New York: Superhero Movie Sites Walking Tour & Comic History

4.82

(592 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone in our group pointed up at the Chrysler Building just as sunlight bounced off those silver spires—our guide, Mike, grinned and asked if we could picture Spider-Man swinging by. Honestly, I could almost hear the whoosh. We’d barely started the superhero walking tour when I realized how much of New York is tangled up with these stories. The city smells like roasted nuts from a nearby cart, and there’s this steady hum of taxis and chatter that makes everything feel alive, kind of like the comics themselves.

We ducked into Grand Central Station next—Mike called it “the real Avengers HQ” (he wasn’t joking). There was a moment when he paused by the marble staircase and told us about Stan Lee riding these trains as a kid. I didn’t expect to get goosebumps from a train station, but here we are. The day trip through Manhattan kept moving: past the Daily News Building (which played the Daily Planet in Superman), then down publisher’s row where Mike pointed out where artists used to grab coffee between deadlines. He even tried to teach us how to say “Excelsior!” with proper gusto—I probably butchered it.

The United Nations Headquarters looked different up close than in movies—more glass, less drama—but Mike explained how it inspired so many comic book showdowns. A couple of kids in capes ran ahead of us, pretending to fly; their parents just laughed and let them go. I liked that nobody seemed rushed, even though this is New York. The superhero walking tour felt more like wandering with a friend who knows every backstory than following a script.