Wednesday–Sunday | 11am–5pm | Pay What You Wish
Admission to the Seaport Museum is Pay What You Wish during regular open hours. This means you are invited to decide what valuation is right for you—take advantage of free in-person admission, the full ticket price, or name your price of anything in between. As a nonprofit organization, your ticket purchase directly supports the Museum’s mission to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.” Please be as generous as you can.
Online Ticket Options
Admission tickets booked online give you the option to select a ticket price increment from $1 to $18. To take advantage of free in-person admission tickets, walk up to any check-in station at the Museum.
Timed Entry
For Museum locations with timed tickets, visitors with pre-booked tickets will be admitted before guests taking advantage of walkup tickets. Advance registration to guarantee your space is encouraged.
Scroll down to explore all the exhibitions and historic ships you can discover on your next visit to the South Street Seaport Museum. We look forward to welcoming you!
Upcoming Museum Hours
As you plan your Winter holidays, the Seaport Museum looks forward to welcoming you. Take advantage of Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets during our upcoming hours—perfect for a holiday visit with family and friends.
Seaport Museum and Bowne & Co. Stationers hours around the holidays are:
Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25: Closed
Thursday, December 26–Sunday, December 29: 11am–5pm
New Years Day, Wednesday, January 1: Closed
Thursday, January 2 and Friday January 3: Closed
Thursday, December 5–Saturday, December 21: Bowne & Co. will have extended holiday hours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 11am–7pm.
Wednesday, January 1–Sunday, March 9: The Seaport Museum will be open on a Winter Weekend Schedule of Saturdays and Sundays, 11am–5pm.
Visit the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree
Wednesday–Sunday | 11am–5pm | Pier 16 | Pay What You Wish
Tour this National Register-listed vessel that represents the thousands of ships that docked along New York’s waterfront over the centuries. Come aboard to see how people worked and lived aboard a 19th century cargo sailing ship—from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew. In the care of the South Street Seaport Museum, the 1885 tall ship Wavertree has been meticulously restored and has been carefully curated to help tell the story of the rise of New York City as a global metropolis.
On your visit, you will explore the main deck that features the restored forecastle, where the crew bunked; the galley, where meals were prepared; the saloon, which acted as the captain’s living room and the ship’s office in port; and the quarterdeck, where you can man the helm, turn the ship’s wheel, and learn about the capstan. You will also get a look into the vast cargo hold, which stored bulk cargo on Wavertree’s many journeys to distant ports around the globe during her 24-year sailing career.
About Registration
Throughout the cooler months, tours of Wavertree are led every 30 minutes and last approximately 30 minutes. On days when the weather is nicer, tours will be self-guided and guests may explore at their own pace. You may access Wavertree at any time from 11am to 5pm on the day of your visit. You do not need to select a time slot for your tour. Last admission will be 4:45pm. Advance registration to guarantee your space is encouraged. Walkups can be accommodated as space allows.
Admission to the tall ship Wavertree located at Pier 16 is Pay What You Wish. In addition to visiting the historic cargo ship, your admission also includes access exhibitions on view in the Seaport Museum’s introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street.
Advance timed tickets to view the Museum’s forthcoming three-floor exhibition Maritime City in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street, and timed tours of the 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 are available separately.
Guests must check in at the red tent located at the bottom of the Wavertree gangway on Pier 16, or in the introduction galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Please note that storage space is not available on board Wavertree. Strollers can be parked at the base of the gangway when boarding. Access to Wavertree includes climbing up a few stairs, walking up an angled gangway, and then down a few stairs onto the deck. Access to the lower decks is by stairs; access to the upper deck is by steep ladder-like stairs.
Take a Guided Tour of the 1908 Lightship Ambrose
Wednesday–Sunday | 11:30am–3:30pm | Pier 16 | Free with General Admission
As you walk multiple decks of this National Historic Landmark you will see the living and working spaces once inhabited by sailors stationed on the 1908 lightship Ambrose, as well as the special features that allow the ship to fulfill its mission of staying on station, being seen, and being heard. This ship was the first vessel to join the Seaport Museum’s fleet and the very first lightship to guard the largest shipping channel in and out of the ports of New York and New Jersey—the Ambrose Channel.
On your guided tour you will learn how Ambrose played a significant role in the immigrant experience and hear how countless waves of immigrants brought with them diverse cultures, traditions, and skills that interwove to form the rich tapestry of the city’s identity.
About Registration
Tours are free to add to a General Admission ticket, and selection of timed-entry is required for reservation. A General Admission ticket is required to tour Ambrose. Make sure to have both tickets in your cart before you complete your order.
Tours are led multiple times per day and last approximately 45 minutes. You will need to select the time slot of your tour when you reserve your ticket. If you don’t see tickets available for a specific time, that tour has reached capacity. If a tour lacks registrants 24 hours before its scheduled time, it may be canceled. To ensure a tour is available at your preferred time, please sign up for that time slot in advance to guarantee your space. Advance registration to guarantee your space is encouraged. Walkups can be accommodated as space allows.
