South Street Seaport Museum

We visited the South Street Seaport several times last summer. What a fun place. Good food and drink, old ships, water view, ice cream!!! Several great food choices in the restored Tin Building. And after lunch, visit the cafe/bakery in the Tin Building on the south corner. Always crowded so you may have to wait for a table but well worth it.

Free, pay what you wish museum, very small but a few great little tours to take. The museum focuses on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which was a let down being interested in the broader seaport history. NYC seaport history is 400+ yrs old, so I hope there’s a better institution to represent that, some day.

The South Street Seaport Museum is an amazing cultural institution, and an absolute “must visit” attraction of Manhattan, New York. Located in Manhattan’s South Street Historic District, the museum was founded in 1967, and does a wonderful job on preserving and showcasing the history of New York as a major world port city. It contains an impressive collection of artwork, artifacts, galleries, and a fleet of historic ships. In August of 2024, I brought and treated my wife and myself for a visit of the South Street Seaport Museum and we both thoroughly enjoyed our time there!!! During our tour, we learned that the South Street Seaport played an integral role on New York’s maritime activities in the 18th and 19th centuries by serving as bustling hub and trading port, and connecting New York to the global market. The museum’s numerous exhibits feature images of sailers docking their ships at the South Street seaport, unloading their cargo and trading with local businessmen and merchants. The prolific amount of trade that trade that occurred at the South Street seaport would undoubtedly transform New York to a major commercial and maritime center, and contribute to its economic development. In addition to the exhibits, my wife and I also had the pleasure of seeing and visiting the museum’s historic vessels. We had fun exploring the “Wavetree” an iron-hulled three-masted full-rigged cargo ship that was built in England in 1885, and had successfully sailed around the globe at least three times. When visiting the Wavetree, we were able to view and takes pictures of the ship’s numerous sections ranging from the quarterdeck (where the ship’s steering wheel is located), the saloon (which likely served as the captain’s living room), and the ship’s vast cargo hold. The highlight of our visit to the South Street Museum was our guided tour and ride on the Tugboat W.O. Decker. This ship dates back to 1930 and is considered to be New York’s last surviving wooden tugboat. Both my wife and I found this ride to be quite exhilarating because we loved the boat’s rapid sail on New York Harbor, and enjoyed the spectacular views of New York’s major attractions ranging from the One World Trade Center, the Statue Of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Brooklyn Bridge. The ship’s crew also did a great job on briefly discussing the history of the Tugboat W.O. Decker, other historic vessels, and the rich and storied legacy of the New York’s maritime heritage. Both my wife and I would love to thank the South Street Seaport Museum for providing us with a very delightful and educational experience, and highly recommended for everyone to visit and explore this outstanding institution!!!

The Tin Building has shops inside Independent retail/ restaurant etc All very fancy

Great experience at the south street seaport museum! Pay as you wish, no prior reservations required. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend checking it out to learn about the history of the area!

It was a fascinating journey into the past. The organizers thought of everything down to the smallest detail. Briefing was conducted, with a friendly and welcoming attitude. We were there before Halloween and watched how this favorite holiday was played out in an interesting way. We recommend this museum to everyone.

Great place not miss while you in NYC. More real history than any other tourist thing

Very nice little musuem, I mainly went for the boat tour. Was kinda upset that I couldn't go on my own and had to wait for half hourly tours... but was very nice.

Stumbled upon this cute museum when we were at Seaport & ended up signing up to tour the Wavertree. If I'm being completely honest, it was so freaking cold that day so we weren't the most comfortable BUT our tourguide was so sweet, quirky, and made the experience enjoyable. If you have kids or friends who are into books/history/learning etc I'd definitely recommend doing the tour. Museum is cool too, but there wasn't that much to see. Entry is donation based!

