SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM – www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org or 212-748-8600.

Galleries and Gift Shop at Schermerhorn Row:  12 Fulton Street galleries open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am-5 pm, featuring two FREE exhibits: South Street and the Rise of New York and Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900–1914.

Waterfront and Historic Ships (Pier 16, Fulton and South Streets):

• Tall Ship WAVERTREE (1885) – Open to public with FREE timed entry.
• Lightship AMBROSE (1908) – See website to book FREE guided tours.
• Wooden tugboat W.O. DECKER (1930) – One-hour cruises. See website for dates and availability. Adults $30, Seniors (65+)/students $25, Youths 10-17 accompanied by an adult $15.
• Schooner PIONEER (1885) – Two-hour daytime and sunset cruises of New York Harbor: $50 (daytime) or $70 (sunset). Discounts for children, students and seniors. See website for dates and availability. Also available for charter and educational programs.

To join the mailing list for up-to-date information/activities:  https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/join-the-mailing-list/

BOWNE & CO. STATIONERS AT THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM – www.bowne.co or 212-748-8600

211 Water Street, New York, NY 10038; Email: bowne@seany.org

Bowne & Co. was established in 1775 and is New York’s oldest operating business under the same name. In 1975, Bowne & Co. partnered with the South Street Seaport Museum to open a 19th-century-style print shop in the South Street Seaport Historic District. Today, in addition to the letterpress printing collection, Bowne & Co. Stationers is a gift emporium that embodies the spirit of a turn-of-the-century store. It is unique, eclectic, and like no other store in the city. Entry is FREE and does not require museum admission.

GOVERNORS ISLAND –  https://www.govisland.com

Now open year-round.  Hours:  Monday-Thursday 10 am – 6 pm; Friday & Saturday 10 am – 10 pm; Sunday 10 am – 7 pm.

The island is reached by ferry. To avoid crowding, visitors must reserve timed tickets in advance on the Governors Island website. Follow instructions to reserve a date and time. No reservation required for return trip from the island.

Ferry Landings and Schedules:  The Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street in Manhattan (located immediately east of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal) provides the principal access with service every 40 minutes daily. Weekend service is provided hourly from two locations in Brooklyn: Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (Atlantic Avenue at Furman Street), and the Red Hook/Atlantic Basin ferry landing (Pioneer and Conover Streets).

Fares:  Adults $3. No fare for children under 12, seniors age 65 and older, IDNYC card holders, current and former military service members, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, and Governors Island members. Note that on weekends, the first three morning departures from Manhattan and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin, and the first two morning departures from Pier 6, are free.

NYC Ferry will serve Governors Island year-round on their South Brooklyn Route on weekdays and non-summer weekends, in addition to their summer-only Pier 11/Wall Street shuttle. Fare: $2.75 each way. See www.ferry.nyc for route and schedule information.

Be sure to click on THINGS TO DO on the Governors Island website for new activities and programs added throughout the year.

FIREBOAT JOHN J. HARVEY – https://www.1931fireboat.org/

Pier 66 North River

Historic retired New York City fireboat built in 1931. Check website for public tours and harbor cruises.

THE LILAC PRESERVATION PROJECT – http://www.lilacpreservationproject.org/

Pier 25 North River

The LILAC, a historic steamship built in 1933 for the US Lighthouse service, docks on the north side of Hudson River Park’s Pier 25. Measuring 173 feet, this lighthouse tender once carried supplies to lighthouses and maintained buoys for the U.S. Lighthouse Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. Decommissioned in 1972, she is now owned by the non-profit Lilac Preservation Project and is America’s only surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender. LILAC is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The LILAC is open for public tours at Pier 25 every Saturday and Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm, until mid-October. Admission is FREE, however donations are most welcome.

THE NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM www.lighthousemuseum.org or 718-390-0040.

Located near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at St. George, Staten Island. Self-guided tours, events on-site, and Lighthouse Boat Tours. In addition to self-guided exhibits, they offer monthly lectures, group tours by appointment, seasonal Lighthouse Boat Tours (May – October), and annual events like a Lighthouse Weekend (August) and Lighthouse Point Fest (September). Open Wednesday to Sunday 11 AM – 4 PM. Boat tours with varied themes and itineraries are listed on the website.

