Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
4
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You can tour the trading rooms, the museum and the Fed's vault, which holds 900 tons of gold.
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Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Fulton St • 2 min walk
- Wall St • 3 min walk
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4.0
286 reviews
Excellent
124
Very good
90
Average
43
Poor
19
Terrible
10
Rolshchikov-Dmitry
Moscow, Russia515 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
Very interesting guided tour. You get to know about Federal Reserve Bank structure, about NYC branch building, get to see the vault. Keep in mind it’s not very easy to book. Check the official site for details. Booking for specific date opens several weeks in advance at specific time. Since the tours have very limited capacity and demand is high, tours are fully booked in first minutes. So it’s worth setting a reminder a couple of minutes before the date you are interested in becomes available. Also note it’s not allowed to take photos inside, but you will leave with a lot of new memories)
Written 29 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CasaLemon
Nottingham, UK452 contributions
May 2018 • Family
Visiting The Federal Reserve for the Gold Vault & Museum Tour was a highlight of our recent trip to NYC, In a city where everything is so expensive it’s a refreshing change to find something free, it’s also informative, amazing to see all of that gold in the vaults and it’s hosted by a great tour guide.
Tickets are like Gold Dust, if you pardon the pun, with around 40 tickets released exactly 30 days in advance at 9am NYC which conveniently is 2pm in the afternoon uk time.
To get the tickets there is an online form to complete with names and addresses all under the pressure of watching those tickets be snapped up.
I used the methods below and managed to get 4 tickets on my second try.
Be Ready - a couple of minutes before ticket release get the website loaded and be on the request ticket page, keep refreshing until the tickets appear, tickets are split into 2 tours both in the afternoon.
Practice - it’s unlikely you will get tickets first try but seeing the form and practicing filling it in will help.
Copy & Paste - I copied and pasted my email address to save time
Abbreviation - I used initials for all first & surnames , you have to fill in names for all of your party, you can go back into your booking afterwards and update.
Miss Parts - I discovered that you can get by with very little of your address, house number, city & postcode, again this can the be updated later
I hope that you manage to get tickets following these tips.
Tickets are like Gold Dust, if you pardon the pun, with around 40 tickets released exactly 30 days in advance at 9am NYC which conveniently is 2pm in the afternoon uk time.
To get the tickets there is an online form to complete with names and addresses all under the pressure of watching those tickets be snapped up.
I used the methods below and managed to get 4 tickets on my second try.
Be Ready - a couple of minutes before ticket release get the website loaded and be on the request ticket page, keep refreshing until the tickets appear, tickets are split into 2 tours both in the afternoon.
Practice - it’s unlikely you will get tickets first try but seeing the form and practicing filling it in will help.
Copy & Paste - I copied and pasted my email address to save time
Abbreviation - I used initials for all first & surnames , you have to fill in names for all of your party, you can go back into your booking afterwards and update.
Miss Parts - I discovered that you can get by with very little of your address, house number, city & postcode, again this can the be updated later
I hope that you manage to get tickets following these tips.
Written 28 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A great side trip while visiting downtown Manhattan. Not for young children as much of the tour is about the money system. The highlight is visiting the underground vault which contains more gold bars than anywhere else on the planet. This bunker is probably the most extraordinary one going.
Written 7 September 2001
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
live2wander
louisiana24 contributions
In a city where money seems to burn holes in your pockets, this attraction is an incredible value! Not only is it interesting-- it's free. Make sure to visit the website weeks in advance to reserve a date and time for your visit. After passing through security, you'll store your belongings in a locked cabinet. You can't take photos or videos. A short introductory video describes the day-to-day function of the Federal Reserve banks around the U.S. You're then taken down to the subterranean gold vault, buried deep below the subways in the Manhattan bedrock. After passing through massive concrete and steel walls, you'll see the magnesium shoe covers used to protect the toes of workers that move the bars, the precise scales, and the chipped concrete floor where bars have fallen. Stacks of gold bars fill triple-locked cages similar to jail cells. Interestingly, over 98% of the gold here is owned by other countries. The shooting range where employees practice their aim is mentioned but not included on the tour. At the end of the gold vault tour, you're given a booklet about the Federal Reserve. When you retrieve your belongings, you're given another souvenir-- a small bag of shredded dollars. There are also several free, comic-book style pamphlets covering various aspects of finance (ie. checks, inflation, how coins are made, etc.) that seem to be aimed at a teen audience. You can then explore an interesting numismatic exhibit that spans the history of coins from ancient Lydia, Greece, Rome, China, Medieval and Renaissance Europe, and the Colonial Americas to the present day. The world's most expensive coin (a mere $7 million) is encased in glass inches before your eyes. Lest you're tempted by thoughts of a Bonnie and Clyde heist and an early retirement, you're reminded that the building can be completely sealed shut on lockdown in 30 seconds:.) There's also a paper currency exhibit in the next room, but plan your time accordingly. The gold vault and numismatic exhibit alone took us 1 hour-- we didn't have time to see the rest of the exhibit.