I stumbled upon this museum while in Seaport with friends. It's a bit lesser known, but I highly recommend it if you're in the area. We went on a saturday but didn't find it crowded or difficult to enjoy. To start, the museum was free! You pay what you wish, so it seems very economical for families to visit with kids. There are actually multiple sections scattered throughout Seaport, including (I believe) two types of boats and a museum. The largest boat is a trading vessel that the volunteers have done a very lovely job of preserving. There's the opportunity to board and walk through it, including seeing what the crew and captain quarters would have looked like. I thought the coolest part was touring the cargo hold area, though, and just trying to imagine how ports and trade made Wall Street into what it is today :) A great spot for those who like history or boats or just want to spend a bit more time in Seaport without spending a ton of money.

The South St Seaport museum has free events- easy to register on the site. They just ask that you email to cancel/release tickets if can't attend. I went to a calligraphy workshop at the Bowne and Co printing shop a few weeks ago. Today, I registered ahead then went to a flower scavenger hunt on the docked Wavertree. I wanted to see the ship, so gave us more reason to go around. We had no time for the museum and the Ambrose (a smaller vessel) but nice to know that we can just return (went there only once maybe a decade ago so time to revisit.) Pay as you wish from Wed-Sunday 11-5pm (pls check their website). When my kids were younger, I remember there was an admission price so it's great for families, visitors now. Walking distance from the Trade Center/Oculus area. Many places to eat along the way or at Pier 17. We even walked to Chinatown.

This is a small exhibit show casing the history of South Street Seaport. With a side room that gives young children information about sea life and random emptied fish tank with a note that said the crab is in cleaning mode. As you walk along the rest of the small museum; the wall showcases pictures of immigrants that sail from Ellis Island and docked at the seaport back in the early 1900's. There were two staff members that stood near the walls just playing on their phones; did not provide any guides or explanations about anything within this small exhibit. Walked around the place for about seven minutes and walked out.

Solid museum for pay what wish admission. Small museum exhibits onsite in the building. Options to visit the associates ships, cargo ship Wavertree on your own and Lightship Ambrose by scheduled your. They also provide access to letterpress printing sight and other ships seasonally and events for additional costs. Nice way to spend a bit of time for a varied experience and to learn some history.

We had a great time at the South Street Seaport Museum this past summer (past, I knowwwwww lol). We visited for the Eric Carle exhibit and then went exploring. Initially, I bought tickets for the weekend prior but we were unable to visit due to a change in plans. Luckily, I was able to call up and change the date without issue. Upon arrival, I just gave my name which was placed on their list for the day, and was granted entry. The exhibit was very limited. It seemed to be more of a sensory exhibit for younger children. We stayed for a bit, checked out the rest of the museum and then headed over to the boat that is affiliated with the museum. The best thing was that we didn't have to pay anything additional to look around. It was very interesting, though, so see how people traveled way back in time. The luggage was constructed in such a manner that it basically provided a mobile closet with hangers built right in! The Wavertree is a boat that is affiliated with the museum. It's located right across the street and is docked at the seaport. Someone is waiting at the dock to give you entry and then you walk up the steps onto the boat. We had a stroller with us but we're able to leave it at the entry point until we were finished with the tour. There are staff members everywhere in the boat, to answer any questions you may have as well as explain the different sections of the boat. This is definitely not an activity for anyone that has issues walking or requires walking assistance. It can be difficult to get around when exploring inside the boat, disembarking or even getting on the boat to begin with. We saw the kitchen, the hull, the crew sleeping quarters and where they would store goods. The captain's quarters is beautifully maintained. You could probably spend 45 minutes looking around. It won't feel like it. The whole day was a vibe. We walked around the boardwalk and people watched, visited the museums, had a great brunch, and headed home. We missed out on the Lighthouse Tour, which is also a great activity, but we could always come again and do that. They change the exhibits often. Parking was a little difficult to come by this particular day, likely because of the event that was happening on the boardwalk at the time, but we found parking within walking distance so it all worked out in the end.

