Programs

Join Dr. Michael Lucas, Curator of Historical Archaeology at the New York State Museum, for a gallery tour of The Gunboat at Ground Zero: A Revolutionary War Mystery, presented in the South Lobby where the vessel is currently being reconstructed before your eyes.

Discovered beneath the World Trade Center site in 2010, this 18th-century wooden gunboat lay hidden for over two centuries, preserved beneath layers of Manhattan’s historic landfill. Believed to have been built near Philadelphia in the early 1770s, possibly captured by the British, and eventually abandoned along the Hudson River, the ship’s journey remains a captivating enigma.

Dr. Lucas will guide visitors through the ship’s remarkable excavation, the historical clues uncovered during research, and the ongoing conservation efforts that are breathing new life into this rare maritime relic. Don’t miss this chance to witness archaeology in action and learn how a forgotten gunboat helps illuminate the Revolutionary era and its enduring legacy.