New Visitor Center Showcases the Pasts of New York's African Americans

In a fitting sendoff to Black History Month (February), a new visitor center in lower Manhattan opened in New York City yesterday—it’s at the African Burial Ground National Monument, on Broadway between Duane and Reade Streets.
In the Center, visitors can learn how the burial ground was discovered in 1991 during construction on a federal building. Information also details the history of both free and enslaved African Americans in what was first New Amsterdam, and later, New York City. It also focuses not just on the lives of the African Americans in New York, but also on their backgrounds in Africa.
Approximately 15,000 African Americans were buried in the more-than-six-acre area for about 100 years, from about the 1690s until the 1790s. The space, right outside the boundaries of what was New Amsterdam, was later lost because of landfill and development.
The visitor center, which includes many interactive elements, offers a theater, four exhibition areas, and a store. A resource library and tours are also available. The burial ground was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993; it’s also a National Monument. Original and replica artifacts are on view, ranging from textiles to maps. Recreations of scenes, such as depictions of mourners gathered at a burial, are also included.
Admission to the center, which is part of the National Parks of New York Harbor, is free. The center is located inside the Ted Weiss Federal Building. More information can be found at nyps.gov.

Can't Get to a National Park? This Week, It Will Come To You

Majestic mountains, pristine lakes, endless geysers and streams…Normally, to visit a national park you’d have to buy a plane ticket—or at least a pair of hiking boots. But this week, the national parks are coming to you--It’s National Parks Week in New York. (Yes, it does seem like there’s a week for just about everything; and yes, it does seem like most of them are taking place right about now.)
The week-long event (Sept. 19-27) offers a number of free public events around the city; the major event, “Feel Free: A National Parks Celebration in Central Park,” takes place tonight (Sept. 23) in Central Park’s East Meadow at 7:00 PM; it will feature highlights from filmmaker Ken Burns' upcoming PBS series "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea." Performers including Jose Feliciano (don’t expect Feliz Navidad), Carole King and Alison Knauss will also be on hand.
Events around the city this week include a program on the impact of the American Revolution on New York at the Federal Hall National Memorial (Wall and Nassau Steets); expect staff in period costumes and a fife and drum corps. (And really, be honest, have you actually ever seen a fife and drum corps before?) You can also go on a tour of park environments at the American Museum of Natural History on Sept. 26 (Central Park West and 81st Street).
(For a full list of events, go to feefree.org)
So who actually needs to go to Yosemite when it has up and come to you?