One Night, Fifteen Free Museums, All In LM

By: Justin Dizon

From Lower Manhattan sprung New York City and that history dots the buildings, parks, piers and streets of our neighborhood. From Federal Hall to the African Burial Ground National Monument, the neighborhood’s past is memorialized and honored. And our square-mile area has a cornucopia of museums, including those that tell the story of the American Indian, the role of the Seaport in the city’s history and the tragic events of September 11th, 2001.

On June 20th, 15 museums, monuments and facilities are opening their doors from 4 – 8 PM for this year’s Night at the Museums. With FREE admission and special programming, you can do your best Ben Stiller impersonation while immersing yourself in hundreds of years of history in the comfort of some of the city’s finest museums.

The list of participating museums include:

African Burial Ground National Monument
China Institute
Federal Hall National Memorial
Fraunces Tavern Museum
Lower Manhattan Tours
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
National September 11 Memorial Museum
9/11 Tribute Museum
NYC Municipal Archives
Poets House
The Skyscraper Museum
South Street Seaport Museum

Put on by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as part of the River to River Festival, each museum is just a short walk from the rest of the participating institutions. Find out more details about the evening here.

And this year’s edition will be making some history of its own too! Make Music New York is a live, free musical celebration that takes place the same day – fittingly the longest of the year. With 1,200 concerts on streets, sidewalks and parks across the five boroughs, make sure to keep your ears open for great music while exploring Lower Manhattan’s history that evening.