On my journey to see Hamilton the musical (I’m still working on getting tickets), I have read the long book that the musical was based on, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, I have devoured the book written about the musical, Hamilton the Revolution by Lin Manuel Miranda, and I’ve watched and listened to every youtube video and podcast on the subject that I can get my hands on. So while in New York City, why not visit the appropriate Hamilton sights? I did some internet research and made myself a Hamiltour!
My first stop was to go check out Alexander Hamilton’s house– It was only 40 blocks away!
On my walk I found a market (I love street markets)
And gathering of pidgeons.
Google Maps told me to walk down Amsterdam Ave– My mom was just in Amsterdam last week!
I came across Hamilton Place, but that wasn’t the way to the Grange…
Hamilton Terrace was. 
There were some lovely brownstones on Hamilton Terrace
And then I arrived. 
The house has been moved twice. Though still on the land that Alexander Hamilton originally owned, as the city grew up around the house, it was moved to places where it could be surrounded by nature as it was originally intended.
Now it is part of a National Park. 
I followed the path to the door on the lowest level to see a sign telling me I was in the right place. 
I used the free bathroom, glanced at the informational display, took a peek at the gift shop, 
watched a 15 minute video about his life, and then waited for my name to be called to go on the self guided tour of the upper floor. Only 15 people were allowed on the floor at a time– in addition to being moved, the house was over 200 years old.
Finally my turn came. I climbed up the narrow staircase to the main floor. It was furnished from the time period
And some of the pieces were original– like the piano.
There’s his buddy George!
And there are portraits of Alex and Elisa
I thought their main staircase was pretty
The floors were warped (I thought that was interesting– probably because the house had been moved so many times) and I couldn’t go up to the 2nd floor, but it was a fun afternoon outing– especially since it was free! Hamiltour stop #1 – check!
I saw this mural on the way home.
A couple of days later, I went downtown to find Hamilton’s grave at Trinity Church. There it was! I could see it from the street!
I walked around to the front of the church
I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside. But I came back out to the graveyard to see that Eliza, Hamilton’s wife is buried right next to him
There were pennies scattered over both of their graves. A sign said that their son Philip is also buried nearby.
In the final song, Eliza says that her sister, Angelica was also buried here, but I couldn’t find her tombstone.
The words on most of the tombstones have worn away.
The final stop on my Hamiltour was to visit Fraunces Tavern. Last October (almost exactly a year ago) I was here in New York with Amanda and Alex (from Baltimore) and I insisted that we visit the oldest tavern in New York.
I learned of this place in Hamilton The Revolution.
A couple of the songs are set here, and though there isn’t any evidence that Hamilton hung out here, the odds are likely that he did.
In the song they sing “Raise a glass to Freedom!” so we ordered drinks and my friends allowed me to serenade them.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was singing a song from a musical that I love in the actual place the set is based on. But I was also toasting to my new freedom– I had learned days before that my position had been eliminated and I was soon to be free of the stressful job that I couldn’t justify leaving. Over the past year, I have savored that freedom everyday.
Google maps guided me through the narrow streets of lower Manhattan, past Federal Hall, the first Capitol building of the United States, and the sight where Washington gave his inaugural address.
That’s me with George!
And down the street was my destination.
I rose a glass to Freedom (a Brooklyn Pumpkin Ale with cinnamon sugar on the rim)
And then noticed that the bar was the Dingle Whiskey Bar.
I was just in Dingle a couple of months ago! I rode my bike past the Dingle Distillery in the rain! The food on the menu looked good, and there was a tour of the museum, but I didn’t have time to partake– I had tickets to a matinee!