( FYI--A great economic-themed afternoon could also include the nearby Museum of American Finance. This small but well-planned museum was educational, informative, and relatively inexpensive.)
11 year old review:
My experience in the gold vault was really cool! We went though a steel door that was controlled by a steering wheel and pivoted shut. When we got into the vault I saw the shiny yellowish gold. The gold was stacked on top of each other in gold bars and bricks (taller than my dad). There were more than 100 other cages stacked with gold. I hope to come back here in the future!
( FYI--A great economic-themed afternoon could also include the nearby Museum of American Finance. This small but well-planned museum was educational, informative, and relatively inexpensive.)
11 year old review:
My experience in the gold vault was really cool! We went though a steel door that was controlled by a steering wheel and pivoted shut. When we got into the vault I saw the shiny yellowish gold. The gold was stacked on top of each other in gold bars and bricks (taller than my dad). There were more than 100 other cages stacked with gold. I hope to come back here in the future!
Written 10 December 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jktweed
New York City, NY113 contributions
July 2018 • Solo
- Hard to nab tickets for this tour, but it's definitely worth it! Very informative + you get to view the gold bars in the vault in the basement + you get a little souvenir at the end (a bag of shredded cash)!
- Tickets, which are free, are released 30 days in advance of the tour date at 9am (New York time). There are two time slots: 1pm and 2pm. There are only 25 spaces per time slot so you have to be a keyboard ninja as soon as they go live on the website.
- You need a printed ticket plus your ID to get in. They suggest you arrive 30 minutes early to get through security. This isn't strict. If you arrive 10-15 minutes before you should be fine.
- When you get inside the building after going through security you can wonder around the 'museum' which is sort of like an exhibition that gives a little bit of info about the history of the place, the architecture, the economy, etc. All of this is discussed in the tour anyway but you can stick around after the end of the tour to read all the info if you like.
- They have some free postcards and comic books on a few tables in the 'museum' waiting area which you can take home for free. The comic books are a fun read if you arrive very early and need something to do.
- You get given headphones but I never needed them. The group is small and the tour guide is always within earshot. Our tour guide spoke quite softly so some people did use them.
- You can ask any questions through the tour! My guide was Anna and she was lovely. Very knowledgable and friendly.
- I'm super happy I got to go on this tour. The building itself is beautiful and not open to the public any other time so this is a rare chance to get a 'behind the scenes' view. I would definitely recommend taking the time to plan this into your trip (if you happen to be researching things to do well in advance of your trip).
- Tickets, which are free, are released 30 days in advance of the tour date at 9am (New York time). There are two time slots: 1pm and 2pm. There are only 25 spaces per time slot so you have to be a keyboard ninja as soon as they go live on the website.
- You need a printed ticket plus your ID to get in. They suggest you arrive 30 minutes early to get through security. This isn't strict. If you arrive 10-15 minutes before you should be fine.
- When you get inside the building after going through security you can wonder around the 'museum' which is sort of like an exhibition that gives a little bit of info about the history of the place, the architecture, the economy, etc. All of this is discussed in the tour anyway but you can stick around after the end of the tour to read all the info if you like.
- They have some free postcards and comic books on a few tables in the 'museum' waiting area which you can take home for free. The comic books are a fun read if you arrive very early and need something to do.
- You get given headphones but I never needed them. The group is small and the tour guide is always within earshot. Our tour guide spoke quite softly so some people did use them.
- You can ask any questions through the tour! My guide was Anna and she was lovely. Very knowledgable and friendly.
- I'm super happy I got to go on this tour. The building itself is beautiful and not open to the public any other time so this is a rare chance to get a 'behind the scenes' view. I would definitely recommend taking the time to plan this into your trip (if you happen to be researching things to do well in advance of your trip).
Written 6 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
metalliam
Oxfordshire, England33 contributions
You can't beat the price - It's free! This hour long trip is quite educational, as they play you a movie outlining how the new money centre in Jersey works, which is pretty cool, and the tour guide explains certain aspects of the vault once you get down there.
Down in the vault you'll see what happens if a gold bar is dropped on the floor, and you can see the shoes they have to wear to handle the gold. You can just about fit your finger through the grilling to touch the gold, which is cool as it's worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars a piece!
You also have the chance to see the most valuable coin in the world, which is pretty cool - the 1933 Double Eagle.
