Sounds like a delightful muesum to explore - thanks for sharing!

This is so interesting! Thank you!

As always...great post

Interesting to read your pros and cons. Still seems like a very interesting place to visit for many reasons. I do think the table with the tools is beautiful.

Interesting article!

And the New Amsterdam market in the old fish market should keep things interesting down there.

Great read!

I visited the South Street Seaport Museum prior to its renovation. At the time, I also thought that not all of the items/exhibits seemed to 'fit' the museum, but that the buildings, ships in the harbor and the temporary exhibit that initially drew me there (many of FDR's model ships) had me mesmerized. I could easily imagine the unrest of the 1800s, the fish market and its wearied workers. What a shame it would be to rob the public of that feeling if the museum were to close.

How cool, I would love to visit both the historical areas, and the made in New York gallery. There is something for everyone!

Great article! ^_^

love it!

Nice read! Thanks! =)

Museums should stick to their missions, but if they feel they need to change their professional direction, than that should be addressed and a new mission should be written up. I wonder if that was done, or if these new and seemingly out-of-place exhibits were just added in. It makes me wonder what the majority of the visitors are saying and if they approve of the new exhibits.

How sad it would be for this wonderful museum to close. The Age of Sail was such an important time in the birth of America and the growth of Manhattan. Perhaps setting aside a room where workshops would be held and having roving storytellers wander the halls in costume, could attract more visitors. Can you imagine visiting a museum where you could attend a workshop to make a ship in a bottle and leave with a tiny version of one or even learn the art of Scrimshaw, an art form that originated in America? Ahh...must be the child in me still dreaming.

Nice!

I Loved this line " the Seaport was a raucous place, filled with culture clashes, vice and priceless cargo." So poetic and descriptive.. really paints a picture :) It is sad to see the culture and personality drained our of places as such, chain stores, as lovely as they are depict faces of stardom but don't bring back the warmth of a street filled with passionate local vendors selling their works or life's skills of fishing, farming and worksmithing. We can easily look at some of our main street today and loose dight of the beauty they were before connivence set in. As a whole I would love to walk down a street the way it was when my Dad was a child, see the candy stores & coffee shops of yesteryear. I just need that I my life, to slow it down a bit. A place to escape to what was. As proven in the popularity of little house on the Prairie.. I think a lot more people need that too ! Bring back the family friendly version of a place, filled with culture, pubs and priceless cargo.

As someone who has run a musem for the last 12 years and dealing with financial difficulties and little support, this is an encouraging read. Bravo for all their hard work.

I hope they can make it work. Certainly I can understand the need to upgrade the displays to get people to come back. We took some family members to our local museum and almost nothing had changed since I'd last been there twenty years before. Some of the wording on the displays about native peoples were still culturally insensitive, and that at least could of been updated since they was written in the 1970s.

Very interesting. I hope they can achieve their goals.

My husband and I just returned from a stay in Charleston, where we slept in an historic inn, and toured the historic homes. The efforts to save the Seaport area underscores our thinking we had on our trip: every penny spent in these areas is more than worth it! These buildings and what they hold are not only our past, they are priceless pieces of art.

Interesting blog!

Thanks so much for the article. I'm definitely going to check this out.

Well-written account of what will probably be the tragic end of the South Street Seaport Museum. America has totally ignored its maritime heritage for so long that it doesn't surprise me that NYC doesn't understand how to showcase its remarkable heritage. Very, very sad.

Full disclosure here: I was a volunteer at the South Street Seaport Museum before they reopened--- I cleaned those ships in bottles! I thought the museum did a pretty good job of weaving together Seaport history, general maritime history, and contemporary art, especially considering their restrictions on time and budget. One of the 15 galleries has a stunning photography series of ships being dismantled at a port in Bangladesh. On the top floor, you can see old films of the Seaport by Thomas Edison, and another photo exhibition about Occupy Wall Street. And at the risk of shilling even further, general admission's only 5 bucks, so come on down!

