The Financial District of New York City is most commonly associated with Wall Street, the internationally recognized symbol for American capitalism. The mile-long street is named after a defensive wooden wall the Dutch colonists put up to mark the boundary of their New Amsterdam settlement.

The area is also famous for the New York Stock Exchange, with an imposing early 20th century Romaneque facade, which houses the world's best known stock exchange. It used to be the Financial District's top tourist attraction, which was visited by approximately 700,000 people each year. However, following September 11th 2001, is no longer accessible to the public.

The Financial District is not only the seat of New York City's major financial institutions, but a historic site as well. It is here on the site of the present-day Federal Hall, at 26 Wall Street, that the American Congress convened for the first time and George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States. A huge statue commemorates the date and place of that momentous event. Nowadays the edifice houses a museum devoted to the postcolonial history of New York.

The Federal Hall is not the only museum in the area. Others, worth seeing, include:

- Fraunces Tavern Museum, at 54 Pearl Street,
- Museum of American Finance, at 48 Wall Street,
- National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green, and
- National Sports Museum, planned to open in spring 2008, at 26 Broadway.

While touring the Financial District, one should also pay a visit to the Trinity Church, which is famous for its Concerts at One, the midday music series, and a rendition of Handel's Messiah held here each December.
If looking for serene spots in the busy Financial District, walk along the paths in the cemetery at the back of the Trinity Church or in the Bowling Green, the oldest park in New York City.