Park Overview
African Burial Ground National Monument is a site that contains the remains of over 400 Africans. It’s believed that there were as many as 10,000-20,000 burials in the 18th Century and is New York’s earliest known African American cemetery. The discovery of the grounds brought to the light the fact that New York had the 2nd highest number of enslaved Africans, who played an important role in the development of New York City.
George Bush designated the site a National Historic Landmark in 2003 and it became a National Monument in 2006.
Getting to African Burial Ground NM
The sacred burial ground is located in Lower Manhattan, not far from the Brooklyn Bridge and the 9/11 Memorial Pools. It’s also less than a mile walking distance from Federal Hall N MEM, and only 1 mile from Castle Clinton. Castle Clinton is one of locations you can use to ferry to the Statue of Liberty NM.
You will have to get to Manhattan the best way that makes sense for your trip. The best airports to fly in to are JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. If you live within a 5-8 hour radius of NYC, most major cities offer bus trips or Amtrak stops.
Fees & Cancellation Stamp
African Burial Ground NM is free entry, and you can get your stamp at the information desk inside the main building at 290 Broadway Street.
Time Required
The average person can probably see everything in about an hour; however, if you like to read every sign and plan to spend any excess time at the outside memorial, I would plan for 2 hours. Consider transportation time as well, depending where you are coming from.
Know before you go
It is very easy to see multiple park units in addition to African Burial Ground, even in just one day. As I mentioned above, it is very close to Castle Clinton and Federal Hall. Stonewall NM is also not far and the General Grant N MEM is about a 40 minute train ride. If you are in NYC for 2 days and have more time, you could spend the whole day at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, or Governor’s Island. New York City has no shortage of things to do!
Last updated: April 7, 2023
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