Book reading and conversation. Night of music, drinks, and conversation to celebrate the publication of a “quietly stunning” (Ocean Vuong) exploration of love and loss, the struggles and limitations of family life—and how we all must learn to live together and apart—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours.

Amidst declining net trade and foreign direct investment (FDI), a deceleration in infrastructure and capital investment, and persistently low consumer confidence levels, the question arises: What will fuel China’s future economic growth? Join China Institute for a discussion with internationally-renowned economists and business leaders on the future of China’s economy.

1775 belonged to Boston but after April of 1776, the Revolutionary War's focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn's terminal moraine high ground to Queens's Hell Gate. Join author Richard Melnick as he charts the military, political and cultural history 1776 in Long Island City.

An evening of traditional Chinese music and calligraphy. No previous experience of calligraphy is required. Ink, paper, and brush will be provided onsite. Join like-minded friends to enjoy wine and tea, practice calligraphy, and listen to music.

Join Heid E. Erdrich and the 2023 James Welch Prize winning poets J.K. Tsosie and Kalehua Kim for an in-person reading and celebration of their work. Presented in partnership with Poetry Northwest and In-Na-Po (Indigenous Nations Poets).

In this presentation, historian and author Bill Bleyer will illuminate the true tale of the Culper Spy Ring, a covert operation that provided critical support to George Washington's Continental Army during the American Revolution. In the quest for independence, George Washington recognized the immense value of enemy intelligence circulating through the streets of Lower Manhattan. […]

The most famous residential structures of postwar Chicago are still Mies van der Rohe’s 860-880 Lake Shore Drive with the modernist expression of their steel skeleton. But Mies also designed in concrete, as did many Chicago architects and builders throughout the 20th century. Chicago developed home-grown expertise in flat slab, “rib-cage,” and tube construction that […]

In partnership with McNally Jackson Books—located at 4 Fulton Street, just a few doors down from the Museum entrance—Seaport Museum staff and special guests will stir up lively discussions informed by our shared love of literature, history, and preservation.

Join contributors from Stranger's Guide, a travel publication that explores the power of place-based journalism to break down stereotypes and foster global citizenship, for a night of storytelling centered around the idea of confusion. Writers will each share tales from their travels, and explore the humor and insight that arises in times when they discovered […]

Immersive exploration into the captivating world of Peng Wei, an artist renowned for her unique approach to representing the diversity of female perspectives. This lecture is a key part of the lecture series for the China Institute’s contemporary art exhibition, showcasing the multifaceted nature of Chinese contemporary art and its dialogues with history and identity. […]

In 2020, heartsick from constant assaults on Black life, Tracy K. Smith found herself soul-searching and digging into the historical archive for help navigating the “din of human division and strife.” With lyricism and urgency, Smith draws on several avenues of thinking—personal, documentary, and spiritual—to understand who we are as a nation and what we […]

Are you too hardcore for the current state of American letters? The tragic truth is that most new books seem afraid to shock, experiment, offend, get weird. Is there still a place in this world for the freaky girlies? The answer is yes. Morgan and Enzo are two booksellers at McNally Jackson Seaport who delight […]

In The Last Ships from Hamburg: Business, Rivalry, and the Race to Save Russia’s Jews on the Eve of World War I, bestselling historian Steven Ujifusa tells the largely forgotten, colorful story of three remarkable businessmen who, driven by very different motives, made much of this immigration possible and forever changed the fate of millions. […]

Video premiere, lecture, and reception. The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, part of the Dabao’en Temple 大报恩寺 (also known as “the Great Bao’en Monastery”), was considered one of the seven medieval wonders of the world. Destroyed by rebels in the 19th century, a full-size replica of the tower exists today in Nanjing.

Lecture on the literary achievements of Kenneth Pai (白先勇), one of the most influential contemporary Chinese American writers whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the world of literature. Professor Liu Jun of Nanjing University, a distinguished scholar with extensive expertise in Chinese literature, will lead this insightful exploration. Kenneth Pai, renowned for his […]

Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, shares the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our time—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Elon Musk, attended […]

Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are especially engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to them. This installment will feature a conversation between host Randy Cohen and actor […]

Lecture on the 10th anniversary of the passing of the esteemed Columbia University professor, C.T. Hsia (夏志清), with a special lecture by distinguished scholar Prof. Ji Jin of Suzhou University. This lecture will delve into the life and contributions of Prof. C.T. Hsia, a literary critic whose profound impact on the study of modern Chinese […]

In 1993, Billings, Montana was impacted by antisemitism and racism when white supremacists moved to the town. On the evening of December 2, 1993, someone threw a brick through the window of a 5-year-old Jewish boy, Isaac Schnitzer, who was displaying a menorah. After the Schitzer home was vandalized, and inspired by the story of […]

Join author Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Boxers & Saints) and illustrator LeUyen Pham (Princess in Black, Real Friends) to celebrate the launch of Lunar New Year Love Story.

Over 35 years of practice, David West has spearheaded the design of over 150 multifamily projects. His talk will cover the history of residential high-rise design from the postwar years, explaining developments such as the significance of reinforced flat-plate construction and the impact of zoning and regulatory environments on housing production.

In the early 1930’s, an all-out war between China and Japan was about to break out. To protect the vast imperial art collections that contained a million pieces of art—exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain, and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which were adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance, the […]

Mark Polizzotti presents Why Surrealism Matters, in conversation with Sasha Frere-Jones. An elegant consideration of the Surrealist movement as a global phenomenon and why it continues to resonate.

For centuries, humans have gazed at the stars in search of answers. Mariners, too, have looked skyward, utilizing the stars for navigation across our vast oceans. Join the Seaport Museum and Kim Macharia, the Executive Director of Space Prize, for an illuminating presentation that delves into the driving forces behind our exploration of both the […]

Lecture on hidden narratives in Kenneth Pai’s literary tapestry

Drawing together original research, design studies, and cultural essays, Renewing the Dream offers the first comprehensive look at the changes remaking the mobility landscape of Southern California-and the opportunities to reappropriate vast tracts of the city for new uses. Edited by James Sanders and produced with the global architecture studio Woods Bagot, this book explores […]

Book reading presented by Kira Josefsson and Chloe Caldwell. A deeply atmospheric debut novel about three young people testing the boundaries of intimacy that is being hailed as "the love child of Normal People and Brideshead Revisited.

This year, for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Museum will host a community reading of Elie Wiesel’s seminal memoir Night. The book will be read in its entirety throughout the day by well-known figures, accompanied by music and speeches. The Museum will also host contemplative children’s activities, a meditation space, and a reflection wall.

Maritime-themed book club.