Guests must check in at the red tent located at the bottom of the Wavertree gangway on Pier 16, or in the introduction galleries at 12 Fulton Street at least 10 minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin. Please note that storage space is not available on board Ambrose. Strollers can be parked at the base of the Wavertree gangway before your tour. Access to Ambrose requires walking up an angled gangway and up and down stairs to each deck while on board.
See Exhibitions on View in the Introduction Galleries
Wednesday–Sunday | 11am–5pm | 12 Fulton Street | Free with General Admission
General Admission to the Seaport Museum includes access to two current exhibitions on view in the introduction gallery space inside Schermerhorn Row. Exhibitions draw from the Museum’s vast collection via large-scale reproductions and selected artifacts on display.
South Street And The Rise Of New York explores the critical role played by the Seaport and South Street in securing New York’s place as America’s largest city and its rise to become the world’s busiest port by the start of the 20th century.
Millions: Migrants And Millionaires Aboard The Great Liners, 1900–1914 examines the dichotomy between First Class and Third Class passengers aboard ocean liners in the early 20th century.
About Registration
You may visit the introduction galleries at any time from 11am to 4:30pm on the day of your visit. You do not need to select a time slot. Last admission will be 4:30pm.
Please register for Pay What You Wish General Admission to see these two exhibitions. Your admission also includes access to visit the historic ship Wavertree. Timed tickets to view the Museum’s forthcoming three-floor exhibition in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street, and tours of the 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 are available separately. Advance registration to guarantee your space is encouraged. Walkups can be accommodated as space allows.
Guests must check in inside the introduction galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Access to the introduction galleries is at street level and wheelchair accessible.
Visit Bowne & Co. Stationers
Wednesday–Sunday | 11am–5pm | 211 Water Street | Free
No visit to the South Street Seaport Museum is complete without a stop at Bowne & Co., Stationers, the 19th century-style letterpress print shop at the South Street Seaport Museum.
When you visit the gift emporium and letterpress print shop, you will see how Bowne & Co. continues the tradition of letterpress printing and captures the essence of a turn-of-the-century store using the Museum’s collection of historical equipment. Visit today to immerse yourself in the historical charm and legacy, as this shop weaves together New York’s maritime and printing heritage.
Stop by to browse the carefully-curated selection of unique wares including books, candles, home decor, stationery, oddities, as well as house-designed and -printed paper goods. While you explore the shop, make sure to take a look at the historical printing presses and speak to our friendly and knowledgeable resident printers.
About Registration
Entry to Bowne & Co., Stationers is free and you do not need an admission ticket to the Seaport Museum to visit.
Want to expand your visit to Bowne & Co. and learn more about the history of printing? Through monthly and seasonal workshops and open houses, you are invited to roll up your sleeves and learn about letterpress printing. Each month, the designers at Bowne & Co. welcome the public into the shop to share the history of printing and let attendees use the historical equipment from the Museum’s working collection. Advance registration is encouraged for workshops and open houses.
Access to the gift emporium and letterpress print shop, as well as workshops and event space require walking up and down a few stairs.
Get Advance Tickets for the New “Maritime City” Exhibition
Beginning March 2025
Wednesday–Sunday | 11am–5pm | 213 Water Street | Pay What You Wish
Pre-book your tickets today for Maritime City, a highly-anticipated forthcoming exhibition that highlights how New York City, as we know it today, arose from the sea. Throughout the extensive three-floor exhibition, objects on view 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 540 deliberately-selected objects from the collections and archives of the Seaport Museum, you will discover how the waterways, people, and industries of the Greater New York area—including all the boroughs, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley—led to the creation of a truly diverse city. By sharing the material culture of New York and its people, the objects on display highlight stories of the working class people employed by ships, shipping lines, and other local industries throughout history, as well as the emigrant workers and immigrant families that came through the port as their first stop in America.
About Registration
Advance timed admission tickets to the forthcoming Maritime City exhibition in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street are Pay What You Wish. In addition to being one of the first public guests to tour this impressive exhibition in the newly-renovated historic warehouse, your admission also includes access to exhibitions on view in the Seaport Museum’s introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street. Advance registration to guarantee your space is encouraged. Walkups can be accommodated as space allows when the exhibition opens in March 2025.
Tickets to come aboard the Museum’s 1885 tall ship Wavertree and tours of the 1908 lightship Ambrose, both at Pier 16, are available separately.
Guests must check in at the entrance of A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street. Access to the exhibition gallery requires walking up and down a few stairs though a wheelchair lift is available. Each floor of the exhibition can be accessed by stairs or elevator.
Want to learn more about Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets? Visit the FAQ page for more details.
The Seaport Museum aims to make our facilities accessible to all visitors. Due to the historical nature of our ships and Landmarked buildings, access requirements vary for each location. Please see the specific access details on our accessibility page.
South Street Seaport Museum
By subway: Take the A, C, 2, 3, J, Z, 4, or 5 train to Fulton Street.
By bus: Take the M-15 SBS or M-15 to Fulton Street.
By water: The NYC Ferry, and New York Waterway provide service to Pier 11. The Staten Island Ferry provides services to Whitehall Terminal.
Parking: Parking lots can be found at Front and John Streets, as well as 294 Pearl Street.