While the South Street Seaport Museum is very small inside and everything can be read in 30 minutes (which I did,) the standout of the museum are the two ships that you can take guided tours on for free. The whole museum was free on the day that I visited. My husband and I went on 2/19/2022 and toured both the Wavertree and the Ambrose Guide Ships. Both ships are very different and if you could only tour one ship, go with the Wavertree. The Ambrose is a tour of a guide ship, which is a ship that acts sort of like a lighthouse to guide ship's past low or rocky spots and into NY harbor. Before seeing the Statue of Liberty, people coming to the US would have first seen the lights of the Ambrose. The Wavertree is a large metal cargo ships but with traditional sails as that we associate with pirate ships and Peter Pan. The hull is overwhelmingly large once you get in and many people were saying "wow!" once we climbed stairs down into the bottom of the ship. This is a free museum but it's not appropriate for small children as it's exclusively reading based inside and the ships are not accessible for strollers or wheelchairs, and are generally not safe for kids who run around and climb on things.

This is a super small museum. It is free. The museum doesn't have much in it and you can finish it in 30 mins or less. We came here to sign up for the free Wavertree ship tour and was hoping to do the Ambrose free tour too. Ambrose tour is once every hour and we didn't want to wait around. Wavertree ship tour is every 30 mins. People here are super friendly and nice. We just landed off the plane and this was our first stop. Note: make sure you don't have seasick issue when getting on the Wavertree ship. After the tour, I started to feel the ground moving. The Wavertree tour lasted like 15 mins but after the tour we were free to roam around and I think I spent like 45 mins on the ship. Maybe that was too long for me. I wasn't sick afterward but I noticed when I stood still or sat still, I could feel the ground moving. I forgot I am not good with small ship (in today's standards) and the water. Definitely a nice place to visit.

All aboard! Summer is back at the South Street Seaport and FREE admission is available to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree (courtesy of the South Street Seaport Museum). Yep, entry is free and includes access to the ship's outdoor areas. Here is the website to register for tickets. https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/visitwavertree/ A group of us went here. It was a quick tour. I won't go out of the way to head to this museum. However, if you are bored and you are near this area, drop by.

The newly renovated museum offers free admission Wed - Sun 11AM - 5PM, highly recc if you are in the area! You can do a self guided tour of the Wavertree a 1800s cargo ship along with a tour of the Ambrose Light house boat. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and all the staff were incredibly friendly. Also make sure to check out the small museum on Fulton st with remnants and artifacts from the 1700s

We were very excited to learn the history of the light house boat. Our Tour Guide, Mitshell, did an excellent job !!! The kids enjoyed listening to him and raised a lot of questions! Mitshell answered them patiently. He also gave us some tips on booking the rides on Sailboat on NY Harbor! Thank you all the staffs working under the heat and they are so helpful.

A very tiny museum. They have exhibits on migration into New York and a room for kids based on the work of Eric Carle. There is an unfinished carving across from the bathrooms on the second floor, but not much else. Looks like it's expanding soon. It was pay what you wish, and that made it worth it.

This museum is divided into three sections. Please read the other spotty reviews concerning the museum. We opted to board the two ancient ships in port since they were free and easily accessible. Both ships were built in 1885 and 1908 respectively. The elder was a sailing vessel. Both were very interesting and the volunteer guides were very helpful.

This is the first and only museum I have ever been to that is a whole village. Seriously, the entire Seaport Museum is an old Timey village. Complete with sailor's ships that you can tour and a singing quartet of old Scottish folk songs on the main lawn. Tickets go half-price at 3pm I believe. And 3pm is when they close down the free kayaking, sailing, boating tours. All three of the activities are FREE with your ticket?

