footsteps of a young Nikola Tesla, who arrived in 1884 to work for Edison.

Dive into the drama that caused Tesla to shockingly break away from Edison and create his own electric innovations. We’ll explore how electricity helped NYC reach new heights as elevators made it possible for buildings and people to rise higher than ever before. It’s a tour of brilliant minds, bold ideas, and the literal power that built the city.

About Your Guide:
Rich Miller was previously NYC Energy Policy Chief (1998-2003) and recently retired as Vice-President for Energy and Environmental Law at Con Edison. He has authored articles on New York City’s significant role in the early history of electricity.