SNUG HARBOR CULTURAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island www.snug-harbor.org

The landmarked buildings and grounds were once the home for retired seafarers. Exhibitions include art, performing arts, botanical garden and a small farm. For maritime enthusiasts, visit THE NOBLE MARITIME COLLECTION – 718-447-6490. Exhibition “ANDREA DORIA – Rescue at Sea” now on view through June 2023.

Access from the Staten Island Ferry at St. George. S40 bus along Richmond Terrance to the Snug Harbor gate, a ten-minute ride. For first timers, it is best to tell the bus driver that you want the Snug Harbor stop.

THE WORKING HARBOR COMMITTEE – www.workingharbor.com or 212-757-1600.

Hidden Harbor boat tours to both remote and well-traveled parts of New York Harbor including Gowanus Bay and Erie Basin in Brooklyn, a circumnavigation of Staten Island, and the Port Newark and Port Elizabeth container ship terminals. Also hosts the annual Great North River Tugboat Race.

Hidden Harbor boat tours are currently on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the WHC now has a new YouTube series, “Celebrating the Maritime Industry,” highlighting tugboat companies and other maritime organizations, showing how they do what they do to keep the harbors running.

NYC FERRY – https://www.ferry.nyc/

FOR ROUTES AND SCHEDULES see the above link.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on riding the NYC Ferry see “Riding the NYC Ferry” by Ted Scull under Featured Articles.

The city-financed ferry system currently operates seven routes:  Astoria*, East River, Soundview (in the Bronx), Rockaway (in Queens), South Brooklyn, St. George (on Staten Island), and a weekend shuttle to Governors Island. The one-way fare is $2.75. Bicycles are an additional $1.00. No senior rates for regular trips.

*The Astoria route has been extended to include a stop at East 90th Street in Manhattan. On a historical note, this restores a link between the Upper East Side and Astoria that was eliminated decades ago by Robert Moses to accommodate the building of the FDR Drive. If traveling south from East 90th Street, the Astoria boats provide a more interesting (albeit longer) trip to Lower Manhattan than the Soundview boats (which also serve East 90th Street), as they include stops along the Queens and Brooklyn waterfronts, including within the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

NY WATERWAY www.nywaterway.com or 800-533-3779.

FOR SCHEDULES see the above link.

Ferry services from West 39th Street, Battery Park City, and Pier 11/Wall Street to numerous landings on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, and to Belford in Monmouth County, NJ, with connecting bus routes in Manhattan (bus included in the ferry fare). Free weekend service to the IKEA store in Red Hook, Brooklyn from West 39th Street, Brookfield Place and Pier 11/Wall Street.

HORNBLOWER CRUISES – https://hornblowernewyork.com/new-york-sightseeing-tours/

Daily year-round one-hour cruises from Pier 15, East River; Pier 78, West 38^th Street; and Battery Park City/Brookfield Place. Lunch and dinner cruises from the Chelsea Piers.

STATUE CRUISES – www.statuecruises.com

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island cruises: – 9:30 AM then hourly to 3:30 PM from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and return to Battery Park. Last boat back from the Statue of Liberty 5:00 PM and Ellis Island 5:15 PM.

CLASSIC HARBOR LINE – https://sail-nyc.com

Chelsea Piers (92), West 22^nd Street. Lots of themed cruises: Tours of the harbor, live jazz, architectural tours (AIA’s professional narrations), fall foliage trips up the Hudson, schooners under sail. Vessels for charter.

CIRCLE LINE www.circleline.com 212-563-3200.

Cruises around Manhattan, Harbor Lights, Music, from Pier 83 (Hudson River at West 42nd Street).

NEW YORK WATER TAXI www.nywatertaxi.com or 866-989-2542.

Available for private charters and contract services.

NORTH RIVER LOBSTER COMPANY www.northriverlobsterco.com or 212-630-8831

Sightseeing cruises on New York’s only floating lobster shack. Sails Wednesday through Sunday from Pier 81 at West 41st and 12th Avenue, Manhattan.

Ted Scull with additional contributions by Justin Zizies.