National Parks of New York Harbor News for June and July 2011: Harbor Sides
Harbor Sides
June-July 2011
Harbor Sides is a monthly compilation of park happenings and story ideas
from the National Parks of New York Harbor. http://www.nps.gov/npnh/
Last Minute Ideas for May
Marine Corps and Coast Guard art on exhibition at Federal Hall
Federal Hall National Memorial, 26 Wall Street
May 25-27
Displays of U.S. Marine Corps and Coast Guard art will be on display in the
rotunda of Federal Hall National Memorial as part of Fleet Week from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. through Friday. The Marine Corps exhibit comes from the National
Museum of the Marine Corps and features 24 selections from the museum’s
Combat Art collection. The Coast Guard exhibit of eight pieces highlights
both original works by service members as well as historic recruitment
posters flanks the Marine Corps exhibit.
The Marine Corps and Coast Guard art on exhibition at Federal Hall has been
extended through June 1
Federal Hall National Memorial, 26 Wall Street
May 25-27, 31 and June 1
Displays of U.S. Marine Corps and Coast Guard art will be on display in the
rotunda of Federal Hall National Memorial as part of Fleet Week from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. through Friday. The Marine Corps exhibit comes from the National
Museum of the Marine Corps and features 24 selections from the museum’s
Combat Art collection. The Coast Guard exhibit of eight pieces highlights
both original works by service members as well as historic recruitment
posters flanks the Marine Corps exhibit.
Governors Island opening for the season
Governors Island National Monument
May 27-Sept. 25
Governors Island is re-opening on Friday, May 27. Throughout the summer
Governors Island will be open every Friday through Sunday and all holiday
Mondays from May 27 to Sept. 25. Hours are Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Saturdays, Sundays and Holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Free ferries to the island run from both Manhattan and Brooklyn. For a
complete ferry schedule, visit
http://www.govisland.com/html/
How Decoration Day Became Memorial Day
General Grant National Memorial, 122nd Street and Riverside Drive
May 30, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Learn about the history of Memorial Day from a National Park Service Ranger
at the General Grant National Memorial Visitor Center at 11:15 a.m. and
1:15 p.m. on May 30. Space is limited and reservations are required. Please
call 212-666-1640 to save your place. In addition, visitors to the site
will have the opportunity to place flowers in honor of Ulysses S. Grant and
his wife, Julia on their sarcophagi inside the tomb at 1 and 2 p.m.
June
Colonial Day
St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Ave., Mount
Vernon, NY
June 11, noon-4 p.m.
Join the National Park Service at St. Paul’s Church for the annual Colonial
Day celebration.
Everyone is invited to experience open-hearth cooking demonstrations,
music, dancing and games. Trades people in period attire will demonstrate
the crafts that were an essential part of colonial life, with hands-on
participation for visitors. Special talks in the museum will examine
“Colonial Westchester: Origins and Early History” and “Death Heads & Soul
Effigies: Symbolism on Colonial Gravestones.” Guided tours throughout the
day will explore the bell tower and the colonial section of the historic
cemetery. There will also be a performance on the historic pipe organ.
Parking and admission are free.
Juneteenth: African Americans in the Civil War
African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway
June 18, 1 p.m.
African Burial Ground National Monument will host a presentation by
re-enactor Joe Becton at 1 p.m. on June 18. The hour-long interactive
program will explore not only the creation of the Juneteenth holiday, but
also the participation of African Americans in the Civil War. The program
will be presented in the theater of the visitor center, an intimate space
with limited seating. Reservations are required and will be taken on a
first-come-first served basis. For more information or to make a
reservation, call (212) 637-2019 Ext. 9.
Army Heritage Day
Governors Island National Monument
June 18
Discover U.S. Army history at Governors Island National Monument. National
Park Service Rangers, Civil War living historians, and members of today's
military will provide living history, children's programming, musical
demonstrations, and lectures which pay tribute to army life on Governors
Island and the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.
Looking Ahead: July
Celebrate the Fourth of July with the National Park Service
Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty National Monument will mark Independence Day with a
naturalization ceremony on Liberty Island conducted by the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services. Planned entertainment includes
the U.S. Armed Forces Band, the USO Liberty Bells and selections from
“Liberty: The Musical.” For more information, please contact Jane
Ahern at (212) 363-3206 Ext. 106 or email Jane_Ahern@nps.gov .
Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site
Starting at 10:30 AM
A traditional July 4th celebration at St. Paul’s Church National
Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Ave., Mount Vernon, NY, will
feature music, speeches, refreshments, a reading of the Declaration
of Independence and tolling of the historic St. Paul's Church bell -
13 times. This family-friendly event
Castle Clinton National Monument
Noon
Castle Clinton National Monument, located in Battery Park, will be
the site of the Fourth of July Veterans Corps of Artillery-State of
New York flag raising ceremony at noon, July 4, which includes a
cannon firing demonstration at Battery Park. The ceremony is brief
and it is recommended that those wishing to see the ceremony be at
Castle Clinton by 11:45 a.m.
Ongoing
“Forgotten Gateway” exhibition now open
Ellis Island
Through September 5, 2011
“Forgotten Gateway” explores some of the most dramatic stories of migration
to America through the little-known gateway of Galveston Island, a place
known in the 19th Century as “The Ellis Island of the West.” The stories in
“Forgotten Gateway” present personal narratives about the challenges of
migration and reveal patterns of historical migration parallel those of
contemporary immigration. While most migrants today no longer come to
America by ship, their stories reflect many of the same patterns and
challenges of leaving home, enduring hardships, getting by, confronting
discrimination, navigating bureaucracy, finding support and making a new
start in a new land. It is through the historic lens of this forgotten
immigration gateway that this exhibit hopes to engage contemporary
audiences – including recent immigrants to the United States – in a
dialogue of the larger migration story in America.
The exhibit features a mix of historical voices, approximately 200
artifacts, multimedia presentations and interactive activities. “Forgotten
Gateway” is organized by the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. For
more information, please contact Jane Ahern at (212) 363-3206 Ext. 106 or
email Jane_Ahern@nps.gov .
