New York Cultural & Historical Sites: South Street Seaport Museum

Did you know? Before becoming the world's top international metropolis, New York was once a small Dutch colony. In the centuries that followed, culture and commerce flourished, giving rise to the global port metropolis we see today. Today, The New York Pass takes you to the South Street Seaport Museum to explore New York's rich maritime history through artworks, galleries, and exhibits.

Image source: South Street Seaport Museum

Located in the South Street Seaport Historic District on the East River in Lower Manhattan, the South Street Seaport Museum was founded in 1967. With 28,000 artworks and artifacts, over 55,000 historical records and documents, historic exhibitions, a 19th-century-style printing shop, and a fleet of historic ships, it tells the story of New York's origins.

On your visit, you will step into a 19th-century letterpress printing shop, explore multiple exhibitions at Schermerhorn Row, and head to Pier 16 to tour the Ambrose lightship and the iron-hulled tall ship Wavertree.

Exhibition at Schermerhorn Row, Image source: Richard Bowditch

As maritime trade grew year after year, the demand for stationery, invoices, advertisements, and other printed materials increased. By 1900, New York had over 700 printing shops, most of which were located in Lower Manhattan and the South Street Seaport. The 19th-century-style printing shop, opened in 1975, not only houses a letterpress collection but also captures the unique, eclectic, and distinctive essence of these turn-of-the-century shops.

Printing demonstration, Image source: Richard Bowditch

Built in 1885, the iron-hulled tall ship Wavertree is permanently moored at Pier 16 and serves as the flagship of the South Street Seaport Museum's fleet. Step aboard the main deck to visit the forecastle, deckhouse, galley, quarterdeck, and captain's salon; learn how people lived and worked aboard a 19th-century cargo sailing ship; explore the hold; and take in the vast cargo area from a new observation deck.

Tall ship Wavertree, Image source: Richard Bowditch

Tall ship Wavertree, Image source: South Street Seaport Museum

Built in 1908, the Ambrose lightship was the first vessel to join the South Street Seaport Museum fleet. It was also the first lightship to guard the Ambrose Channel, the largest waterway for ships entering and leaving the ports of New York and New Jersey. On board, you can explore multiple decks, see the living and working conditions of sailors, and discover the unique features that allowed the ship to fulfill its lighthouse duties.

Ambrose lightship, Image source: South Street Seaport Museum

Model of Ambrose lightship, Image source: Filip Wolak

More port exhibitions and New York history await your exploration.

Museum address: 12 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038

Admission: $12 (free with The New York Pass)