A look at four top walking tours of Great White Way

NEW YORK — Visitors to Times Square looking for some theater history may be discouraged at the idea of dodging flocks of Elmo impersonators, Statue of Liberties and Naked Cowboys. A good guide is as important as a stiff elbow.

The Associated Press jumped aboard four top walking tours of the theater district to get the low-down.

BROADWAY UP CLOSE: Ducking inside the massive AMC Empire 25 movie complex on 42nd Street to find a hiding former Broadway theater inside; story and photos of the secret apartment above the Belasco Theatre; hearing about the bizarre roof top shenanigans atop a theater built by Oscar Hammerstein I; learning why the colors of Equity Cards constantly change.

• Program: Three tours, each about 1 hour, 45 minutes.

• Cost: $35 per adult, children (12 and younger) $30.

• Days: Every day at 11 a.m.

• Selling point: Smart, funny and fascinating tours started by founder Tim Dolan, a theater veteran with an infectious style.

• Accommodates: Up to 15 people.

• Visual aid: iPad packed with photos.

• Audio: Guides wear a small speaker around their neck.

• Meeting point: Depends on which tour you take, but the first one starts at the Nederlander Theatre on 41st Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues.

• Online: www.broadwayupclose.com

DISNEY ON BROADWAY: BEHIND THE MAGIC: Access to Disney Theatrical props at the New Amsterdam Theatre, including a chance to wear the coat from “Mary Poppins”; get into Ariel’s seashell tub from “The Little Mermaid”; handle some carbon graphite masks from “The Lion King”; and examine a fancy shoe from “Beauty and the Beast.”

• Program: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

• Cost: $72 per adult; children (3-11) $65

• Days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

• Selling point: The only tour to actually get you inside a Broadway theater and to handle some real props.

• Accommodates: Up to 25 people.

• Visual aid: Laminated photos.

• Audio: Each person gets a headset to hear guide the talk, as well as listen to snippets of songs.

• Meeting point: Duffy Square at 46th and Broadway by the George M. Cohan statue.

• Online: www.walksofnewyork.com/new-york-tours

INSIDE BROADWAY TOURS: Highlights: Gossip on actress Ethel Barrymore (she hated clutter and, weirdly, applause); visiting the Hotel Edison to see the place where a scene from “The Godfather” was filmed; learning about theater superstitions (“break a leg” and not saying “Macbeth” out loud).

• Program: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

• Cost: Adults $35; children 12 and under, free.

• Days: Every day at 4 p.m.

• Selling point: Cheerful, knowledgeable guides, all working actors and theater fans.

• Accommodates: Up to 20 people.

• Visual aid: Laminated photos.

• Audio: Guides wear a small speaker around their neck.

• Meeting point: Duffy Square at 46th and Broadway by the George M. Cohan statue.

• Online: www.insidebroadwaytours.com

WALKIN’ BROADWAY: The story of the night Bill and Hillary Clinton went to “Chicago”; honoring Firehouse Engine 54, which lost many on 9/11; listening to Judy Garland sing “Plays the Palace” outside the Palace Theatre; the story of 20-year-old Julie Andrews’ fitful start in “My Fair Lady”; finding out why there are so many Irish pubs near Times Square; learning how the TKTS booth works and getting a list of tips on finding discounted theater tickets; listening to hits written in the Brill Building outside the Brill Building.

• Program: 90 minutes.

• Cost: Adults $30, Children (6-12) $20.

• Days: Every day at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

• Selling point: Guides are working actors. Treats the tour like a show itself, complete with songs, impromptu dancing and recorded stories from Broadway royalty.

• Accommodates: Up to 26 people.

• Visual aid: None.

• Audio: Each person gets a headset to hear an impressive collection of show tunes and snippets of interviews with such important figures as Chita Rivera, Hal Prince and Alan Menken, together with tales from knowledgeable guides.

• Meeting point: The Actor’s Chapel (239 West 49th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).

• Online: http://walkinbroadway.com