How to get tickets to ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway -- and where to discover the man himself

You think going to see the Broadway show “Hamilton” would be a great holiday outing? Get in line -- literally.

The rap musical about America’s lesser-known forefather, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is the hottest ticket in the city.

“We’re not in the business of saying it’s sold out,” says Sam Rudy, spokesman for the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where the show has been playing since August.

OK, maybe not sold out, but certainly something close to it.

I checked Ticketmaster for a Wednesday matinee and found 26 resale ticket options from $695 to $1,365 per seat. Ouch. If, however, you wait until October, you’ll pay $99 to $177.

And then there’s this: You can enter a lottery 2 1/2 hours before every performance for $10 tickets or $40 for a standing room ticket (bear in mind the show lasts 2 hours and 50 minutes).

If you feel even luckier, you can stand in the box-office line on the same day as the performance to try to snag a cancellation ticket.

So what’s all this about? The show is about a lot of things, but mostly the life of Alexander Hamilton, who died at 47 after he was shot in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804.

But there’s much to learn about Hamilton outside the theater too. At the Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall St., you’ll find an entire room dedicated to the first secretary of the Treasury.

“The fact that it’s a rap version has created a great impact,” Ben Urizar, the museum’s assistant director of visitor services, told Marketplace last week. “We have seen a large amount of young people, let’s say middle school and high school age, come in here and saying, ‘We can identify with this character.’”

Hamilton was born in the Caribbean and was orphaned at a young age. His beef with Burr was about all things political; for example, Hamilton’s father-in-law lost his Senate seat to Burr. Though Burr was indicted for murder, he never faced charges.

A bust of Hamilton in -- what else? -- Hamilton Park in Weehawken, N.J., marks the approximate spot where the duel took place on July 11, 1804. If you need more reason to go, you’ll find spectacular views of Manhattan across the river.

Other “Hamilton”-worthy sites in New York and New Jersey:

Rush over to the New York Historical Society at 170 Central Park West to see “The Illustrious World of Alexander Hamilton” before it closes Sunday. The show focuses on Hamilton’s influence on U.S. politics and finances.

The Schuyler Hamilton House in Morristown, N.J., is where Hamilton met and courted his future wife, Betsy Schuyler; it’s now a museum that’s open Sundays.

The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., is where Burr married Theodosia Prevost. It is a national historic site with a museum open Wednesdays-Sundays.

The Hamilton Grange National Memorial at 414 W. 141st St. in Harlem is a home Hamilton commissioned. He lived there for only two years before his untimely death.

You can find Hamilton’s grave at Trinity Church at 75 Broadway. Burr, who died in 1836, is buried at his alma mater, Princeton University.

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