Spooky Season Tip: Take the Sinister Secrets of the Seaport Tour

10/28/2024 in
Spooky Season Tip: Take the Sinister Secrets of the Seaport Tour

Lower Manhattan’s history is rich, compelling and, at times, a little dark. If you’re looking for an educational and fun spooky season activity, you can’t beat the Sinister Secrets of the Seaport walking tour, which delves into some of the spicier aspects of the storied neighborhood’s past. Because what’s spookier than true crime?

The 90-minute tour, which the Seaport Museum developed in 2023 with support from the Downtown Alliance’s Walking Tour Incubator program, kicks off at Ryan Maguire’s Bar & Restaurant (28 Cliff St.), itself a small piece of downtown history. (Pro tip: there’s one drink included in your ticket price, so get there early!) From there, one of the Seaport Museum’s knowledgeable and personable guides will walk and talk you through all the sites of the most fiery, gory and gruesome crimes in the district, ending at the historic “Wavertree” sailing vessel. 

It’s hard to believe that the idyllic cobblestoned stretch of shops, restaurants and residences today known as the Seaport was once a notorious hotbed for crime, but the Sinister Secrets guides leave little to the imagination as they enlighten and entertain using old periodicals from as far back as the 1790s to retell and illustrate the debaucherous deeds that took place here. Plus, for the trivia-hungry history buffs among you, there might even be a fun prize on the line.  

The South Street Seaport Museum cautions that this super spooky content is appropriate for those aged 13 and up. This should go without saying, but wear your walking shoes, as the tour traverses about a mile. Registration is required and tours are rain or shine. Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors and students, $30 for children ages 13 to 17. You can check out the calendar of the South Street Seaport Museum’s upcoming tours and purchase your ticket here.

Tags: walking tour

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