Timed Guided Tours | Wednesday–Sunday | 11:30am–3:30pm | Pier 16 | Free with General Admission
Join a guided tour of the 1908 lightship Ambrose at South Street Seaport Museum. 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 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 tour you will learn how Ambrose played a significant role in the immigrant experience and hear about 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 Tour Registration
Tours are free to add to a General Admission ticket, and selection of timed-entry is required for reservation. 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. If you don’t see tickets for a specific date, that tour has reached capacity.
Tours are led multiple times per day and last approximately 45 minutes. Guests must check in at the introduction galleries at 12 Fulton Street or the red tent at Pier 16 at least 10 minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin. Access to Ambrose requires walking up an angled gangway and up and down stairs to each deck while on board.
We look forward to sharing this piece of New York history with you. Book your Ambrose and General Admission tickets below.
A General Admission ticket is required to tour Ambrose. Make sure to have both tickets in your cart before you complete your order.
About the 1908 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 Lower New York Bay. Occupying her station from 1908–1932, she guided mariners to the nation’s busiest port, and welcomed over six million immigrants into New York Harbor.
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.