Tour the historic lightship Ambrose
Join a guided tour of 1908 Lightship Ambrose at South Street Seaport Museum on Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors can tour the multiple decks of this National Historic Landmark to see the living and working spaces once inhabited by sailors stationed on Ambrose, as well as the special features that allow the ship to fulfill its mission of staying on station, being seen, and being heard. Ambrose is 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.
Guided tours depart hourly and last approximately 30 minutes. Advance reservations are recommended. Guests must check in 15 minutes before the tour at reception at 12 Fulton Street. Access to Ambrose requires walking up an angled gangway. Stairs lead to the lower decks.
Please note that in accordance with the expansion of NYC Emergency Executive Order 225, people over age 12 will be required to show proof they are fully vaccinated to board Ambrose, and proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose will be required for all guests ages 5 and older, who are to be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult. Proof of vaccination can be provided in the form of a physical immunization card, NY Excelsior Pass app, or the NYC COVID Safe app when you check in at the red welcome tent on Pier 16. Additionally, in keeping with the latest guidance from the World Health Organization, mask wearing is required for visitors aboard Ambrose at all times.
Beginning January 29, 2022, children ages 5 to 11 must also show proof of full vaccination to board Ambrose.
Tickets are free for adults and kids. Book your tickets below!
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.
About the Lightship Ambrose
Lightship LV-87, also known as Ambrose, was built in 1907 as a floating lighthouse to guide ships safely from the Atlantic Ocean into the broad mouth of lower New York Bay between Coney Island, New York, and Sandy Hook, New Jersey–an area filled with sand bars and shoals perilous to approaching vessels. South Street Seaport Museum’s Ambrose occupied her original station from her launching in 1908 until 1932. In 1921 Ambrose became the first lightship to be fitted with a radio beacon, greatly assisting navigation of the channel in poor visibility. In her role as navigational aid, she was also witness to the largest period of immigration in U.S. history, seeing some six million immigrants pass her station. After her half-century career, she was donated to the newly-formed South Street Seaport Museum by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1968.