December 29 | 3–5pm | Pier 17, North Side | Free
Join the neighborhood menorah lighting at the Seaport and celebrate Hanukkah with the Seaport Museum by hot-foil stamping your own wooden dreidel with special letterforms developed by the professional printers at Bowne & Co.
Foil stamping is similar to letterpress printing, in that a raised surface is used to transfer the image, but rather than ink, a heat-activated metallic gold foil is used. The talented printers at Bowne & Co. drew these letterforms based on scans of a German 15th century Ashkenazi Haggadah from The British Library. Those designs were then made into the magnesium dies used for this foil stamping activity.
Registration is encouraged for this free drop-in activity but walkups will be accommodated as possible. You are welcome to visit anytime between 3pm and 5pm, and you don’t have to stay for the full event.
Not able to make it to the activity? No worries! You can purchase your own hot-foil stamped dreidel on bowne.co!
About Bowne & Co.
Established by Robert Bowne in 1775, Bowne & Co. holds the distinction of being New York’s oldest operating business under the same name. After growing as a financial printer throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Bowne & Co. Inc. partnered with the Seaport Museum in 1975 to open a 19th century-style print shop at 211 Water Street in the South Street Seaport Historic District. Today, it is comprised of the Bowne & Co. Printing Office––a workspace that continues the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing using historic presses from South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection––and Bowne & Co. Stationers, a 19th century-style emporium selling gifts and fine goods.
Learn More About the Menorah Lighting & Celebration
The Seaport’s annual Chanukah Menorah Lighting is hosted by the Jewish Learning Experience. All are welcome at this family-friendly holiday celebration, which will include face painting, popcorn, chocolate and other traditional treats, and a musical performance by the FiDi Hebrew School. The pinnacle of the afternoon will be the traditional Menorah lighting ceremony, featuring this year’s grand Menorah made from chocolate. We hope you’ll join us for these sweet holiday celebrations with our downtown community.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the Seaport Museum’s historic ships and exhibition galleries is not included with this event. To explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about Pay What You Wish admission tickets, available Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm when you check in.
These tickets grant access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree at Pier 16 and all current exhibitions on view in the introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street. Timed tours of the 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 are available separately.
Advance Pay What You Wish tickets for the forthcoming Maritime City exhibition, opening in March 2025 in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street are now available. Be among the first to explore this exciting new exhibition!
Bowne & Co.
Bowne & Co. is New York’s oldest operating business under the same name. Using seven historic presses from the Museum’s working collection, our resident printers continue the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing, creating individual designs using custom plates or historic fonts.