Free Access to Downtown Cultural Institutions at Second Annual Night at the Museums

May 26, 2015

Free Access to Downtown Cultural Institutions at Second Annual Night at the Museums

Contact:
Joshua Stevens
212-514-3823, stevensja@si.edu

Lisa Safier
646-437-4336, lsafier@mjhnyc.org

New York - The Downtown Culturals Group presents the second 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,” Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s annual summer arts festival. “Night at the Museums” takes place on Tuesday, June 23 from 4 to 8 pm. Admission is free and many of the sites include special programming and tours.

Visitors of all ages can spend a summer evening immersed in New York City’s history, explore what makes the United States unique, discover new cultures and heritages, take a walking tour of the area, or stop for refreshments, including restaurants offering special “Night at the Museums” discounts. All museums and historical sites are within walking distance from one another. Lower Manhattan offers one of the most diverse and concentrated groups of museums in the world.

The participating institutions will issue a special Night at the Museums Passport for the event, available at each venue that evening. It will provide a map of the area and information about the museums and historical sites to help visitors plan their evening. This handy brochure will entitle visitors to special discounts valid through the summer on museum admission and other services depending upon the location.

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 p.m. Walking tours offered by the 9/11 Tribute Center and Wall Street Walks require 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 NightAtTheMuseums.org or RiverToRiverNYC.com.

Participating museums and historical sites are:

African Burial Ground National Monument is dedicated to teaching about Africans of early New York and Americans of African descent. Visitors will be able to 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 newly designed exhibition, “The Helpers of the Secret Annex.”

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, and artifacts on view include the Bible that George Washington used at his inauguration. National Park Service Ranger-led tours will be offered on the hour from 4-7 pm.

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. Historical balladeer Linda Russell and The Tricorne Dance Ensemble will provide music and dance presentations throughout the evening.

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 “Legal Tender,” which consists of flag paintings on silk depicting U.S. paper currency from 1862 to the present. Visitors can take part in free tours until 7:30 pm on the half hour with a limit of 20 people per hour.

Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust offers the opportunity to explore modern Jewish history, life, and culture. Special exhibitions on view are: “Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism,” “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945,” and “A Town Known as Auschwitz: The Life and Death of a Jewish Community.” Guided tours will be offered on the hour from 4 to 7 pm of the Core Exhibition and “Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism.” Alicia Svigals, the world's foremost klezmer fiddler and a founder of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics, will perform in the lobby from 4-8 pm. Two talks will be given by Dr. Erik Jensen of Miami University in conjunction with the special exhibition “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945” at 4 pm and 6 pm.

National Archives at New York City invites visitors into the Learning Center to discover and uncover the many national treasures of New York. Enjoy an Archival Adventure and pull archival facsimile treasures off the shelves. View famous signatures and other original records or discover family history research/genealogy by exploring immigrant arrivals. See the traveling exhibition of “What's Cooking Uncle Sam: The Government's Effect on the American Diet” and participate in family activities.

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution illuminates the diversity of Native peoples and culture from throughout the Americas. Special tours will be offered from 4-7 pm of the museum’s permanent collection, “Infinity of Nations,” as well as the celebrated exhibitions “Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family” and “Cerámica de los Ancestros: Central America’s Past Revealed.” A screening of the feature film, “The Medicine Game,” about lacrosse playing brothers from the Onondaga Nation will take place at 6 pm.

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 5-8 pm, 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 pm.

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. Walking tours will be held every hour on the hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Pre-registration preferred at TRIBUTEWTC.ORG. Limited availability at the door.

NYC Municipal Archives Visitor Center, 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. “The Unbuilt City” is a special exhibit for one night only. The Downtown Civic Center in Lower Manhattan was a project that was years in the planning yet never built. Artist renderings, building designs, and architectural plans will be on view.

Poets House offers something for everyone in the wide and varied tradition of verse. Visitors can peruse the 60,000-volume poetry library and see an exhibition of Walt Whitman materials. 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 pm, take a curator’s tour with founding director Carol Willis of the museum's special exhibition “Ten Tops.”

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 and ships to provide interactive exhibits, education, and experiences. Explore the ships on Pier 16 and take docent-led walking tours of the historic district and the museum's galleries. Bowne Printers will offer live demonstrations on several printing presses that date back to the middle of the 19th century.

Wall Street Walks 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 4-7:30 pm on June 23. 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.WallStreetWalks.com. Tours will fill up quickly. A small number of slots will be held for walk-ups.

For complete information, including times and schedules, visit NightAtTheMuseums.org.

RESTAURANT DISCOUNTS
As part of the event, Night at the Museums-goers can take advantage of a 25% discount at restaurants in Lower Manhattan by mentioning “River To River” at the following establishments:

The Black Hound
Clinton Hall
Industry Kitchen
Merchants River House
Pound & Pence
SouthWestNY
Watermark

RELATED LINKS
www.nps.gov/afbg
www.annefrank.com
www.nps.gov/feha
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
www.MoAF.org
www.mjhnyc.org
www.archives.gov/nyc
www.911memorial.org
www.nyc.gov/records
www.tributewtc.org
www.skyscraper.org
http://nmai.si.edu
www.poetshouse.org
www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org
www.wallstreetwalks.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
#MuseumNightLM
@LMCC
#R2R15

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
“Night at the Museums” is produced by the Downtown Culturals Group. The event is provided with in-kind support by the Downtown Alliance, NYC & Company, and Concierge-Maps.com, and presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as part of the “River To River Festival 2015.”

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.

About the River To River Festival
“River To River,” an LMCC public engagement initiative, inspires residents, workers, and visitors in Lower Manhattan by connecting them to artists, new ideas and perspectives, and demonstrates the role that artists play in creating vibrant, sustainable communities. The 2015 festival runs from June 18 to 28 and includes over 60 free dance, music, and visual art events. Find more information at RiverToRiverNYC.com.

River To River is made possible with support from the Alliance for Downtown New York, American Express, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Westfield World Trade Center, and in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, as well as other underwriters.

About Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC)
LMCC empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Lower Manhattan and beyond. In 2015, LMCC will award approximately $500,000 in grants, provide 500 individuals with professional development skills and access to business leaders and arts professionals, and place 100 individuals and arts groups in our studio residency programs, as well as present over 60 days of free cultural experiences for the public to enjoy. 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.

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.

About Concierge-Maps.Com
Concierge-Maps.com supplies the hotel community with maps of Manhattan. The maps are printed on FSC certified paper, use vegetable based inks, and are produced at a 100% wind-powered print plant.