If you are tired of being indoors and still need to do some research, go to the South Street Seaport Museum. Although refurbished to accommodate tourists, this historic district contains a lot of information about trade in Port of New York. The museum maintains several ships, two of which are open to the public on a daily basis, galleries that tell the story of New York City thorough the lens of the port, a library that is open by appointment only, a 19th century print shop, a woodworking and model shop, and administrative offices.

Several tours run every day, leading you around the ships and the surrounding historic district. The Ambrose, a lighthouse ship, once guided other ships through the Verrazano Narrows and into the harbor. The Peking and Wavertree, unlike the Ambrose, are sailboats and once transported cargo around the world. There is a tugboat, the W.O. Decker, and two working vessels, the Lettie G. Howard and Pioneer, that provide public sails during the warmer seasons.

While the interiors of the ships are interesting by themselves, there are also fascinating exhibits on board. If you visit the Peking, you will learn about how its overall structure related to its function, which for many years was transporting nitrates from Chile to Europe. You can see a breathtaking video shot from the top of the mast by a passenger during a commercial voyage from Germany to Chile at 12 Fulton Street. While it includes shots of sea and sky that you would probably expect, it also contains footage of the men on deck performing their daily tasks.

In comparison to the Peking, the Wavertree is an older, more beautiful ship made in Britain. While this vessel is still capable of sailing, it does not go out and is currently under construction and accessible to the public through docent led tours. Before you leave the docks take a look in the model and woodcarving shop on the pier. It has models of several kinds of ships in exquisite detail.

During the period to which the Seaport is restored, ships such as these lined the docks up and down South Street, which was therefore known as “The Street of Ships.” Though not all of the ships are available to visit year-round, you can rest assured that no matter what time of year you go, you will at least be able to see the Peking and the Ambrose. If you’re adventurous enough and you have a little extra cash, you might want to consider being not just a visitor, but a passenger. From April to October, for an additional $25, you can take an evening sail on the 1885 Pioneer. It takes you past Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty and into the middle of New York Harbor.

Okay, so maybe you’re thinking this place sounds like it’s really for tourists. Well, it is. But it’s also for students. In fact, the South Street Seaport Museum is a partner of the New York City Museum School, the NY Harbor School, and the High School for History and Communications. It also offers many weekday and weekend educational programs you should consider. Tours for school groups include sail raising and knot tying on board the Peking. The majority of other educational programs are aimed at younger kids, but could be valuable in researching a variety of topics. In addition, the organization offers internships to high school, college and graduate students.

The museum galleries house a variety of exhibits on New York history, including one on the history of ocean liners, with many intricate models and even old advertisements for voyages aboard these ships. This exhibit documents the change in trans-Atlantic boat trips; from difficult, joyless journeys, to pleasurable, if lengthy, outings. Perhaps the highlight is a strikingly large and accurate model of the Cunard line’s Queen Mary, a passenger ship from the 1930s. The famed Queen Elizabeth II is also the subject of a part of this exhibit. While ships like this never docked at South Street Seaport, they are fascinating and feature prominently in maritime history.

Another permanent exhibit is “All Available Boats: Harbor Voices and Images.” You may not immediately think of the South Street Seaport when you think of September 11th, but on a day when bridges and tunnels were closed, ships, especially small ones manned with volunteers, played a huge role in the effort to evacuate victims from World Trade Center in the hours following the attack. This exhibit is a small collection of audio files of New Yorkers who used boats on September 11th to help in the disaster in Lower Manhattan and evacuate residents.

If you enter the row of buildings that line Fulton Street, you will find the newest addition to the museum: two floors of galleries that tell the story of the New York Port. You will find some interesting painting and models of sailing ships, old maps and newspaper clippings, and peculiar items like an umbrella with a hand that also functions as a spyglass.

Remember that the South Street Seaport is not just about ships. It also interprets the immediate neighborhood, and you’d be surprised by the history you can find here in addition to the maritime story. Bowne and Co. is a fully restored print shop where visitors can learn about printing in the 19th Century. Another important feature of the area is Fulton Fish Market, which will be moving to the Bronx in 2005, but is still a very busy spot in the early morning hours. It has been an integral part of the area for hundreds of years.

Most useful for research is the Melville Library, which contains over 20,000 volumes and is an excellent resource for anything relating to life around the New York port: the architecture of ships, the history of Lower Manhattan, local business history, naval history, the maritime impact on westward expansion, and the Industrial Revolution’s impact on shipping. In addition to books, the library also contains many “clipping files,” among which are old ship plans, business records, and the like. But while the Melville Library is a comprehensive resource in many areas of maritime history, it has some large gaps. The museum covers the turn of the century very well, but the library is specifically dedicated to maritime history and the story of the neighborhood. (So, for example, this would not be the best place to come and study immigration. Go to Ellis Island for that.) The museum has been undergoing a lot of changes in recent years, and the last time we checked, the library was in the process of moving. So make sure you contact the museum before heading down there to tap into the resources of the library. For information on the library, exhibitions, and programs, click on the appropriate links on South Street Seaport’s website [http://www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org]

You should note before visiting the South Street Seaport Museum that it is largely responsible for preserving the historical neighborhood in which it is located. Years ago, renovating the district with entirely modern buildings was proposed, but the museum led an effort to “save” the neighborhood and, as a result, most of the old buildings are still intact. Although upcoming modern development projects are underway, the history of the area is no longer at risk of being lost, due in large part to the museum’s efforts to become part of an official historic district. This spirit of preservation is prevalent in many parts of New York City, but perhaps nowhere is it stronger than at South Street Seaport. People took time out of their lives to preserve this site for future generations, like yours. You should reward their efforts by visiting what of South Street they have been able to save for you.

Jessica Kessler, the Coordinator for School Programs, can be reached at 212-748-8772 and she will gladly answer any of your questions.