3rd Annual Night at the Museums in NYC Set for 6/21

The Downtown Culturals Group presents the third annual Night at the Museums, bringing visitors and locals of Lower Manhattan unique experiences at 15 of the area's most diverse and culturally significant institutions. The event is presented as a part of River To River Festival 2016, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's annual summer arts festival. Night at the Museums takes place on Tuesday, June 21, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is free and many of the sites include special programming and tours.

Visitors of all ages can spend a summer evening exploring New York City's history and heritages. All museums and historical sites are within walking distance from one another in one of the most diverse and concentrated groups of museums in the world.

Special this year, visitors can also enjoy Make Music New York, a live, free musical celebration on June 21, the longest day of the year, with over 1,200 concerts on streets, sidewalks, and parks across the five boroughs, including Lower Manhattan.

Additionally, beginning on June 21 and every Tuesday until August 20, visitors are invited to experience the growing and vibrant food scene in Lower Manhattan. Sign up at downtownny.com/getlow to get discounts, freebies, and other surprises at 35 restaurants across the district.

For complete information, including a map and schedule of events, visit NightAtTheMuseums.org or pick up a free Night at the Museums Guide at any of the participating institutions.

All activities are free but some require tickets or advance reservation: The National September 11 Memorial Museum tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the museum starting at 4:00 p.m. Walking tours offered by Lower Manhattan Tours require an advance reservation and a limited number of tickets will be available for walk-ups. See details below and on the NATM website.

For more information, visit www.NightAtTheMuseums.org or http://lmcc.net/program/river-to-river/

Participating museums and historical sites-and one walking tour company-are:

African Burial Ground National Monument is dedicated to teaching about Africans of early New York and Americans of African descent. Visitors can tour the museum, view the film "Our Time At Last," and speak to National Park Service rangers about the history of the site from its creation through its rediscovery to its designation as a national park.

The Anne Frank Center USA, a partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, educates and inspires visitors through the diary, spirit, and legacy of Anne Frank. A permanent exhibition enables visitors to learn about Anne's world in hiding and her incredible optimism despite the chaos that was around her. Visitors can see the documentary film, "The Short Life of Anne Frank."

China Institute, celebrating its 90th Anniversary this September at its new Downtown headquarters, is committed to advancing a deeper understanding of China through programs in education, culture, business, and art in the belief that cross-cultural understanding strengthens the global community. Visitors can celebrate China Institute's move to Lower Manhattan with live music, a Chinese calligraphy demonstration, and delicious ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream.

Federal Hall National Memorial serves as a museum and memorial to America's first President and the beginnings of the United States of America. Exhibits present the history of Federal Hall. National Park Service Ranger-led tours will be offered on the hour from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Fraunces Tavern Museum is the only museum located in Manhattan that focuses on the Colonial period, Revolutionary War, and the Early Republic. Discover just how important New York City was during the birth of our nation. Sample a tasting of Samuel Fraunces Ale during this special night and enjoy colonial music and dance presentations provided by historical Balladeer Linda Russell and The Tricorne Dance Ensemble. Kids can dress up in colonial costume and take home a souvenir photo.

Lower Manhattan Tours takes visitors through the historic capital of world finance: the one-square-mile of downtown Manhattan known as "Wall Street." Mini-Walking Tours (half-hour duration) will take place every 30 minutes, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tours meet in front of 55 & 57 Wall Street and end at one of the museums or historic sites participating in Night at the Museums. Please book in advance at www.LowerManhattanTours.com. Tours will fill up quickly. A small number of slots will be held for walk-ups.

Museum of American Finance is the nation's only independent museum dedicated to American finance and financial history. In addition to the permanent exhibits, visitors can see special exhibits including "America in Circulation," which features hundreds of beautiful examples of American money and "Worth Its Weight: Gold from the Ground Up," which captivates visitors with the many spectacular and unexpected ways gold has influenced our lives through hundreds of unique and rare objects. Visitors can take part in free tours at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with a limit of 20 people per tour.

Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust offers exhibitions that explore modern Jewish history, life, and culture. The Core Exhibition presents Jewish history and heritage from before, during, and after the Holocaust. Special exhibitions on view are: "Stitching History From the Holocaust," which explores the true story of talent lost, and "Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited," a thought-provoking exhibition about the people and events that have sparked more than a century of debate. Guided tours of the Core Exhibition will be offered on the hour from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

National Archives at New York City invites visitors to connect with history and discover the many national treasures of New York. Begin your journey into family history research/genealogy in the Research Center by examining immigrant arrivals (including Ellis Island), Federal census and naturalization (citizenship) records, plus so much more. The Learning Center offers "Amending America" activities and "Archival Adventures." In the Welcome Center, view select original documents that explore the Bill of Rights, constitutional amendments, and instances in which American citizens have sought to amend the Constitution to attain greater rights and freedoms. Meet Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson (historic reenactors) and witness these famous founding fathers debate our nation's principles.

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution illuminates through exhibitions and programs the diversity of Native peoples of the Americas, from the Arctic Circle to the southern tip of Patagonia. Special tours will be offered of the museum's collections, Infinity of Nations, Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains, and the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House Building Tour on the hour from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Tours of Cerámica de los Ancestros: Central America's Past Revealed will take place at 6:00 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Spanish. Children can also partake in fun and educational activities celebrating Native People of the Great Plains from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

National September 11 Memorial Museum is the country's principal institution concerned with exploring the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events, and exploring 9/11's continuing significance. Free admission is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the last admission two hours prior to closing. Tickets are not available in advance and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the museum starting at 4:00 p.m.

NYC Municipal Archives, located in a stunning Beaux Arts building, holds New York City Government's historical records beginning with documents deeding land to the Lady Deborah Moody in 1645. The remarkable archives include early maps of the City, drawings for the Brooklyn Bridge, designs for Central Park, and other municipal records. Visitors can view "Little Syria, NY: An Immigrant Community's Life and Legacy," an exhibit developed by the Arab American National Museum which documents a neighborhood on Manhattan's lower west side that was home to one of the largest and earliest communities of Arab Americans in the nation, as well as records from the Municipal Archives and an exhibit of photographs by Mike Appleton.

9/11 Tribute Center, created by the September 11th Families Association, offers visitors a place where they can connect with people from the 9/11 community including survivors, family members, rescuers, and first responders. Visitors learn about 9/11 through personal stories told by those who were there. Docents will be available in the museum galleries to speak to visitors about the events of September 11th as well as their personal experiences.

Poets House offers something for everyone in the wide and varied tradition of verse. Visitors can peruse the 60,000-volume poetry library and view paintings from a special exhibition, "Metamorphosis: The Collaboration of Poet Barbara Guest & Artist Fay Lansner." Participate in a poetry scavenger hunt: visitors will be given popular poems with several words missing and will have to find the poems in books in the extensive library. The first person to correctly complete three poems will receive a free, one-year membership to Poets House. Everyone who fills in at least one poem correctly will get a special Haiku pencil, curated by poet Robert Hass.

The Skyscraper Museum, located in the world's first and foremost vertical metropolis, celebrates New York City's rich architectural heritage and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its successive skylines. The museum explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology, sites of construction, investments in real estate, and places of work and residence. At 5:00 p.m., take a curator's tour with founding director Carol Willis of the museum's special exhibition "GARDEN CITY | MEGA CITY."

South Street Seaport Museum is dedicated to telling the story of the rise of New York as a port city and its critical role in the development of the United States. The museum uses its historic buildings, unique art collection, and ships to provide educational experiences and interactive exhibits. Enjoy free entry to the exhibition "Street of Ships: The Port and Its People." Walking tours exploring the history of the East River waterfront start at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (one-hour duration). Bowne Printers offers live demonstrations on printing presses dating from the mid-19th century.

For complete information, including a map and schedule of events, visit NightAtTheMuseums.org or pick up a free Night at the Museums Guide at any of the participating institutions.