Editor’s Note: To read more from our Ultimate Guide To Family Life In Lower Manhattan, click HERE!
From historical treasures to modern marvels, Lower Manhattan serves up a big variety of cultural experiences for families that draws from both the past and the present. Families can enjoy both time-honored landmarks as well as sleek new performance spaces, museums, and event venues. Here is just a sampling of the cultural sites and attractions that Lower Manhattan has to offer!
The Tribeca Performing Arts Center is “the longest operating performance venue in lower Manhattan.” What makes the programming unique at Tribeca PAC is the diverse slate of entertainment presented for both children and adults—from jazz to comedy to children’s theatre. This year’s upcoming performances include “The Berenstain Bears LIVE!,” Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in The Hat,” and more.
Whether you are taking a boat ride on the Circle Line, enjoying the wonder of Imagination Playground, or shopping at the Fulton Stall Market, the South Street Seaport has a lot to offer. You can also visit the Maritime Crafts Center and explore historic ships at the South Street Seaport Museum, which offers a high level of inter-activity. “Fundamental to all we do at the Seaport Museum is the concept of living history,” says Captain Jonathan Boulware, the museum’s executive director.
In addition to being one of the premiere private colleges in the city, Pace University has become a popular cultural hub for neighborhood families, with the Schimmel Center offering a menu of world-class performing artists as well as top children’s entertainers (this year they also featured a special “Nutcracker” performance with the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet). What’s more, the Pace School of Performing Arts has become a fresh new creative force at Pace University and in the neighborhood as an unofficial community theater with its repertoire of Shakespeare, classic musicals, and new student productions.
The National Museum of the American Indian is a designated National Historic Landmark and a New York City Landmark, offering a wide variety of exhibitions, film and video screenings, and programming. “Our museum is the best of the best when it comes to teaching about Native peoples,” says Kevin Gover, the director of the museum. “Parents who come to our museum are opening the door for their kids to be part of a bigger story.”
One of the most memorable places to visit in Lower Manhattan is the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. “The programs we run aimed at younger visitors are a great way to introduce them to the story in a sensitive, appropriate manner,” says Cliff Chanin, the 9/11 Memorial vice president of education and public programs. The Stories & Art program contains a theme tied to 9/11 and concludes with an optional hands-on art activity. Drop-in activity stations are designed to spark conversations between children and their parents/guardians.
The Museum of American Finance appeals to older kids with classes like “Real Fake, with Inspector Collector,” an interactive performance with a hands-on display and discussion of different types of money. A new high-tech exhibit just opened called “America in Circulation,” which features 250 of the most beautiful and rare pieces of American paper money in an interactive environment. One truly awesome thing about this museum is that it has a Title 1 Program sponsored by ING, which allows students from Title 1 Schools (the vast majority of NYC schools) to receive free admission, a class, lunch, and transportation.
You might only end up visiting them once or twice, but these iconic landmarks permeate the character of the neighborhood, not to mention American history: The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the New York Stock Exchange, and Federal Hall with its statue of George Washington.
Notable Mention: Tribeca Film Festival: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that each spring, the Tribeca Film Festival’s Family Festival Street Fair turns the neighborhood upside down with family entertainment. Considered to be the “ultimate street fair and family celebration,” parents can partake in a host of free activities and performances.
