Federal Hall Extends Hours in August

Date: July 22, 2009
Contact: Mindi Rambo, 212-668-2208

New York, NY – The site of the original capital of the United States, Federal Hall National Memorial will open seven days a week from Aug.1 through Aug. 31 as part of a special set of exhibits and activities.

Each Saturday in August beginning Aug. 1, is Junior Ranger Day. Children learn about this unique site in the National Park System through a series of self-directed activities. After they present their finished booklet to a National Park Service Ranger, they will be sworn in as official Junior Rangers. Parents and youngsters can download a copy of the Junior Ranger booklet by visiting www.nps.gov/feha/forkids/

Children of all ages can find something to enjoy at Federal Hall when the site kicks off Battle Week on Aug. 21. Battle Week commemorates the 1776 Battle for New York. The celebration opens with costumed re-enactors, NPS Ranger talks and special programs. As part of the commemoration, an exhibit of 40 flags carried by Continental militia units during the Revolution will be on display from Aug. 20 through Aug. 27. These replicas include well known flags like “Don’t Tread on Me” as well as a flag carried by a black military unit in addition to regimental flags from nearby states and areas.

Take part in the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the island of Manhattan by exploring the exhibit “Light on New Netherland,” which will be on display on the main level of Federal Hall from Aug. 5 through Sept. 8. This exhibition features stunning images and plenty of informative text on a series of easy-to-view panels. “Light on New Netherland” has appeared at the New York State Museum in Albany as well at several other notable institutions.

Can’t get enough of the Big Apple’s Dutch history? Learn more by taking the New Amsterdam Trail through Lower Manhattan. Visit the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy on the Web at www.nyharborparks.org for more information.

In addition to these special activities, ranger-guided programs will be available daily covering more than 300 years of history. Visit www.nps.gov/feha for a schedule of times.

Those visitors looking to extend their experience can pick up a copy of the free self-guided walking tour Washington’s New York, which begins at Federal Hall and will lead them to places important to Washington and the early days of the United States of America. For more information, call [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/feha on the Web.

About Federal Hall National Memorial
26 Wall Street was the site of New York City's 18th-century City Hall. After the Revolution, the Continental Congress met at City Hall. Pierre L'Enfant was commissioned to remodel City Hall for the new federal government. The First Congress met in the new Federal Hall, and wrote the Bill of Rights, and George Washington was inaugurated here as President on April 30, 1789. When the capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790, the building again housed city government until 1812, at which time Federal Hall was demolished. The current structure on the site was built as the Customs House it later became the U. S. Sub-Treasury until that system was replaced by the Federal Reserve.

How to Get There
Federal Hall is located at 26 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. There are numerous ways to get there using public transportation. Please visit www.mta.info for more information and transportation maps.