African Burial Ground National Monument Set for 'Night at the Museums', 6/23

Join the National Park Service at African Burial Ground National Monument this Tuesday, June 23, for evening tours of the outdoor memorial as part of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's "Night at the Museums."

Fourteen museums and historic landmarks in the lower Manhattan area will open their doors to the public offering after-hour tours and special programming. African Burial Ground National Monument will be conducting ranger-led memorial tours beginning at 4PM.

Additional venues participating include:

- The Anne Frank Center USA
- Federal Hall National Memorial
- Fraunces Tavern Museum
- Museum of American Finance
- Museum of Jewish Heritage
- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
- National Archives at New York City
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Smithsonian Institution
- National September 11 Memorial Museum
- 9/11 Tribute Center
- NYC Municipal Archives Visitor Center
- Poets House
- The Skyscraper Museum
- South Street Seaport Museum
- Wall Street Walks

From about the 1690s until 1794, both free and enslaved African were buried in a 6.6-acre burial ground in Lower Manhattan , outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, later known as New York. Forgotten due to landfill and development, the grounds were rediscovered in 1991 as a consequence of the planned construction of a Federal office building. The 419 rediscovered remains were reburied at the outdoor memorial in 2003.

The Night at the Museums event will take place at the African Burial Ground National Monument, located on first floor of 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. African Burial Ground National Monument visitor center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. The memorial is open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm. The visitor center and memorial are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

All activities are FREE and open to the public. To reserve a spot, call (212) 637-2019. Visit www.nps.gov/afbg or follow Twitter: @AfBurialGrndNPS and Facebook: Facebook.com/AfricanBurialGround for more information.