Tour the tall ship Wavertree
The permanently-moored 1885 tall ship Wavertree is open to the public for FREE on Saturdays and Sundays, with timed entry, from 11am-5pm at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets). 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.
Guided tours include access to the main deck and quarter deck. Learn how people worked and lived aboard a 19th century cargo sailing vessel, from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew. Then visit the cargo hold and stand atop the viewing platform where you can take in the massive main cargo area.
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 enter the lower decks and enclosed spaces of Wavertree, 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.
In accordance with current Federal and New York State COVID-19 guidance, masks are required at all times onboard Wavertree. The Museum will allow no more than 150 guests on board the ship at any time to encourage social distancing from different households.
Beginning January 29, 2022, children ages 5 to 11 must also show proof of full vaccination to enter the lower decks and enclosed spaces of Wavertree
Tickets are free for adults and kids. Book your tickets below!
Download a Digital Deck Map
Have Your Next Event on Wavertree
Wavertree is the perfect one-of-a-kind setting for your next event. This historic ship provides a breathtaking setting with unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.
2015-16 Restoration
In recognition of Wavertree‘s symbolism of New York’s History, the Seaport Museum was awarded a 13-million dollar, city-funded grant for her unprecedented restoration in 2015. This provided the necessary means for her restoration including the completion of her masts, yards, and rigging, the installation of her ‘tweendeck, and the refitting of her iron-hull. This restoration marks the beginning of the next chapter of her life as the flagship of the South Street Seaport Museum.
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 Wavertree
The 1885 ship Wavertree has a well-documented and fascinating history. Built in Southampton, Great Britain, she circled the globe four times in her career, carrying a wide variety of cargoes. The ship called on New York in 1896, no doubt one of hundreds like her berthed in the city. In 1910, after thirty-five years of sailing, she was caught in a Cape Horn storm that tore down her masts and ended her career as a cargo ship. She was salvaged and used as a floating warehouse and then a sand barge in South America, where the waterfront workers referred to her as “el gran Valero,” the great sailing ship, because even without her masts she was obviously a great windjammer. She was saved by the Seaport Museum in 1968 and towed to New York to become the iconic centerpiece of the “Street of Ships” at South Street. The 130-year-old Wavertree, built of riveted wrought iron, is an archetype of the sailing cargo ships of the latter half of the 19th century that, during the “age of sail,” lined South Street by the dozens, creating a forest of masts from the Battery to the Brooklyn Bridge.