South Street Seaport Museum

Our Mission

South Street Seaport Museum is a non-profit cultural institution preserving and promoting the historic district of South Street Seaport in New York City. Founded on May 22, 1967, the South Street Seaport Museum (SSSM) is dedicated to telling the vital story of the foundation of New York and its link to its great natural harbor.

The museum preserves and interprets the history of New York City as a place where goods, labor and cultures are exchanged through work, commerce, and the interaction of diverse communities. Designated by Congress as America’s National Maritime Museum in 1998, SSSM is located in a 12 square-block historic district on the East River in Lower Manhattan, the site of the original port of New York City.

The Museum is comprised of key historic locations such as Schermerhorn Row, our working trade centers on Water Street, and on the “Street of Ships” at Pier 16. These exhibitions and educational facilities are located in the South Street Seaport in New York City’s largest concentration of restored early nineteenth century commercial buildings.

The Museum houses exhibition galleries, working nineteenth century print shops, a maritime library, a maritime craft center, and the largest privately-owned fleet of historic ships in the country.