New York's Historic Spot Was A Total Bust In The '60s — Now It's A Must-Visit For Families

In 1818, when the first ocean liner departed for Liverpool, England, it did so from what is now the South Street Seaport Historic District in New York City. The James Monroe's transatlantic voyage opened up a new shipping route that would adhere to a regular schedule — something that had never been done before. Today, a 60-foot lighthouse memorial to another famous ocean liner, the Titanic, marks the entrance to the South Street Seaport Museum in Lower Manhattan. A well-known Titanic survivor, the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, championed the memorial's construction in 1913. It has since been fully restored with its original green lamps and a time ball that drops every day at noon.

The museum and its memorial lighthouse are just one part of the South Street Seaport, where late 19th and early 20th century ships sit docked in the shadow of modern high-rises. Walk along the East River, just past the Brooklyn Bridge, and you'll reach the sailing masts and cobblestone streets of this 12-block neighborhood. The historic ships belong to the museum, founded in 1967 at a time when the formerly bustling seaport had given way to condemned piers, per The New York Times. It helped revitalize the area, turning it into a maritime history hub with activities the whole family can enjoy.

A 1988 Gallup poll, reported on by Newsday, found that New Yorkers wanted to see the South Street Seaport more than the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, or any other local tourist attraction. Workers from Wall Street, situated just a few blocks away, would come here on their lunch breaks. The place has had its ups and downs over the years, but it's still a worthwhile destination where kids and adults alike can get a hands-on (or all-hands-on-deck) experience with old New York.

At the South Street Seaport Museum, you can see four ships that are on the National Register of Historic Places. This includes the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose, which both offer tours during museum hours (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday). The 1885 schooner Pioneer and 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker each give visitors the chance to sail New York Harbor on a historic vessel that operates seasonally. Families can even help raise a sail on the schooner.

The museum has also preserved architecture and graffiti from the 1800s in buildings such as Schermerhorn Row, which it calls "the commercial heart of South Street" and "New York's first world trade center." Here, storefronts like McNally Jackson Books — which has a large children's section — sit below old warehouses, while the first-floor galleries host exhibitions. On the first Thursday and last Saturday and Sunday of every month, the letterpress printers at Bowne & Co. hold workshops where visitors 12 and up can learn how to make prints or stationery using 19th-century equipment.

Across the street from the museum is the former Pier 17 mall. It used to spell out its name in big letters on the side of a red building, but after Hurricane Sandy took its toll on local businesses in 2012, it was rebuilt as a glassy concert venue. On the rooftop, there's a public access area where you can snap photos of the Brooklyn Bridge. On the ground level, the family can refuel at Mister Dips, a soft-serve ice cream shop that started over the river in Brooklyn but now operates exclusively out of Pier 17. Parents and kids 40 inches or taller who would rather ride a speedboat than a tugboat can hop aboard The Beast, departing from the adjacent Pier 16.

In November and December, Christmas decorations turn the Watermark at Pier 15 into Santa's Winter Wonderland, a fun, family-friendly stop on a holiday trip in New York. From January to April, the pier goes pink for Valentine's and cherry blossom season, making it a nice destination on a sunset walk from the nearby Wall Street Hotel (named the best in New York). If Halloween's more your jam, and you're looking for "Ghostbusters" locations in New York, you won't find the one from the ghost Titanic scene at the South Street Seaport. It's over at Pier 34 on the Hudson River, which eventually overtook the East River as the city's main port.

The South Street Seaport intersects with the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, which has both walking and cycling paths running along the East River. You could pair it with a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge's pedestrian walkway or the adjoining bike lane. Less than a mile away, Unlimited Biking has a Brooklyn Bridge location that offers kids' bike rentals.

Another way to reach the seaport is by taking the subway to Fulton Street. When I first visited the area, it still carried the seafood smell of the Fulton Fish Market — the largest such market in America — which has since relocated to the Bronx. Its successor, the short-lived Tin Building food hall, closed in February 2026 to make way for the summer opening of the Balloon Museum's new permanent, flagship U.S. location. If previous exhibitions are any indication, the Balloon Museum could make the South Street Seaport even more of a must-visit for families. Tripadvisor reviews of its 2023–2024 exhibition, "Let's Fly New York," held across town at Pier 36, describe it as a great family activity where "the kids had a blast."