As others have stated, this "Museum" is actually divided into a few sections. There are a few ships to tour and two actual museums all within about 2 city blocks of each other. The Wavertree is the largest of the ships and was a Cargo ship. You can walk freely there and check out the ship which was interesting but it did not have any demonstrations which would have been nice. The other ship included in the "Museum", the Ambrose, only gives guided tours at certain times, so be sure to check ahead of that schedule. There is also boats that you can take a ride on, the Schooner Pioneer costs about $30 and includes "Museum" admission. I believe the ride time is about 2 hours and sails around the island of Manhattan. The two buildings that are part of the museum are closeby on Fulton and Water streets. The first on Fulton street is more like a standard museum and although it is two floors, there isn't much in there. There is a gift shop there though. It was enough to kill about 30 mins after reading all exhibits. The second building on Water Street is the printing company. It was cool to see the old printers there and the sole staff member there was very knowledgeable and gave us a mini tour of the machines. She said that staff members regularly do demonstrations but they were short staffed that day. Overall it was nice but I felt could have been more. One good thing to note is that though adult admission is $20, all children under 9 area free. So if you plan on bringing a little one or two, it may be worth your while. Also the boat ride comes with free admission to the "Museum" which I also think is a good deal. There are a few garages in walking distance as well as some meters ($4.50 per hour). You can also snag some free street parking if you drive a bit north and walk back south.

I took a ferry ride from Astoria to South Street (Only $2.75!! I have to write a review of that!). While there, I noticed people touring two boats, the Ambrose and the Wavertree. I was told that I could get tickets at the museum on Fulton Street. Admission is $12. The tour of Ambrose, a light ship (and by light I mean that it was anchored in the harbor for weeks at a time and served as a literal light for ships entering NY harbor. I originally thought that it meant that it was not a heavy ship!) was informative. It is possible that this boat was in the harbor when my mom arrived by boat to the US in 1954. On the Wavertree, there was no real tour. We were told we could walk around and explore, as long as we didn't enter the areas that were roped off. A man sat on the deck as a chaperone/monitor. Still it was nice, and I remembered walking around the Peking when my dad took us to South Street Seaport as kids. So, for just the boats, I would give the South Street Seaport Museum 4 stars. Unfortunately, the actual museum itself brings it down a star. It's not that the museum is bad, it's just that it was a small one-floor space. Now, I heard that the upper floors of the museum are closed due to damages from Hurricane Sandy. I would like to visit again when, and if, those floors are opened.

A friend and I were interested in a walking typeface tour out of the museum several weekends ago. We didn't purchase tickets in advance and showed up minutes before the tour was scheduled to start, which was rude on our part because we ended up being the only guests, so our guide, Rob, had to prepare himself for a lengthy tour with very little notice. But he did so without gripe and we got on our way in a timely manner. This was one of the more interesting and rewarding museum trips I've had in awhile -- that's not to insult other museums I've been to, but rather emphasize how stellar this tour was. Rob was so knowledgable and passionate about the topic, and he had answers for each of our questions, which were all over the map. We ended up walking around with him for around 90 minutes, if not more, and there was hardly a dull moment. For typeface fanatics like myself, it certainly delivered. It also has much to offer for people with interests like history, architecture, city planning, and the chemical dynamics of salt and lead paint (more captivating than it sounds). I ended up getting a lot more New York City trivia than I would've guessed, like trapdoors, metal facade theft, and the relationship between wine and the Brooklyn Bridge. TL;DR, $15 felt like a steal, and I'm certain my friend and I will return for Fresh Prints or some other activity at the museum/print shop.

The South Street Seaport Museum is essentially three venues; the main location on Fulton Street where you purchase ship tour tickets and also see all the exhibits, the print shop around the corner on Water Street, and the Pier 16 historic ships where you're given the tour. Not a whole lot to see overall, but it was nice receiving the tour and getting to know what things were like on the ship.

The museum is located in three venues: on Water Street with two print shops, on Fulton Street with exhibition and educational spaces, and on Pier 16 with various historic ships. Unfortunately the exhibition galleries on the upper floors are still not available for visit because of Hurricane Sandy damages, but you can get an idea of their potentials by walking in the lobby and see few artifacts from the collections in temporary displays. Touring the ships is really fun and you can also sail on one of them on specific days and time. The print shops are a must. Amazing machines, tools, types, and decors. You can ask many questions, see the printers work, and buy gorgeous cards, posters, and paper goods!

