Now On View

The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation

Get your tickets today

Be one of the first to experience this newly-opened landmark exhibition!

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, The Promise of Liberty takes you on a journey through the nation’s founding ideas—tracing how they have evolved over time through rare defining documents and pivotal moments in history.

Through rarely-seen documents and ephemera—including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as well as remarkable 19th and 20th century treasures—you discover pivotal moments that pushed the nation closer to equality. You also experience how New York played a central role in this history.

Tickets Now Available

Fourth of July Fireworks

Mark America’s 250th anniversary with an unforgettable Fourth of July on the waterfront at South Street Seaport Museum!

Reserve your ticket now for a spectacular East River vantage point and front-row views of the 50th edition of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks®, launching from the Brooklyn Bridge and four barges positioned directly in front of the Museum, from the bridge to Pier 6.

Tickets are selling fast and some viewing zones are already sold out. Reserve your tickets for Red, White & Views: Fourth of July Fireworks at the Seaport Museum today!

Now On View

Maritime City

Explore the three-floor exhibition Maritime City, which highlights how New York City, as we know it today, arose from the sea.

Throughout the extensive exhibition, 540 deliberately-selected objects from the collections and archives of the Museum are on view to underscore how the city’s identity as a global capital of culture and finance is rooted in its origins as a seaport.  

As you walk through the exhibition you discover how the waterways, people, and industries of the Greater New York area led to the creation of a truly diverse city.

Shop at
Bowne & Co.

Wednesday–Sunday

Bowne & Co. weaves together New York’s rich maritime and printing legacy through two distinctive experiences: the Printing Office and Bowne & Co. Stationers. The Printing Office is a workspace that continues the age-old tradition of job (or small-batch) printing using historic presses from the Seaport Museum’s working collection. Next door, Bowne & Co. Stationers is a 19th century-inspired gift emporium selling a carefully curated selection of unique wares.

Stop by Bowne & Co. Stationers to browse house-designed and letterpress-printed paper goods, along with charming books, candles, stationery, home decor, and delightful oddities.

You can also ask our friendly staff about ordering your own custom letterpress printing and joining in seasonal and monthly activities, workshops, and open houses!

Featured Blog

Not Worth a Continental 

Printing, Counterfeiting, and the Fight for Trust

To celebrate The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation our latest Collections Chronicles Blog post takes you into a recent collections inventory project focused on Continental Currency! 

Issued during the Revolutionary era, Continental Currency was a tool of nation-building, created as the new republic struggled to establish trust and authority. At the same time, these bills were vulnerable to counterfeiting as British forces and Loyalists worked to undermine the Revolutionary effort. To impede the production of forgeries, printers (like Benjamin Franklin) used innovative techniques to make copying as difficult as possible, while also creating designs meant to inspire confidence in the new nation. 

Read the blog post to follow along as Collections and Exhibitions Management Intern Annika D. shows and tells how she researched, cataloged, and became fascinated by colonial paper money traditions and the uncertainty of wartime America.