A historic place, South Street Seaport is located the South end of the Manhattan. South Street Seaport features some of the historic architecture in the Manhattan. The surrounding buildings are mostly restored from the nineteenth century. The Seaport exhibits a huge collection of ships used during maritime period.

History

Most of the people living in the lower areas of Manhattan are fishermen. As time passed, the cargo ships converted into larger ships as a result the pier becomes insufficient for the cargo ships to dock at the Seaport. Therefore, a larger dock was built at Hudson River to accommodate the larger cargo ships.

The South Street Seaport was founded by Peter and Norma Stanford in 1967. The aim behind the port is to educate the future generations about the life of people in the nineteenth century.   

The Maritime Museum

The maritime museum spreads over twelve square blocks with an open air building. Cobblestone Street is one significant feature of the museum. In order to depict the life of fishermen more prominently, the warehouses were transformed into shops during 1800s. You will find a large fleet of ships close to the warehouses which were used during maritime period. The warehouses are nowadays used for changing exhibitions that depicts the life of the Lower Manhattan during the old centuries. The admission to maritime museum is not free. The adults will be charged $8, Students and Senior Citizens will be charged $6 and the children between 5 to 12 years of age will be charged $4.

The Ships

Ships of some historical importance are anchored at the South Street Seaport. There are eight such ships in total including The Peking ship which is 377 feet long and is equipped with four masts; the Ambrose lightship is 112 feet in length; a nineteenth century tugboat is also there with a length of 52 feet; and the 19th W.O. Decker ship.

Visiting South Street Seaport

South Street Seaport is easily accessible through public transport such as bus, subway train and taxi cab. The opening hours of the museum vary each season so it is recommended to get information of opening hours prior to plan your visit.

If you want to dine at South Street Seaport, there are numerous amounts of hotels and restaurants located nearby. Some best restaurants and hotels include Andaz Hotel, Exchange Hotel, and Gild Hall, Best Western Seaport Inn, Embassy Suites Hotel New York City, and Hampton inn. These are all known for their high class cuisines.

The facility of Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) and wireless internet is also available at the South Street Seaport. There is also a Lost and Found section in the South Street Seaport where you can report in case you lost an item.

South Street Seaport has its own parking lot which can accommodate more than three thousand vehicles. Remember, the parking lot is situated six blocks away from the main building. You have to walk this distance before reaching to the main building.

You might be interested in learning about New York South Street Seaport and also New York Time Square