New York City museum itineraries: Beyond Museum Mile

Financial District

Start your downtown tour at the Museum of American Finance (48 Wall St at William St; 212-908-4110, moaf.org; $8, children $5, children under 6 free), fittingly located in the United States’ economic epicenter. Peruse exhibits like “Tracking the Credit Crisis” (which relaunches in March 2013), a ginormous timeline that leads up to the monetary mess currently plaguing our country, learn the inner workings of NYC’s three major stock exchanges and see historical items such as a crisp $100,000 bill and a bond made out to President George Washington.

After all that talk of financial meltdown, you’ll probably want to dine somewhere that’s light on the wallet. Nosh on a sirloin ($8.75–$13.75) or veggie burger ($8.50) at Zaitzeff (72 Nassau St at John St; 212-571-7272) without breaking the bank.

Fully fed, stop by the National Museum of the American Indian (Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green between State and Whitehall Sts; 212-514-3700, nmai.si.edu; free), where, for the low price of absolutely nothing, you can see a world-class collection of Native American art. Walk through its “Infinity of Nations” exhibit, which showcases 700 pieces spanning thousands of years by natives of North, Central and South America.

Next stop: the Museum of Jewish Heritage (36 Battery Pl at 1st Pl; 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org; $12, seniors $10, students $7, members and children under 12 free; Wed 4–8pm free), which focuses on Jewish life immediately before, during and after the Holocaust. The 4,150-square-foot Garden of Stones, featuring 18 boulders that each contain saplings, provides a tribute to the victims and survivors.