If you consider that the tour lasts only an hour and is free, you can't beat it. Even if you don't like it, you haven't paid, and it doesn't last long. You have to write to them ahead of time to get tickets, but you MUST be on time - I was extremely lucky that they allowed me to go on a later tour after I woke up late with terrible pain in my neck. Upon arriving at the bank, I told them my story and the officers were very helpful.
Down in the vault you'll see what happens if a gold bar is dropped on the floor, and you can see the shoes they have to wear to handle the gold. You can just about fit your finger through the grilling to touch the gold, which is cool as it's worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars a piece!
You also have the chance to see the most valuable coin in the world, which is pretty cool - the 1933 Double Eagle.
If you consider that the tour lasts only an hour and is free, you can't beat it. Even if you don't like it, you haven't paid, and it doesn't last long. You have to write to them ahead of time to get tickets, but you MUST be on time - I was extremely lucky that they allowed me to go on a later tour after I woke up late with terrible pain in my neck. Upon arriving at the bank, I told them my story and the officers were very helpful.
Written 6 July 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scottcabal
Folkestone, UK314 contributions
I wasn't expecting this to be the most interesting tour ever - I just wanted to do the tour as it was free, unique and I wanted to see the gold vault. However I quite enjoyed my tour.
You need to make reservations as far in advance as possible as they can fill up some time in advance. Tickets are mailed to you even if you live abroad - but if they don't arrive just take the confirmation e-mail with you.
Make sure you arrive at the time they specify to allow time to get through security etc. You will need a federally issued ID to get in - or if you're from abroad a passport is prefered. My friend took his driving licence and they were hesitant about accepting it - although in the UK it is a standard form of ID so he was allowed in.
You aren't allowed any personal belongings on the tour. All bags, jackets, cameras, phones etc need to be stored in closets which are provided free of charge - and your tour guide takes the key so it's all safe.
To start with you have some free time to look around the exhibits in the bank before they call you over for the tour. You are shown a short video detailing the Federal Reserve System and the job of the NY FRB. Then you are taken down underground, onto the bedrock under New York to the gold vault where you can see (and if you have small fingers touch) the gold.
It doesn't show you as much of the vault as the site makes it seem, but it was definitely an interesting tour and I would recommend it to others if the idea of the tour draws your attention. If the idea of a bank tour makes you hesitant it'll probably be a boring tour - but I enjoyed it.
After the tour you can pick up a huge selection of free booklets about the Federal Reserve Bank System, and you are also given a free bag of money, although it's only a small bag of shredded bills - sorry. One interesting point though - they also have maps of NY in this selection of booklets and it was the best map I found anywhere including online, in tour guides and in the city.
If you don't want to take the tour then you should at least have a look at the bank itself - it's a unique building. It's only a block or two from both Wall Street and the World Trade Center site so you can include it in a general walkabout of the southern end of Manhattan.
You need to make reservations as far in advance as possible as they can fill up some time in advance. Tickets are mailed to you even if you live abroad - but if they don't arrive just take the confirmation e-mail with you.
Make sure you arrive at the time they specify to allow time to get through security etc. You will need a federally issued ID to get in - or if you're from abroad a passport is prefered. My friend took his driving licence and they were hesitant about accepting it - although in the UK it is a standard form of ID so he was allowed in.
You aren't allowed any personal belongings on the tour. All bags, jackets, cameras, phones etc need to be stored in closets which are provided free of charge - and your tour guide takes the key so it's all safe.
To start with you have some free time to look around the exhibits in the bank before they call you over for the tour. You are shown a short video detailing the Federal Reserve System and the job of the NY FRB. Then you are taken down underground, onto the bedrock under New York to the gold vault where you can see (and if you have small fingers touch) the gold.
It doesn't show you as much of the vault as the site makes it seem, but it was definitely an interesting tour and I would recommend it to others if the idea of the tour draws your attention. If the idea of a bank tour makes you hesitant it'll probably be a boring tour - but I enjoyed it.
After the tour you can pick up a huge selection of free booklets about the Federal Reserve Bank System, and you are also given a free bag of money, although it's only a small bag of shredded bills - sorry. One interesting point though - they also have maps of NY in this selection of booklets and it was the best map I found anywhere including online, in tour guides and in the city.
If you don't want to take the tour then you should at least have a look at the bank itself - it's a unique building. It's only a block or two from both Wall Street and the World Trade Center site so you can include it in a general walkabout of the southern end of Manhattan.
Written 20 May 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TouristMD
Baltimore, MD2,510 contributions
I wouldn't say this is a must see for anyone visiting NYC for the first time, but if you've been here a couple of times and looking for something different(and free) it is a good choice.
I reserved my tour about a month in advance on their web site. About two weeks before they sent me a ticket in the mail. When you go you must bring the ticket and your id.