The museum is nothing more than one small first floor space with an assortment of items. It took 10 minutes to pay for tickets and then realize there was nothing more to see. There is a boat tour included of a large sailing vessel. Very poor shape ship and tour is lackluster

The post-renovation report: It's a completely different museum than you remember, and likely to get even better. 4.5 stars, if you want to get technical. Forget what you think you know. The space now is bright and modern, the exhibits are eclectic, and the whole enterprise feels energized and relevant. The combination of artistic endeavor and the celebration of craft and trade is enlightening. You get the idea immediately. At the top of the escalator, you pass under a geometric hanging sculpture made of hundreds of fishing weights. Surprisingly modern and totally unexpected. Then, a roomful of ship models in bottles (with a hidden case that reveals how it's done, should you want to know). There's another gallery with large model ships and a moody photo exhibit of ships being dismantled in India. Just when you think the whole place will be about seafaring, other galleries show you furniture, objects, and fashion made in New York--everything from model staircases to deconstructed evening gowns. Now you begin to see how the waterfront is a jumping-off point to learning about the city's history and development. Keep going, and it gets even more interesting: a spread of woodworking tools, arranged artistically; the remains of a ghostly boarding house; a video about JFK airport; an installation of archival footage of the waterfront; a scaled-down version of the spectacular "Mannahatta" (originally shown at the Museum of the City of New York in 2009, it visualizes the island in 1609); an oddly compelling documentary about life at the Fulton Fish Market; a massive photo collection about Occupy Wall Street; and another photo gallery featuring two artists whose work uses wide-angle lenses to explore the city. The old building themselves are an attraction, with their antique graffiti, sloping floors, giant cogs, exposed joists. We saw almost everything in about an hour and a half. The gift shop on the ground floor is, like the rest of the place, very well curated. Admission is only $5 for adults. The security guards here are the nicest I have ever met; they were all welcoming and actually interested in the exhibits. One guy and I wonkily agreed that everything in the tool display should have been identified. My only caveat is that this is still a work in progress. The elevators were not working today, so if this is an issue for you, call ahead. We were told there was a coat check, but we never found it. Some exhibits' touchscreens were not yet installed. The multimedia introduction, "Timescapes," is borrowed from the MCNY; it's fine if you're a tourist. But I think the new Seaport Museum as a whole will appeal to locals. This quirky and impressionistic collection is a great way to explore your own hometown.

I booked a Pioneer Schooner Sail for 8.28, which was cancelled (phone message) less than an hour before hand. I was given a phone number to call to speak about a refund or rebook - which is a general number for the South Street Seaport Museum and despite leaving messages - no one has contacted me (it's been almost a week). I have also tried to use the website to email them my information, in hopes of being able to get in touch with someone that way, only to spend time to craft a message, and then for the website to return a "404 - Page Not found " error upon submission. I think the museum is a great institution, however their customer service is virtually non existant. After spending $64 on a sail, and also donating $10 as part of the transaction. I am left frustrating with the experience, and as a result, I cannot recommend it to anyone.

I thought this was a small but nice museum. The intimate spaces, dark wood floors, and general lack of lighting are decidedly different from the large, white, halogen lit museums pretty much anywhere else. It has a cozy feel. I only went to the museum itself, and not the ships. I am sure they are nice. Downside is that things are sometimes a little difficult to see, which is, after all, the main point of going to a museum. It is also a little small, especially for the price of $10 (with student ID). With the same student ID and $10 I could occupy myself for two days at, say, the Metropolitan, while two hours is about all the time you can spend at the main museum (excluding the ships). There were also audio booths were you could listen to stories, which is nice, but there were no headphones or anything, so it was kind of distracting for the rest of the visitors. All in all I enjoyed the New Netherlands exhibition and thought it was a nice contribution to the Hudson 400 (now technically 401) celebration.

