Charging Bull

A guerilla installation following the 1987 stock market crash, the Charging Bull remains in the financial district as a symbol of energy, strength and unpredictability.

TravelCurious Tip

Allegedly, grabbing the bull’s testicles will bring you luck. Don’t worry, you won’t look strange — there’s usually a queue of people waiting to do it

The Charging Bull is one of New York’s most recognisable landmarks. Coming in at 5 metres from nose to tail and made of pure bronze, it weighs a massive 3.5 tons. Pictures do not do its size justice: you have to see it in person, with people all over it like ants on jam, to feels its formidable presence.


It is now located at Bowling Green Park in lower Manhattan, but it was not always so. The bull was initially a piece of guerrilla art: during the night of December 15th, it was loaded into a truck and driven to the New York Stock Exchange by the artist Arturo Di Modica and some co-conspirators. They plonked it unannounced under the NYSE Christmas Tree; the next morning, with throngs of bemused visitors admiring the statue, the stock exchange was far from amused. They had it taken to storage in Queen’s and the NY Post ran the headline: “BAH HUMBUG.. N.Y. Stock Exchange grinches can’t bear Christmas-gift bull”.


Although they refused to release the bull until their expenses for removing it were covered, the New York mayor and the ensuing public outcry eventually persuaded them to let it go and it was relocated to its current location, where it has become an iconic image of New York.


Brazen & Bullish

But why a bull? Take a look at the statue: the muscles are taut, the head is lowered, the nostrils flare and those wicked horns are ready to gore. It captures something of the energy, strength and volatility of a stock market which simply won’t be stopped. It seems to be an ambivalent tribute, both admiring and condemning the aggressive finance and macho posturing of Wall St.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in New York
New York Stock Exchange
The world's most valuable stock exchange, trading billions of dollars daily.
Trinity Church
A venerable church in the Wall Street area, with a turbulent history and reported land holdings of over $2 billion.
Bowling Green
Small park where a statue of George III used to reign over Lower Manhattan
Fraunces Tavern
The place where George Washington gave his farewell address after the Revolutionary War.
9/11 Museum
Museum dedicated to the 9/11 event and victims.
Stone Street
A cobblestone street located in the Financial district, full of restaurants, pubs, and bars.

Related Tours

Lower Manhattan, Ground Zero & 9/11 Museum: Private Walking Tour
New York is one of America’s oldest cities and most of its rich history over the past four centuries centres around the southern tip of Manhattan. From the legacy of Dutch settlers to the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in 2001, it remains a place at the forefront of the human story. Go with your own guide on a journey around the city’s historic heart. 

On your private tour, you will:

  • Learn about New Amsterdam in the Historic District of New York, settled in 1624;
  • Take a stroll down Battery Park, one of the best areas to live in New York;
  • See the Charging Bull statue and the Fearless Girl statue in Wall Street, New York's Financial District; 
  • Walk past Saint Paul’s Chapel in Trinity Church, the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan;
  • Hear about the modern financial system, as designed by Alexander Hamilton, and walk past several of the area’s main sites, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank;
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On your private full-day tour of New York City, you will: 

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  • Pass by the Fraunces Tavern Museum, the historic building where George Washington gave his farewell speech to his soldiers in 1783;
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Enjoy an immersive and fascinating private walking tour of New York City’s famous financial district known around the world simply as “Wall Street”. A busy and vibrant area filled with historic buildings and skyscrapers, it borders the bright lights of theatrical Broadway and is steeped in America’s history, both tragic and triumphant. 

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Beginning at New York City Hall area, your expert guide will show you around this buzzing district and relate the history of this place that has played such a pivotal role in America’s story from the slave trade to the American Revolution, the Great Depression to 9/11, and of course, the establishment of the USA as a global financial superpower. 
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Explore the most popular landmarks of historic New York City in a day, including the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, and embark on a full-day tour perfect for first-time visitors that want to make the most of their time in the city that never sleeps.

On your private tour you will: 

  • See the Statue of Liberty up close and learn of her remarkable story, as well as her significance to modern America;
  • Explore Ellis Island and the story of US immigration;
  • Enjoy a breathtaking view over the Manhattan skyline from the water;
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  • See several of the area’s highlights, including Trinity Church, Battery Park, the Charging Bull statue and the Fearless Girl statue;
  • Hear about the modern financial system, as designed by Alexander Hamilton, and see several of the area’s main sites, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank from the outside;
  • Visit the National 9/11 Memorial and see how the tragic events of 2001 are remembered;
  • Finish your tour at Ground Zero with entrance tickets to the 9/11Musem, where you will be able to explore the museum at your own pace. 
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It is estimated that forty per cent of the entire US population can trace at least one relative's arrival to the US, through the port of New York and Ellis Island
 
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After lunch, your tour continues in the heart of Wall Street, where the history of New York City began as New Amsterdam in the early 1600s. As you make your way through Wall Street you will discover how an 18th-century street bazaar would eventually become a centre for global commerce. 

At the National 9/11 Memorial, your guide will share with you the history of the World Trade Center, discuss the tragic events of 9/11, and walk you through the Memorial’s design. The area formerly known as 'Ground Zero' is now the site of a moving memorial and has indeed become an important historic landmark. 

Here your knowledgeable guide will tell you of the events leading up to the untimely destruction of the towers, as well as share some of the heart-wrenching stories of the families, survivors and 9/11 heroes. You will also visit St. Paul's Chapel, which miraculously survived the 9/11 attack. 

Your tour finishes with entrance tickets to the 9/11 Museum. Your guide will take you to the queue, and give you your timed tickets before departing with you. Once inside the museum, you are free to explore the museum at your own pace.  

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