July 6 | 11am–2pm | Piers 16, 17 | Free
Each Summer, the Seaport brings fun, sand, and music to Seaport Square. This year, the Seaport Museum is joining Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents for the Seaport Kids x Music Festival on Saturday, July 6 with free entertaining and educational activities.
Please Note This is a Past Program, Event, or Activity
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Watershed Workshop
July 6 | 11–1pm | Seaport Square | Free
Come learn how New Yorkers interact with water resources.
Join the Seaport Museum at the Seaport Kids x Music Festival to learn about watersheds––areas of land that drain or “shed” rainfall and snowmelt into streams and rivers. Using 3D models of the New York Harbor and Catskill Watersheds, we will get hands-on while investigating ways in which people in New York City interact with water resources, learning how land-based pollution such as litter and automobile drippings enter our waterways through run-off, and inspecting how we get our water from upland sources.
No registration needed. This all-ages activity takes place outdoors and walk-ups are welcome.
Forging Maritime Metals
July 6 | 12–2pm | Pier 16 | Free
This drop-in metalworking demonstration will delve into the crucial role of blacksmiths during the Age of Sail, both on land and aboard ships at sea. This all-ages program will spark interest into the maritime blacksmithing trade and provide visitors with insight into the construction and maintenance of historic vessels, like the 1885 tall ship Wavertree.
Stop by Pier 16 where you can witness the creation of vital components that held hulls together. In addition, you will learn about the diverse array of tools created by blacksmiths such as those utilized by the ship’s carpenter, pots and utensils employed by the cook, harpoons and knives used by whalers, and even colossal anchors like those near Bowne & Co. Stationers. With such a rich history to explore, these experiences promise an immersive journey into the blacksmiths of maritime past and present.
No registration needed. This activity takes place outdoors at Pier 16 and walk-ups are welcome.
Raise the Sails Aboard Wavertree
July 6 | 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm | Wavertree | Free with General Admission
Get your Pay What You Wish General Admission ticket to the Seaport Museum to come aboard the tall ship Wavertree and step into the fascinating world of 19th-century sailors with a special, hands-on experience, perfect for visitors of all ages! In these interactive mini-workshops, you and your little ones can learn how to raise the sails on the historic ship just like the sailors of old and dive into the nautical vocabulary and terms used for different parts of the tall ship.
Before or after your workshop with Seaport Museum educators, you are invited to take a self-guided tour to discover the daily life on a 19th-century cargo sailing ship, from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew.
This family activity is free with Pay What You Wish General Admission. No additional registration required. Stop by the red tent at Pier 16 anytime from 11am–4:30pm to participate. Access to Wavertree involves climbing a few stairs, walking up an angled gangway, and descending a few stairs onto the deck. The lower decks are accessible via stairs, while the upper deck requires navigating steep ladder-like stairs.
Extend Your Visit
To see more that the Museum has to offer, ask Museum staff about our 11am–5pm, free General Admission tickets when you check in.
General Admission tickets include access to all current exhibitions on view in the introduction gallery space at 12 Fulton Street, the Raise the Sails Aboard Wavertree family activity, and access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree. Free timed tickets for a tour of the 1908 lightship Ambrose are available separately at no additional cost.
Tickets to sail New York Harbor on the 1885 schooner Pioneer and 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker are available separately and range from $15–$70.
Learn More About Beach Fest
For four days and nights, from July 4–7, over the Independence Day holiday weekend, you can kick back with friends and family in a giant sandbox on Seaport Square, enjoying bites and beverages from local eateries and food trucks. There will be daily DJ sets and live music performances. Seaport Kids x Music Festival from 11am–1pm on Saturday, July 6, will provide good times for the whole family. This special Saturday of Beach Fest is devoted to Seaport Kids, in partnership with Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents. Click below to see the full schedule of musical performances and dancing, face painting, sand castles, and more interactive activities that will complete the afternoon.
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.