All Aboard! South Street Seaport Museum To Reopen Historic Ship For Visitors.

Cultural institutions such as the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the 9/11 Museum & Memorial recently announced their preparations for reopenings in Lower Manhattan, and the South Street Seaport Museum is following suit with the opening of ”Wavertree,” a tall ship built in 1885, at Pier 16.

The ship will be open to the public for free 11a–5p on specific dates — September 5, 6, 12, 19 and 26 — which includes access to the ship’s outdoor areas, its main deck and raised rear deck. 

Visitors will take a self-guided tour along a set route, but the ship is taking precautions for safety: the Museum is allotting timed entry for visitors, having no more than 35 guests on board and requiring everyone over the age of two to wear face coverings.  

The museum is also offering a new free outdoor exhibit that will celebrate the businesses and people of all backgrounds who lived and worked at the South Street Seaport. It will feature historic photographs, prints, lithographs and paintings and highlight some of the museum’s collection of more than 28,000 artifacts and 55,000 historic records.

“Wavertree” is a 2,000-ton ship and one of the last large sailing ships made of wrought iron. It was built in Southampton, England, and was first used to carry fiber for use in making rope and burlap bags, traveling between India and Scotland. You can read more on the ship’s history here. 

photo: @seaportmuseum