I absolutely love the South Street Seaport. One of my favorite photos in my shop is actually of PIer 17 and always reminds me of the fun times I've had there when I look at it. I'm so glad to hear that its been given some new life. I'll have to go check out the museum!

I too used to frequent the South Street Seaport area during the 70's and into the early 80s whilst still living in NYC. It was then a shopping/dining mecca but of course as you mention, not the maritime enclave that its history told. My feeling is that it should indeed return to its maritime roots....yea....bring back the fish markets albeit on a smaller scale and encourage the creation of fashion/decor that is fitting to its history; modernistic displays/fashion, etc. can relocate as you indicate to a more conducive area.

oo! I love the salvaged ship building tools & the shaggie rugged outfits.................

Interesting.

This sounds like a unique museum. I wonder if it is expensive to get in?

Sounds like a tough job, moving foward while looking back. Hope they don't trip over their shoelaces.

This is a testament that before us lies our past, present and future. It is for us to see that our personal imprint is placed on the historical timeline forever more. So for me, it is a challenge, to have courage, to pick up my tools and begin to design and create. For respecting the past, our ancestors, is respecting ourselves, in our craftsmanship and our future generations ability to craft their ideas.

Interesting article. Thanks!

Maritime history & its material culture is fascinating. I hope this institution finds itssea legs anew and generate the a wider, enthusiastic base to provide continued support. Perhaps they should talk with the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland. They were in dire straits some years back and have made a dramatic turnaround. It can be done. Best wishes to this important institution.

sounds so interesting, wish I could see it

Wonderful spotlight on this museum. I will stop by and take a look at it now and see how the exhibit spaces look. I loved the images and discussion concerning the museum's future and focus. It sounds like even more early history and archaeology in terms of NYC itself could bring in more tourists. Didn't they find an amazing older boat during the construction of the world trade center? An exhibit on this or the early archaeological evidence found under buildings would be nice but maybe they have enough of that I have not seen it. It does sound like some of that is included with a focus on the Maritime history-so I will have to check it out. Budget is always and issue. Also, I moved to this area and had no idea it was there so articles like this are great!

Interesting post!

Love the arrangement of tools, but the author is right. Without understanding how they were used, we don't get to appreciate the human ingenuity behind the tools. Every tool represents an invention, a solution to a problem.

Very interesting article!

I just toured a children's animation studio down there, it's a gorgeous area. I'll have to take my boys to the museum-- those tools are fantastic!

There is no time like the present to learn from our ancestors. The very best to all of the volunteers and workers who give of their time and energy to preserve these "legacies". The lessons in creativity and resourcefulness to the next generation are priceless!

I loved the post but what really struck me was the lyrical quality of the photographs.. beautiful!

Bring back the Fulton Fish Market!

good read

That's funny LivingVintage, that's what I thought!

Very interesting.

love it! love it!

Very interesting! It's been a while since I've been to South Street Seaport...I will definitely have to go, as I've been wanting to anyway, and also check out the museum!!

I photographed in the seaport in 2010 and it's a captivating part of the city. I think having retail stores there feels wrong. They just don't fit. I don't know what does but definitely not retail. I love the idea of musems and art but it has to find its own niche in a city filled with some of the best art around the world. If they pull it off it will absolutely be a fantastic place to see and worth the trip to that part of the city.

I use to work around the corner from the Seaport Museum but haven't been there in years. I look forward to visiting it again the next time I'm in the city. Thanks so much for the informative article!

Sounds like a cool Museum! Thanks for sharing!

Great article... I used to live in the top most loft of 159 John Street, an old historical brick building in the middle of the Seaport. The fish market was still active then and every night the cobble stoned streets would burst into motion as the market came to life. A few blocks away under the Brooklyn Bridge is/was a dive called Jeremy's where you could mingle with the fish mongers when they got off work at 6 AM. After the lease ran out on are apartment and we moved out, I heard the Museum took over our old apartment space. I have only been back down there a few times, but my name is still on the mailbox. In the last 8 years or so since living there, the entire area has shifted to become more of a tourist/shopping area. You can still visit the Seaport Museum, the Bodies Exhibit, and the Peking boat docked at Pier 17, but the flavor and richness that gave the Seaport its identity has been stripped away. Now you can pick up the "booze cruise" or shop at Abercrombie & Fitch much like any other mall in America. Living in the Seaport was an adventure and you could feel the history. I will never forget my first apartment.

