The Museums of Lower Manhattan offer free admission to children 18 and younger from Feb. 19 to 27

As students enjoy time off from school this week, the Museums of Lower Manhattan, a collective of 15 neighboring museums and historic sites located south of Houston Street, invites them to take advantage of cultural opportunities downtown. Ten participating museums will offer free admission to children 18 and younger from February 19 to 27.

Instead of watching endless hours of TV, kids can help celebrate Presidents Day at the Fraunces Tavern Museum, where they will receive a free gift in honor of George Washington's birthday on February 21. Or they can head to the South Street Seaport Museum, where a new exhibit entitled "Child's Play," scheduled to open on February 22, is devoted entirely to toys. There are badges and weapons from throughout New York's history to see at the New York City Police Museum, Native American art and artifacts at the National Museum of the American Indian, and an exhibit detailing the various measures taken to prevent counterfeiting at the Museum of Financial History. In addition, kids are invited to tour each museum's permanent exhibits, which range from multimedia shows to intimate galleries of moving personal artifacts to dramatic historical landmarks.

"As every parent knows, finding new and inventive things to do while school is out of session can be challenging," said Kevin Rampe, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) president, in a statement. "I would encourage families to come downtown and enjoy the incredible array of art, culture, and history available at the Museums of Lower Manhattan," he continued. The LMDC administers the museum collective, which is made possible through a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Since the museums are within walking distance of one another, parents and children can make a downtown day of it -- wandering from one to the next while also enjoying the many restaurants and parks they'll pass along the way.

The winter break offer is part of an ongoing effort to remind New Yorkers that the history of New York City began and continues to thrive in Lower Manhattan. Participating museums include the New York City Police Museum, the Skyscraper Museum, Fraunces Tavern Museum, the Eldridge Street Project, Unwavering Spirit Exhibit: St. Paul's Chapel, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of American Financial History, the Museum of Jewish Heritage -- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, the South Street Seaport Museum, and Castle Clinton.

Descriptions of each museum, contact information and directions, additional special offers, and more can be found on the  Museums of Lower Manhattan website, housed here on LowerManhattan.info.