Free Access to Downtown Cultural Institutions at Fourth Annual Night at the Museums on June 20

For additional information, contact:
Lisa Safier
646-437-4336
lsafier@mjhnyc.org

Joshua Voda
212-514-3823
vodaj@si.edu

NEW YORK – The Downtown Culturals Group presents the fourth 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 2017, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s annual summer arts festival. Night at the Museums takes place on Tuesday, June 20, 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.

Additionally, beginning on May 30 and every Tuesday until August 29, visitors are invited to experience the growing and vibrant food scene in Lower Manhattan. Visit downtownny.com/getlow to find out how to get discounts, freebies, and other surprises at 35 restaurants across the district.

For complete information, including a map and schedule of events, visit www.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. A drum and dance performance by Fusha Dance Company will take place at 4:00 p.m.

China Institute is the oldest educational and cultural organization in the United States focused on 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. Tour the latest gallery exhibit Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit for Eternity, Treasures of the Han Dynasty from Xuzhou and enjoy a live music performance. The full event schedule is available on China Institute’s website.

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 half hour from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Meet George Washington, see a special map display of New York City in the 18th century, and hear Linda Russell present Early American Music from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 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. Special Exhibitions include Dunsmore: Illustrating the American Revolutionary War, and Lafayette, featuring artifacts relating to the Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette. Enjoy live 18th century American music with Rose Tree, a musical trio. Chime in on choruses and dance along while learning the history of the music and instruments. Take a souvenir photo in the Colonial Costume Photobooth or create your own flag as inspired by the Museum’s Flag Gallery!

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 7:00 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. See featured exhibit: “For the Love of Money: Blacks on US Currency,” on loan from the Museum of UnCut Funk, displaying anti-slavery tokens, commemorative coins, bronze medals, and gold medallions that honor barrier-breaking Black athletes, entertainers, civil rights leaders, military leaders and politicians. The exhibit celebrates Black icons, seminal historic events and institutions which have shaped Black history and significantly influenced American history. 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. The special exhibition on view is: “My Name Is… The Lost Children of Kloster Indersdorf.” 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. Historical interpreters will be on hand to discuss the importance of the Bill of Rights.

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. Celebrate the summer solstice with fun and educational activities! Special tours will be offered of the museum’s collections, Infinity of Nations, Native Fashion Now, Cerámica de los Ancestros: Central America's Past Revealed and the stunning Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House building on the hour from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Please visit AmericanIndian.si.edu for tour details. 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. Distribution time is subject to change.

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. Explore its grand staircases, sculptures and mosaics by preeminent artists of the period, with Municipal Archives photographer Matthew Minor, as he takes you on a behind-the-design walk through early 20th century architecture. Building Tours are held at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Or take a special guided tour of the Archives with the Commissioner. Commissioner Tour is held at 5:00 p.m. Sign up for all tours in advance as spaces are limited. E-mail publicprograms@records.nyc.gov with tour name and time in subject header.

9/11 Tribute Museum, created by the September 11th Families Association, presents videos, artifacts and “Person to Person History,” linking visitors who want to understand the historic events of 9/11, including the rescue and recovery operations and the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, with those who experienced them. Visitors will discover the tremendous spirit of resilience and service that arose after the attacks. Volunteer Guides will speak to visitors about the events of September 11th as well as their personal experiences every half-hour between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Poets House offers something for everyone in the wide and varied tradition of verse. Visitors can peruse the 70,000-volume poetry library and view exhibitions that focus on the physical and visual expression of poetry. View books, magazine issues, and ephemera from the working library of Poetry magazine and the Poetry Foundation. Participate in a literary scavenger hunt: visitors will be given popular poems with several words missing and will have to find the poems in books in Poets House’s extensive library.

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. Through exhibitions, programs and publications, 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. Visit the Museum, open all day, and join the Curator’s Tour with founding director Carol Willis of the special exhibition, “Ten and Taller, 1874-1900,” at 5:00 p.m.

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 collections, working 19th-century printing presses, and ships–including the newly restored historic ship Wavertree– 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 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (45 minutes, onsite registration required), tour of the Historic Ship Wavertree, and live demonstrations at Bowne Co. Stationers and Printers.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA
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SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
Night at the Museums is produced by the Downtown Culturals Group and presented by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as part of the River To River Festival 2017. Night at the Museums is provided with in-kind support by the Downtown Alliance, NYC & Company and Concierge-Maps.com.

About the Downtown Culturals Group
The Downtown Culturals Group is comprised of cultural organizations located in Lower Manhattan below Chambers Street. Its purpose is to foster collaborations among and promote the visibility of Downtown’s cultural resources. A key project has been the creation of the Downtown Culture Pass, a three-day pass to museums and attractions that is geared towards tourists. DowntownCulturePass.org

About the River To River Festival
River To River, a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council public engagement initiative, inspires residents, workers, and visitors in Lower Manhattan, by connecting them to artists, new ideas and perspectives, and other art-lovers to demonstrate the role that artists play in creating vibrant, sustainable communities. LMCC.net

About the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC)
Since its founding in 1973, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) has been dedicated to empowering artists and enhancing the cultural vibrancy of New York City through a broad range of platforms and initiatives, all based on the belief that artists are an inspirational and catalyzing force within any community. LMCC.net

About The Downtown Alliance
The Downtown Alliance is striving to make Lower Manhattan a wonderful place to live, work and play by creating a vibrant multi-use neighborhood. It provides service, advocacy, research, and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. The Downtown Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. downtownny.com

About NYC & Company
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism, and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity, and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. nycgo.com

About Urban Cart (Concierge-Maps.Com)
Urban Cart (Concierge-Maps.com) supplies New York's hotels with the best maps of the City–over three million a year. The maps are printed on FSC certified paper with vegetable based inks, and are produced at a 100% wind-powered print plant. Concierge-Maps.com

Free Access to Downtown Cultural Institutions at Fourth Annual Night at the Museums on June 20

June 1, 2017