August 17 | 10am–12pm | Pier 16, Wavertree | Free
The Seaport Museum is joining The American Friends of Lafayette and Lower Manhattan Historical Association in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the farewell tour taken by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, in 1824 and 1825.
History will come alive with a living history fair on Pier 16 created in partnership with Historic Richmond Town, New York City’s living history village on Staten Island. The fair will feature living history programs that span Lafayette’s time, including trade demonstrations such as broom and rope making, children’s games, hands-on craft activities like making your own tricorn hat and cup-and-ball toy, and more. There will be costumed historians representing soldiers in the Continental Army as well as militia units like those that Lafayette fought in the American fight for freedom.
Aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree, join an informal discussion with Thierry Chaunu––Delegate General of Le Souvenir Français and President of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français––to learn about the French frigate L’Hermione, the ship that transported Lafayette and French soldiers to America. Chaunu will also discuss the trip to the United States made by a reproduction of L’Hermione, which included a stop at the South Street Seaport Museum in 2015, and the ongoing campaign to support the preservation of the vessel.
There will also be a display of reproduction items from the Revolutionary war period, historical information, and reenactors discussing their portrayal of the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn that took place in the American Revolutionary War on August 27, 1776.
Advanced registration is encouraged but walkups are welcome. Please note that access to Wavertree for this event involves climbing a few stairs, walking up an angled gangway, and descending a few stairs onto the deck. The lower decks are accessible via stairs, while the upper deck requires navigating steep ladder-like stairs.
Please Note This is a Past Program, Event, or Activity
You are viewing an archived page for a program, event, or activity that has already taken place. In most cases these pages are no longer actively maintained and because of that may contain inaccurate or out-of-date information. These pages are left publicly viewable to preserve institutional memory and to allow the public to learn more about the types of programs, activities, and content created and made available by the South Street Seaport Museum throughout its history.
About the Marquis de Lafayette
Marquis de Lafayette (September 6, 1757–May 20, 1834), often known simply as Lafayette, was a French aristocrat, a general in the American Revolutionary War, and a leader of the Garde nationale during the French Revolution. In the American Revolution, Lafayette served as a major general in the Continental Army under George Washington. As an ardent supporter of the United States’ constitutional principles, he called on all nations to follow the American example.
In 1824 and 1825, Lafayette embarked on a tour of the United States, returning for a final time to the country he helped establish and whose democratic experiment he saw as a model for the rest of the world. During his thirteen-month tour, he visited all twenty-four states of the Union, where he was celebrated in each city and town with processions, banquets, receptions, worship services, and visits to important sites.
Extend Your Visit
Access to Wavertree is included with your event ticket. To extend your visit and see more that the Museum has to offer, ask Museum staff about our Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets when you check in. Before or after your event, between 11am–5pm, get Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets to see more of the Museum.
General Admission includes access to all current exhibitions on view in the introduction gallery space at 12 Fulton Street and access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree. Free timed tickets for a tour of the 1908 lightship Ambrose are available separately at no additional cost.
Tickets to sail New York Harbor on the 1885 schooner Pioneer and 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker are available separately and range from $15–$70.
About the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree
Wavertree was built at Southampton, England, in 1885 and, after a 24-year sailing career and circumnavigating the globe at least three times, is now the last remaining iron-hulled three-masted full-rigged cargo ship. Today, Wavertree serves as the iconic centerpiece of the bustling waterfront that shaped New York City into a modern metropolis.
About American Friends of Lafayette
The American Friends of Lafayette is an historical and patriotic society dedicated to the memory of Major General Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and to the study of his life and times in America and France.
About Friends of Foundation de France Association Hermione – La Fayette
In 1997, Association Hermione-La Fayette began the identical reconstruction of the Hermione, the Frigate of Freedom, at the Arsenal de Rochefort in France. In 1780, General Lafayette embarked on this ship to announce France’s support for the American insurgents. Seventeen years of work, carried out in view of the public, allowed for the discovery and transmission of traditional shipbuilding techniques. Since 2014, the frigate, now a sailing ship, has become a major emblem of French maritime heritage and the largest replica of an 18th-century three-masted vessel. As a unique associative project, the Hermione serves as a cultural ambassador, promoting transmission, training, and openness to the world.
About Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town interprets and restores a living history village, operates a historical museum, and collects and preserves material culture to inspire engagement with and understanding of the diverse histories of Staten Island.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.