My tour was at 330 but I arrived at 3. After going through security you are free to look through the exhibits, There is an exhibit about the fed and an exhibit about coins. They were pretty interesting and interactive. There is a glass case which contains $48 million in shredded money!
At tour time they gather up everyone and bring you to a small room where you must put all you bags/electronics into a locker. Then they show you a short video about the fed.
Next you are taken down an elevator to the gold vault where you can see the gold and they talk about all the security features. After that you are brought back to the main level and you can finish looking at the exhibits.
I found the fed interesting, and I think most people would at least find the gold vault interesting.
I reserved my tour about a month in advance on their web site. About two weeks before they sent me a ticket in the mail. When you go you must bring the ticket and your id.
My tour was at 330 but I arrived at 3. After going through security you are free to look through the exhibits, There is an exhibit about the fed and an exhibit about coins. They were pretty interesting and interactive. There is a glass case which contains $48 million in shredded money!
At tour time they gather up everyone and bring you to a small room where you must put all you bags/electronics into a locker. Then they show you a short video about the fed.
Next you are taken down an elevator to the gold vault where you can see the gold and they talk about all the security features. After that you are brought back to the main level and you can finish looking at the exhibits.
I found the fed interesting, and I think most people would at least find the gold vault interesting.
Written 28 August 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anweshachatterjee
Liverpool, UK204 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
To anyone who wishes to visit this place - look out for the advance ticketing portal which opens exactly 30 days before your intended date of visit at 9 am NY time and is sold out by 9.02 am NY time. Be ready at your computer a few minutes before 9 am and leave the rest to luck. On the date of visit carry some form of government ID. For foreign national passports would be the safest bet but I got in on my UK residence permit. The tour itself does not last very long and everyone is keen on the gold vault visit anyway. You get to see it from a distance but its impressive enough. And when you leave, you get a little packet of shredded greens to take with you ;)
Written 29 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SarahRose3
50 contributions
A fascinating experience, made even better by the fact that it was free! You have to time ticket buying perfectly as the tickets come out a month before the tour, and at local time. Places are very limited so make sure you keep an eye open for them.
The tour guide was absolutely brilliant, and knew her stuff. She was extremely friendly and went above and beyond to answer your questions.
Definitely recommend this tour.
The tour guide was absolutely brilliant, and knew her stuff. She was extremely friendly and went above and beyond to answer your questions.
Definitely recommend this tour.
Written 2 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour Laurent,
Sur le site de la FED seuls les groupes scolaires sont autorisés (enfin si je ne me trompe pas).
Comment faire pour 3 particuliers pour réserver?
Sur quel site?
Merci d'avance de votre réponse.
Cordialement.
Cédric 40.
Written 1 October 2023
Lara G
Long Island, New York
I would love to tour the gold vault and the rest of the federal reserve bank.
I am an individual and not part of a group. I live in New York and can tour anytime.
Is this possible?
Written 20 May 2023
Would someone be kind and write DIRECT web address / site FOR RESERVATIONS ONLINE. Not just web site, we need direct link for online booking /reservations. Thank You very much!
Written 11 February 2023
Wie komme ich Anne Karte?
Mail Kontakt?
Oder Terminkalender?
Und zu welcher Zeit kann man am besten reservieren?
Written 18 August 2022
Ciao ma come avete fatto a prenotare ?
Io continuo ad andarci sul sito ma la data non viene mai blu e poi all'improvviso e' full
Written 18 July 2019
Alle 9 ora di NY ovvero east coast e non alle 9 della West coast mi raccomando
Written 30 July 2019
Bonjour, à quelle heure française faut il réserver pour avoir des places svp ? car je me connecte régulièrement depuis quelques jours à des heures différentes mais je n'arrive pas à avoir accès à la réservation. Je vous remercie pour votre aide.
Written 11 May 2019
Ciao,ho provato ad iscrivermi sul sito ma non riesco a capire cosa devo fare. Mi dai un dritta? Grazie.
Written 4 July 2018
Hi, I can't see any tours at all on their calendar, starting July 16... Are there any tours planned for the second half of July?
Thanks..
Written 16 June 2018
Yes, I see tours thru June into July. They only show 1 month in advance. I highly recommend you mark your calendar one month in advance of day you want to go and sign on that morning @ 8:59 am. The spots go fast.
Written 16 June 2018
Can you take your bagpack (normal sized) with you for this? The ticket says to limit the amount of belongings you take with you
Written 30 May 2018
I believe you can bring it in the building, however, I don’t think you keep it on the tour. After airport like security, you will be escorted to a room with hooks to drop it off while on tour. I left my umbrella and rain coat there. There was an attendant and is a secured room.
Written 30 May 2018
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