October | In Person and Online | Free
Celebrate architecture and design with the Seaport Museum’s Archtober offerings! Through in-person guided walking tours, self-guided virtual tours, and new online resources we are joining fellow museums, cultural organizations, consulates, advocacy groups, parks, and more in fostering a deepening relationship with the places we inhabit throughout New York City.
Scroll down to see the Museum’s tours that invite you to discover where passenger and shipping services printed their tickets and advertisements. Additionally, check out a selection of virtual “anytime activities” that will be available throughout the month of October and beyond, in partnership with Urban Archive, including self-led walking tours of New York City from the history of coffee consumption in Lower Manhattan to the rise of Industry City. And, you can learn more about the Museum using resources on our website and from anywhere using the Bloomberg Connects app.
Hidden History of the South Street Seaport’s Architecture
October 4 | 10:30am | In-Person | Free
Sign up today to join the Seaport Museum’s in-person walking tour through history.
The original architectural gems of the South Street Seaport Historic District are considered to be among the oldest standing structures in Manhattan. From merchants’ warehouses to taverns, built by the most famous American architects of the 19th century, the buildings of the Seaport have big stories to tell.
Sign up today to come take a walk with us and discover the origins of New York’s greatness. The tour will be led by the Seaport Museum’s Director of Collections and Exhibitions.
Preregistration is required for this free tour. Rain or shine.
Typography and Job Printing in the 19th Century Seaport
October 4 | 12pm | In-Person | Free
Claim your space today for this one-of-a-kind in-person walking tour with the Seaport Museum.
Most printers in early-19th century New York were located where the action was: near the city’s main port of entry at South Street. Walk with us to learn about the typography on these historic buildings and discover where passenger and shipping services printed their tickets. The walk will be led by the Seaport Museum’s Bowne & Co. Art Director and Operation Manager with a special stop at Bowne & Co. to see printing in action!
Preregistration is required for this free tour. Rain or shine.
Virtual Walking Tours: Seaport Museum x Urban Archives
Anytime | Online | Self-Guided | Free
Take a walk with us, on your own or virtually, and discover the origins of New York’s greatness via Urban Archive, a technology nonprofit that promotes historical research and discovery. You can either come down to South Street, download the app, and follow the walk on your own, or enjoy a virtual tour from the comfort of your own home, anywhere.
Self-guided tours include Street Advertising in Manhattan in the Early 20th Century, The Rise of Industry City, the history of coffee consumption in Lower Manhattan, and more.
Looking for More?
October is also the perfect time to join the Seaport Museum’s 90-minute Sinister Secrets of the Seaport walking tour that will take you on a winding journey that unravels the sinister past of the South Street Seaport Historic District and Lower Manhattan. This timely tour will tell the scandalous, spooky, and dubious tales lurking in the cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and waterfront. Throughout this interactive tour, your guide will share historical stories ripped from the headlines of newspapers and publications from the 1790s to the 1990s.
The Historic Buildings
The Seaport Museum has added a new section to its website for you to learn about the historic architecture of the South Street Seaport from anywhere!
The 18th- and 19th-century buildings of the South Street Seaport Historic District exist today because of the South Street Seaport Museum. In the 1960s, New York City was undergoing one of its most dramatic reinventions and the tension between urban renewal and historic preservation was center stage. After convincing the city to spare the buildings from the wrecking ball, the Museum’s founders—a group of passionate preservationists—set out to restore the area’s structures and repopulate South Street, “the Street of Ships,” with historic vessels.
The buildings in the district span a period of almost 200 years, representing several styles of mercantile architecture including Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival, as well as the later Italianate and Romanesque Revival styles. Today, the Seaport Museum partially occupies many of the original structures that are important artifacts of New York’s history.
About Archtober
Founded in 2011, Archtober has grown into a year-round resource for all things architecture, celebrating the craft and the individuals behind the global built environment. Archtober works with partners like museums, cultural organizations, consulates, advocacy groups, parks, and more.
About Urban Archive
Urban Archive is a technology nonprofit that promotes historical research and discovery. The organization’s mission is to extend the reach of cultural organizations by providing them with collaborative tools to share local history.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibition galleries at the Seaport Museum is not included with this event. If you would like to explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about admission tickets, available Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm when you check in.
Museum admission tickets grant access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 as well as all current exhibitions on view in the introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street. Admission tickets also include entry to the three-floor exhibition Maritime City in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street.
And, make sure to check out the temporary outdoor exhibition Signs of Origins while it is on view from October 1 through November 30!
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.