Of all cities to loose such an important part of its origins! N.Y. is, though one of those places best known for setting trends and propelling forward, trying to keep up to it's own momentum......Sooner or later, I've found, the best value is in keeping awareness towards where we've come from. Glad efforts to preserve are getting the attention they need - before it's too late.

I hope they succeed. I remember going to South Street Seaport when I was young. It left a huge impression as a little kid. It would be a shame to lose something that unique.

So interesting.

I spent hours in the Maritime Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. There are 3 floors and all the displays had to do with the history of the area and it was engrossing and mesmerizing! I think it's an excellent example of how to do it right and should be visited by the board of this museum.

I bet a lot of people don't even know about this place. I think posts like this are short in supply and need to be spread more throughout the web and travel books. Nice post!

Enjoyed the article, Thanks!

Would like to visit the Seaport again!!!! Thank you so much for the information!

The next time I make it to New York City I will be sure to visit your place. Thank you so much for teaching a Kentucky woman alittle bit about New York Cities Seaport history...

SORRY THAT THE SEAPORT HISTORY IS LEAVING MY HOME ;WHICH NEW YORK[SOUTH STREET] IS MY HOME,AND I USE TO BUY FISH BY THE BOX FOR 15.00 . I HAD AN FISH AND CHIPS SHOP. GOING HOME SOON I WILL STOP AT MUSEUM AND TAKE SOME FRIENDS WITH ME. MS. LEE

Reading this brought back some happy memories of fantastic trips to the worlds most exciting city.....thanks and good luck!

i used to go to South Street Seaport as a kid with my grandmother. We used to laugh because she would always call it the South Seas Seaport. In the 80's it was a place to shop. I definitely love the museum idea better. wish I lived closer to visit.

one of my favorite places in the world to visit when i was little....now i live in the midwest :( thanks for your piece, i'm reminded it's time to gather my family and go east for a visit.

I get what you mean about diluting a treasure trove, and about taking steps to save it. Tough choice.

Great post! I would love to see the tool collection.

that a lot of tool to work

I love the idea of offering a class on building a ship in a bottle. I wonder if they have any sailor valentine's or other folk art made by sailors on long voyages. That would be a big draw, I think. Also - the art of rope tying is fascinating and would make an amazing exhibit - sailors used to send messages to their sweethearts using a code of different types of knots. I really hope this museum finds its footing and can expand it's original purpose.

great post! i'm going to google that ship in a bottle process...i'm too curious now

Love this article. Thanks!

The top picture is beautiful. I love this imaging style....though I did read the post the image is what I really like. Who took this photo?

It's a measure of the world we live in that museums must take on a new face in order to survive, but I think it's a welcome thing; as much as it's their duty to preserve the past, finding ways of having the same establishment weave the present and future into the fabric of it is even better. I was the caretaker at an open air pioneer museum in my hometown a few years ago, at a time when it's head was on the chopping block. Visitor numbers were down, buildings were in need of repair and we lost money every day. Through a long and hard campaign we saved the place by implementing this past-present-future method, and it was very successful. I hope this tiny maratime museum has the same success!

I hope the museum keeps getting money, but on the other hand, I hope it concentrates on a maritime theme. I am always interested in ocean or maritime themes.

Bring back Fulton Fish Market! Nothing like walking back to Dumbo over the Brooklyn Bridge at 3am on a hot summer night with the moon reflecting on the East River and New York Harbor in the distance and watching the rush of activity at the market under and around the bridge while 80'+ up above on the walkway. The smells, bright lights in a dark city, noise, yelling, idleing trucks and speeding forklifts...all gone. The museum and the area were better with the fish.

This looks like a great museum.