Is there a time when admission is reduced?
On the third Friday of every month beginning at 6:00 p.m. the museum is open free to the public. The museum closes at 8:45 p.m. on these Fridays.
Do I have to purchase admission tickets in advance for Harbor Sails?
No. Harbor Sail tickets maybe purchased in advance or at the Museum. However, since tickets are timed and do sell out, advance purchases are recommended.
Is photography permitted in the Museum?
The use of photography (cameras, camera phones, video equipment) and cellular phones is permitted only in the Lobby and aboard Museum vessels. Tripods are not permitted anywhere in the Museum.
Does the Museum have a store?
Yes. The Museum operates two stores. A book store and gift shop located at 12 Fulton Street and a recreation of a working 19th Century Print Shop, Bowne & Co. located at 211 Water Street. Personalized letterpress printing, cards, stationery and some books and magazines are available for purchase at Bowne.
Are visitors permitted to sketch in the Museum?
Pencils, sketchbooks, and notebooks are permitted, but pens, paints, and easels are not.
Is there a place to eat in the Museum?
No, but the Museum is located in a historic district that boasts numerous restaurants.
Additionally, try these independently operated restaurants in the district:
Bridge Café, 279 Water Street.
Carmines, corner of Beekman and Front streets
Mark Joseph Steakhouse, 261 Water Street.
Nelson Blue, 233 Front Street
Paris Café, 116–119 South Street
Salud, corner of Beekman and Front Street
Stella Maris, 213 Front Street
Where can I buy tickets to Bodies, the Exhibition?
"Bodies: The Exhibition" is not a South Street Seaport Museum exhibit. It is located at 11 Fulton Street, at the corner of Fulton and Front streets (next to the entrance to the Gap). For information on hours and ticket prices go to the website www.southstreetseaport.com and click on "Events & Entertainment." To purchase advance tickets, go to the website www.bodiestickets.com or call 888.926.3437.
Who should I call for further information about the South Street Seaport Museum?
For further information regarding programming at the Museum or charters aboard the Museum’s ships, contact Reservations at 212 748 8786, Mon–Fri, 9 am –5 pm or e-mail questions to reservations@southstseaport.org.
How can I find out about events in the Seaport, like fireworks and concerts?
Most events at the South Street Seaport not listed on this Web site, are produced the Seaport Marketplace Inc. (SMI), the company that operates the Seaport "festival marketplace." Visit their Web site, www.southstreetseaport.com, for details.
I will be visiting New York City and have just one day to spend in lower Manhattan. Is your Museum close to other attractions?
Lower Manhattan is very compact. You can walk from the museum to most local attractions—the ferry to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, the New York Stock Exchange, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Federal Hall—in minutes. There is also a free loop bus just steps from the museum visitors' center.
Does your Museum have facilities for doing genealogical research?
The Museum's Melville Library is currently available for scholarly research by appointment. Call (212) 748.8746. The library has information on 19th– and early 20–century South Street district businesses. The Museum also has a great deal of information on 19th–century ships. For ship passenger lists and government documents (naturalization and immigration papers), visit:
National Archives Northeast Region Branch: 201 Varick Street New York NY 10014–4811 www.nara.gov/regional/public/nycpubli.html
NYC Municipal Archives: 31 Chambers Street New York NY 10007 www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doris/html/archives.html
The New York Public Library Local History Division: 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue www.nypl.org/research/chss/index.htm