A rediscovered colonial burial ground for free and enslaved Africans.
Photo: Joe David · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
In the heart of Lower Manhattan, beneath the modern Civic Center, lies the earliest and largest known burial ground for free and enslaved Africans in the United States. Used from the middle 1630s to the 1790s and rediscovered in 1991 during federal construction, the African Burial Ground National Monument honors the 419 individuals whose remains were excavated here — and the estimated 15,000 or more buried in the original 6.6-acre ground. It is a solemn, sacred place that reframes the story of colonial New York.
The monument has two parts. The outdoor memorial — designed by Rodney Léon and dedicated in 2007 — centers on the Ancestral Chamber, a 24-foot form cut from green Verde Fontaine granite quarried in Africa, its height matching the depth at which the burials were found. A spiral processional ramp descends past the Circle of the Diaspora, a wall engraved with symbols from cultures across the diaspora, to the sunken Ancestral Libation Court and the seven grave mounds where the remains were reinterred in 2003. Indoors, a free visitor center and museum in the Ted Weiss Federal Building tells the story of the discovery, the community, and the activism that saved the site, with exhibits and a 20-minute film.
It's free, largely indoor, and a powerful 1- to 1.5-hour stop in any season. The museum and the memorial keep the same hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Visit respectfully — this is an active resting place. The visitor center sits inside a working federal building, so expect airport-style screening and bring photo ID. There is no visitor parking, and the Park Service plainly advises against driving here — leave the vehicle at your hotel garage and come in by subway. Pair it with a Lower Manhattan walk.
Rodney Léon's 2007 memorial: the 24-foot Ancestral Chamber in green African granite, engraved with a Sankofa symbol, and a spiral ramp descending past the Circle of the Diaspora to the sunken Libation Court above seven burial mounds.
Insider tipWalk the spiral ramp down slowly — it's designed as a contemplative, processional space, not a quick photo stop.
Plan a trip to this spot →Free indoor exhibits, a recreated colonial burial scene, replica artifacts, a bookstore, and a 20-minute park film telling the story of the 419 excavated individuals.
Insider tipWatch the film first — it frames the memorial outside and the scale of the loss before you stand over the graves. Allow a few minutes for the building's security line.
Plan a trip to this spot →The story of the 1991 discovery ~30 feet below street level, the activism that halted construction, and the 2003 "Rites of Ancestral Return" reinterment.
Insider tipThe fight by ordinary New Yorkers to protect the site is as central as the burials — read the discovery and reinterment panels.
Plan a trip to this spot →Exhibits reframe early New York: enslaved and free Africans were essential to building the colonial city, and nearly half the excavated individuals were children.
Insider tipNote how young so many of the buried were — a stark window into colonial enslavement.
Plan a trip to this spot →Visits are self-guided, with rangers on hand to answer questions. Formal ranger-led tours are for groups of 10 or more and must be reserved on Recreation.gov at least two weeks ahead.
Insider tipIf you're arriving as a couple or a family, don't wait for a tour — go straight in and ask a ranger at the desk what's worth your first ten minutes.
Plan a trip to this spot →The monument sits amid Lower Manhattan's Civic Center — City Hall, courthouses, and Foley Square — easy to pair with a downtown walk.
Insider tipCombine it with nearby Lower Manhattan sites for a half-day on foot; everything here is walkable.
Plan a trip to this spot →New York City is humid subtropical/continental — hot, humid summers (July highs in the low-to-mid 80s) and cold winters, with rain fairly even year-round. Because the core experience includes an indoor visitor center and museum, this is a comfortable year-round, all-weather stop; the outdoor memorial keeps the same 10 am–4 pm hours and stays open in winter, weather permitting.
At 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan — free, indoor + outdoor.
In Lower Manhattan near City Hall and the Civic Center. Free; closed Monday and Tuesday plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The visitor center is inside a federal building — airport-style screening, photo ID. The outdoor memorial is around the block at Duane Street and African Burial Ground Way. Subway: Chambers St (1/2/3, A/C, J/Z), Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall (4/5/6), or City Hall (R). No visitor parking. ~1–1.5 hours.
No lodging — it's an urban monument. Stay anywhere in NYC.
Stay anywhere transit-connected — Lower Manhattan, Midtown, or any NYC neighborhood — and reach the monument by subway.
Booking tipThere's no visitor parking at the monument and the Park Service advises against driving in — park once at your hotel and ride the subway.
Is it free?
Yes — both the indoor visitor center/museum and the outdoor memorial are free; no admission or reservation needed.
What is it?
The rediscovered colonial-era burial ground for free and enslaved Africans in early New York, now marked by an outdoor granite memorial over the reinterred remains and an indoor museum telling the story.
What happened in 1991?
During federal construction at 290 Broadway, archaeologists uncovered intact colonial burials. The remains of 419 individuals were excavated, studied, and reinterred in 2003; the original ~6.6-acre ground is estimated to hold 15,000+ people.
What's there to see?
An indoor museum (exhibits, a 20-minute film, a recreated burial scene) and the outdoor memorial — Rodney Léon's 24-foot Ancestral Chamber, a spiral ramp past the Circle of the Diaspora, the sunken Libation Court, and seven burial mounds.
How should I visit respectfully?
This is a sacred resting place and active gravesite — speak quietly, be mindful with photography in the chamber and over the mounds, and approach it as a place of remembrance.
What are the hours and how do I get there?
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm; closed Monday and Tuesday plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Reach it by subway — Chambers St, Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall, or City Hall are all within a few blocks, and there's no visitor parking. The visitor center is inside a federal building, so allow time for airport-style screening and carry photo ID.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
