National Museum of American Indian NYC
The National Museum of the American Indian was a private collection of Native American artifacts — actually the collection was the largest in the world with more than 800, 000 artifacts — before it was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1989. The museum has two branches, in Washington, DC, and New York, NY, and a collections facility in Suitland, MD.
Be sure to read our post on other things to do in Lower Manhattan as well as our Guide to New York on a Budget, where you will find other free museums and other attractions.
The museum is located at the southern tip of Manhattan, adjacent to both Bowling Green and Battery Parks. As you can see in the map below, access to the museum is possible by several subway train lines. The closest express train stop though isn’t shown on the map. It’s the Bowling Green station (4, 5 trains). We recommend using this Google map for directions to the Museum of the American Indian from anywhere in the NYC area.
Being located in Lower Manhattan means that there are many other popular tourist attractions nearby, including the Charging Bull, the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, not to mention Wall Street and the 911 Memorial.
The Museum
The National Museum of the American Indian New York is open seven days a week and admission is free; although, be prepared to go through a metal detector such as at the airports. Public tours for adults and families are held most weekday afternoons at 1pm and 3pm and on Sundays at 3pm, and explain the exhibition and the architecture of this beautiful building. The museum’s permanent exhibition, Infinity of Nations, displays over 700 Native American objects from across the continents. For more information on tours, times and exhibits, check out the museum’s visitor’s page.
NMAI-NY is housed in the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. This building was designed by Cass Gilbert (who also designed the Woolworth Building a few blocks north on Broadway) in the Beaux Arts style. Outside are 12 statues along the frieze (If you look right of the center windows, you can see Christopher Columbus), which represent 12 seafaring nations from around the globe. The four ladies seated out front, designed by Daniel Chester French, represent the four continents.
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Q&A
when was National Museum of the American Indian build? | Yahoo Answers
Groundbreaking for construction of the museum was on September 28, 1999. Construction costs were $219 million, $199 million for construction and $20 million for Public Programs. The museum opened to the public on September 21, 2004.
Where can one find the National Museum of the American Indian?
The National Museum of the American Indian has two locations. One is right on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The other is in the Alexander Hamilton Custom House in New York, NY.
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere. It has three facilities: the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C....
The George Gustav Heye Center is a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City, USA. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The center features contemporary and historical exhibits of art and artifacts by and about Native Americans.
