enslaved and free Africans in 16th and 17th century New York, as well as efforts to preserve the sacred burial ground. There is also a 40-person theater. Tours: National Park Service Ranger site tours of the commemorative artwork and memorial are offered to the public free of charge Monday-Friday, at 10am and 2pm. Groups are urged to make reservations for tours to ensure adequate preparation and ranger availability. Download our FREE audio walking tour, This Hallowed Ground, to learn more about the forgotten history of Africans in New York. Visitor information African Burial Ground National Park Service 212-637-2019 HOURS Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm. ACCESSIBILITY The memorial and visitor center are wheelchair accessible. LOCATION 290 Broadway, Manhattan. Nearby attractions City Hall Federal Hall Lower East Side Tenement Museum

African Burial Ground National Monument A memorial marking an African slave graveyard of colonial New York The African Burial Ground has been called the most important archaeological find of the twentieth century. Opened to the public in 2007, this sacred site dating back to the 17th century is an important reminder of a dark yet forgotten period in America's history. The African Burial Ground National Monument gives voice to the free and enslaved African men, women and children who lived and died in New York in the 17th and 18th centuries and greatly contributed to the growth of New York City; although slavery is most often associated with the South, on the eve of the American Revolution, New York City actually had the largest population of enslaved Africans after Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, slaves comprised roughly twenty-five percent of colonial New York's labor force. Designated as a national monument in 2006 by President Bush, the African Burial Ground is the only U.S. national monument that memorializes the struggles of Africans and African descendants. In 1991 an estimated 15,000 free and enslaved Africans were unearthed during the construction of the Ted Weiss federal building in Lower Manhattan. Upon the controversial discovery of this seven-acre burial ground—the oldest and largest African cemetery excavated in all of North America—construction was quickly halted. Four hundred and nineteen ancestral remains were removed from the site and taken to Howard University for scientific study. Following examination, these remains were ceremoniously re-interred on October 4, 2003 at the African Burial Ground National Monument. Prominent African American leaders led a funeral procession on Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The outdoor memorial designed by Rodney Leon at the African Burial Ground is a living tribute to past, present and future generations of Africans and African descendants. In February 2010, a new visitor center and exhibition opened on the ground floor of the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway. Included in the exhibit is a short film about the history of the graveyard as well as the more recent controversial events surrounding the site's discovery and construction. History, archaeology, biology, culture, spirituality, and community intertwine to not only educate visitors about this little-know piece of New York's history but also encourage reflection, awareness, and remembrance.