African Burial Ground announces winter memorial closure

Date: October 22, 2014
Contact: Mind Rambo, 212-668-2208

New York, NY –The National Park Service (NPS) today announced that the outdoor memorial at African Burial Ground National Monument will be closed from Saturday, Nov. 1 though Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

Visitor safety is the NPS's first concern, and the freezing conditions associated with winter present a hazard. The few visitors the memorial typically sees between November and March will be directed to the visitor center, where rangers will be able to answer questions about the symbolism and construction of the memorial. The visitor center entrance, located at 290 Broadway, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM and will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas days.

For more information about visiting the park, visit www.nps.gov/afbg or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AfricanBurialGround .

ABOUT AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND NATIONAL MONUMENT One of the most significant archaeological finds in U.S. History, the African Burial Ground is a 17th- and 18th-century cemetery that was rediscovered in 1991 when construction began on a federal office building in lower Manhattan. In 1993, the site was preserved as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior and was later designated as a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation on Feb. 27, 2006. The National Monument is part of an original 6.6-acre site containing the remains of approximately 15,000 people, making it the largest African cemetery excavated in North America.

How to Get There
The African Burial Ground National Monument is located at 290 Broadway, 1st Floor. The 4, 5, 6,R, W, J, M and Z trains (Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall) are one block from the site, the A train is three blocks away (Chambers Street) and the 1 train is 4 blocks away (Chambers Street) and the 2 and 3 trains are 2 blocks away (Park Place). The A, C and E are 3 blocks away (Chambers/World Trade Center).