Things to do nearAfrican Burial Ground National Monument

In 1991, construction workers excavating a new federal office building at 290 Broadway made a discovery that would reshape understanding of early American history. Buried beneath nearly 25 feet of landfill lay the remains of more than 400 individuals, part of what was once a sprawling 6.6-acre burial ground used by New York's African community from roughly the 1690s through 1794. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and became a National Monument in 2006, administered by the National Park Service.

The outdoor memorial, designed by architect Rodney Leon, features a carved granite spiral and a burial mound where reinterred remains rest. Interpretive panels guide visitors through the archaeology, the lives of those buried here, and the broader history of slavery in the North. The visitor center inside 290 Broadway deepens the experience with artifacts recovered from the site and a documentary film.

The monument sits in Lower Manhattan's Civic Center, steps from New York City Hall and within easy walking distance of the Financial District. The area rewards a longer afternoon of exploration, with the National Museum of the American Indian also nearby. Few places in the city ask as much of a visitor's attention, or offer as much in return.