First Thursday of the Month | 6pm | 211 Water Street | $5
Come to Bowne & Co. for a one-of-a-kind New York experience! This monthly open house features a breadth of printing equipment that you are invited to use. Sign up today to see how the designers at Bowne lock up limited edition designs that showcase some of the more eccentric parts of the Seaport Museum’s printing and graphic arts collection.
Established in 1775, the original Bowne & Co., Inc. was one of New York’s oldest printing firms. The Bowne that you experience today at the Seaport Museum is an offshoot of the original and continues the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing.
Preregistration is encouraged for this open house. Walkups will be accommodated as possible; only credit or debit cards are accepted. Anyone ages 12 and up is welcome. All participants get to take home the items they print during the afternoon. Can’t stay the full 90-minutes? No problem! Leaving a bit early is fine, but you might miss out on taking home something special. Access to this open house includes walking up and down a few stairs.
These open houses are very popular and space fills quickly. If you don’t see tickets available for a specific first-Thursday date, pre-registration for that date has reached capacity. You are welcome to try joining the event as a walkup but space is not guaranteed. Claim your tickets today!
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.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibitions on view is not included with your event ticket. If you would like to explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about General Admission tickets when you check in.
General Admission brings you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into both exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. General Admission also sets you on course to explore Maritime City, the Museum’s immersive, three-floor exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co., located at 213 Water Street.
Want to experience even more?
Reserve your tickets for the special exhibition The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation, opening May 27. Book in advance and save with a discounted combo ticket that includes both General Admission and The Promise of Liberty.
Sailing season is on the horizon! Book your tickets today to look forward to an on-the-water adventure aboard the 1885 schooner Pioneer or the 1930 W.O. Decker.
Plan Your Visit
We look forward to welcoming you! Before your visit, please review the Visitor Guide and Frequently Asked Questions. You’ll find helpful information on ticketing and discounts, planning a family visit, directions and accessibility at each of our historic sites, the visitor code of conduct, what is and isn’t permitted across the Museum campus, tips for using technology during your visit, and more.
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.