New York City New York City Lower Manhattan Museums and Galleries

Museum Of Jewish Heritage. This sleek, modern building, completed in 1997, is a living memorial to both the vitality of the Jewish people and its tragic history. The building’s six sides recall at once the Star of David and the six million victims of the Holocaust. The collection consists of personal artifacts and hours of recorded poignant first-person narratives, which seek to educate visitors about the broad tapestry of Jewish life in the 20th century, before, during, and after the Holocaust. Recent exhibits include Daring to Resist: Jewish Defiance in the Holocaust and Sosúa: A Refuge for Jews in the Dominican Republic. (36 Battery Pl. at Battery Park City. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green; R, W to Whitehall St.; J, M, Z to Broad St.; R, W, 1 to South Ferry. ☎646-437-4200; www.mjhnyc.org. Open M-Tu, Th, Su 10am-5:45pm, W 10am-8pm, F and eve of Jewish holidays 10am-3pm (standard time) or 5pm (daylight savings). Closed on Jewish holidays. $10, seniors $7, students $5, children under 12 free.)

National Museum Of The American Indian. Housed in the architecturally stunning Custom House, this excellent museum showcases some of the Smithsonian’s vast collection of Native American artifacts, most on loan from the Washington, DC headquarters. The rotating exhibits are all conceived and designed by Native American artists and craftsmen. Recent shows include Remix , a show of contemporary work by Native American artists of mixed ancestry, and Listening to Our Ancestors , which collects ceremonial and everyday objects from 11 different communities along the North Pacific. (1 Bowling Green. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green; 1 to South Ferry. ☎212-514-3700; www.si.edu/nmai. Open M-W and F-Su 10am-5pm, Th 10am-8pm. Free.)

New York City Police Museum. The police museum houses an extensive collection of badges, guns, criminal profiles, and other police memorabilia. The Vintage Weapons and Notorious Criminals exhibit features the machine gun used by Al Capone’s gang to assassinate Frankie Yale. One wing is dedicated to officers who lost their lives on September 11th. The rotating exhibits change frequently. (100 Old Slip, between Water and South St. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green; 2, 3 to Wall St./William St.; R, W to Whitehall St. ☎212-480-3100; www.nycpolicemuseum.org. Open M-Sa 10am-5pm. Wheelchair-accessible. $5, seniors $3, children ages 6-18 $2, under 6 and NYPD free.)

Skyscraper Museum. This small museum, housed in the Ritz Carlton building, is worth a visit if you’re interested in modern architecture and the history of New York City’s skyline. A fascinating display of photographs of the Lower Manhattan skyline tracks the impact of the construction and destruction of the World Trade Center on the cityscape. Rotating exhibits focus on the history of New York architecture and the technology and construction techniques that support it. (39 Battery Pl. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green; R, W to Whitehall St.; 1 to South Ferry. ☎212-968-1961; www.skyscraper.org. Open W-Su noon-6pm. $5, students and seniors $2.50.)