Nice public relations statement, Shannon, but I have to ask how carefully you read my original review. I called in early May before I went to NY and was told I could see about 50% of the buildings but not the ship. When I got there YOUR STAFF informed me that none of the buildings were handicapped accessible, nor was the ship, They said the only thing I could see was a small exhibit on the first floor of the main building that I was in where one buys tickets. The exhibit was only half of the floor but they would only charge me $5 instead of $12. As I said in my original review, no thanks. Nice try-blaming the lack of elevators on Superstorm Sandy-which happened almost 4 years ago. But damage from the storm doesn't explain the lack of ramps to enable people with wheelchairs and walkers to enter the buildings, does it? You were "sorry" that my visit "wasn't enjoyable". WHAT VISIT??? I wasn't able to see anything except for a small exhibit that I wasn't about to pay $5 for! Trust me, even if by some miracle the day comes when I no longer have to use a walker or you add ramps to your buildings I would NEVER visit your facility again. I would also discourage others from visiting as well. But, like I said, good public relations statement. Next time try reading my original review.

I wish more New Yorkers knew about this museum. It isn't (just) for tourists. The museum is made up of a row of two hundred year old buildings that used to be counting houses, a hotel, a coffee business and more--if you pay attention, you can see traces of all that history in the walls. The old hoists, stair cases, elevators, even graffiti are just as interesting as the exhibits. That said, right now the Folk Art Museum has a show on the whole third floor that is absolutely beautiful and worth a trip on its own. The new renovations in the last year updated the place in the best way. They also put on a whole calendar of great public programs and family programs that are designed to interest New Yorkers. Go visit!

I liked the exhibit on the Titanic. However, this museum reminded me of some of the others with exhibits having nothing to do with the subject of the museum. Why all the fashion and design? Not that that isn't interesting in another museum, but for me, I would prefer seeing exhibits relating to the area, Fulton fish market, the history of the area. There's a section where you see the old hotel rooms--though you can't go in and look at them--and that would be interesting to see. Maybe how one of them would've been decorated etc. I just think the exhibits could be displayed better. How about more photos of the area in the past? Relating it to today? The old films are interesting but how about more information on them?

What a great museum, at a great price! I really enjoyed seeing the art on display at the South Street Seaport Museum. The 22 minute movie on the history of New York taught me a number of things I didn't know, despite having lived here for a few years, and I loved that the museum still has a number of hotel rooms to be seen (albeit unfurnished) left over from a hotel from perhaps a century past. Very fun activity for when you are in the Seaport. Also, if you get a ticket here, you'll get to also get into the City Museum for free.

Today we visited the museum because we booked a guided tour. It was amazing. There are so many old features in the building(s). The museum is situated in the Schermerhorn row which is a row of old monuments. It's suposed the landmark where NY was created. Super interesting.

The new renovation did wonders for this little museum. I was pleasantly surprised with how contemporary the exhibits felt and the obvious attention to detail that was paid to the incorporation of natural light and a clean design aesthetic. It's a fantastic addition to any visit to lower Manhattan and a great value too.

This is one of my favorite museums in New York. For $10 you get multiple floors of history and wonder and get to go on board a real Lightship (I had no idea what a lightship was until I went on it). The museum clearly has come done a great job with the renovations and I can't wait to go back. There is just so much interesting American history to be discovered that you really can't do it all in one shot.

Was really underwhelmed and upset with myself for convincing my co-walker to make one of the more significant detours during Night at the Museums. Don't bother unless you're already in the area and bored.

Very disappointing. When we were there the museum was closed for renovations so we bought tickets to tour the large old sailing ship they have in the water. What a waste of time and money. The boat is in terrible condition, there was no guided tour, and really very little to see.

My kids has a great time at the seaport museum over the weekend. It is definitely Something we will do again when the weather is more desirable.

Awesome museum! There is a great variety of items on display, covering 400 years of history, including (among other things) videos and films, works on fabric, everyday objects from history, tools, contemporary folk art, and the building itself, which "appears" in the exhibit in several locations. Fascinating, and at $10 a really great deal.