The Psychiatric History of New York

Take an analytical stroll through the evolution of psychiatry on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Main Features

  • Find out about the journey of psychiatry from Central Europe to America

  • Learn about the madhouses of the metropolis

  • Discover the psychoanalytic explosion that occurred in New York City

  • Hear about the Sackler family’s beginnings in “valiumania”

  • Peer at the psychiatric islands of the East River, the homes of distinguished and disgraced doctors, the first American psychoanalytic society, and the offices, mansions, and townhouses of medical research and Freudian relations

Meeting point: East 87th Street and East End Avenue entrance to Carl Schurz Park, New York, NY 10028 (Upper East Side)

Tour length: 2.5 hours

Distance covered: 2.5 miles

Meeting point: East 87th St and East End Ave entrance to Carl Schurz Park

“I just took the Psychiatry in New York Tour and it was just exceptional. One of the best walking tours I've ever done, and I've done plenty. Full of interesting information, beautifully delivered by Krombie. I'm amazed that she could put the information together so well and make it so interesting, and doubly amazed that she could map it all out in a single section of the City. It was everything a tour and tour guide should be.”

Sacred Heart (Google) 5*

“I work in the mental health system so I think I know a fair bit about the history and intricacies but I learned so, so many things on this tour! I left the tour with a long list of things to research further when I got home. K has an incredible amount of knowledge and expresses it in a very engaging and interesting way. It’s amazing to see how much of this history happened in New York. One of the highlights to me was how K always spoke with respect and dignity for people who were suffering or institutionalised, never poking fun at them or ridiculing them but highlighting the cultural and societal barriers that they faced throughout history. Fabulous tour - I can recommend it to all mental health professionals.”

Rebecca (Airbnb Experiences) 5*