Explore Manhattan’s Seaport, from neighborhood favorites to unique curated events. Start with the best-known things to do, then check out "What's happening" for upcoming limited events in the Seaport.
These special events are sourced from the web and social media, then carefully curated based on cool and unique events you might enjoy doing in the Seaport.
We update this page on a daily basis, so be sure to bookmark us and return for fresh events.
Explore Seaport
Pier 16, South Street, New York, NY 10038
Explore the working lives behind Pier 16’s ships
The sailors aboard Wavertree slept in forecastle bunks, ate from a shipboard galley and worked above a vast cargo hold. You can explore those spaces through the South Street Seaport Museum, moving from the main deck to the captain’s saloon and quarterdeck, turning the ship’s wheel and looking down into the hold. The nineteenth-century cargo ship gives you a concrete sense of how much space went to freight and how its crew lived around it.
4 Fulton St
Browse two floors of books on Fulton Street
McNally Jackson Books Seaport gives you new fiction, international literature and illustrated books to explore inside Schermerhorn Row, the 1811 building on Fulton Street. Staff recommendations offer specific titles to investigate when you arrive without one in mind. The shop spreads across two floors, with reading corners and windows overlooking the cobblestones outside.
78 South St
Take a picnic out over the river at Pier 15
You can sit beside the East River or bring a picnic to Pier 15 East River Esplanade, south of the museum’s ships. The public pier has two levels: an elevated park with lawn areas above a lower waterfront walkway. From the upper level, the outlook takes in the river and harbor.
11 Fulton St
Catch a new release or a returning classic
The Cinemas NYC pairs new releases with Encore Cinema, its repertory program bringing older movies back to the big screen. You can make a film the indoor end to a waterfront outing, or pair it with the bookstore nearby on Fulton Street when rain makes the river less inviting. The independent cinema’s selection spans genres, including classic horror in its October programming.
89 South St
Hear live music above the East River
Bands and DJs perform above the water at The Rooftop at Pier 17, with the skyline behind the outdoor concert setting. You can hear rock, indie and electronic acts here, with the 2026 concert calendar extending through October. For an evening centered on music, the particular artist is the place to start; the river becomes part of the setting once the performance begins.
What's happening in Seaport
Find upcoming street fairs, performances and other unique events in the Seaport.
There are no Seaport events listed for the next 7 days. Explore the ships, bookstore and waterfront places in this guide.
Nothing dated in the next 7 days. 16 places below are open any day
Friday, October 16
No events listed for Friday, October 16 yet.
No events listed for Saturday, October 17 yet.
No events listed for Sunday, October 18 yet.
No events listed for Monday, October 19 yet.
No events listed for Tuesday, October 20 yet.
No events listed for Wednesday, October 21 yet.
No events listed for Thursday, October 22 yet.
A price sits under the hours when an event is not free. Tap an event for its details, the time and place, and the organizer's link.
Open any day. No date needed
Open any dayFree
Pier 17
event venue · Seaport
The draw here is The Rooftop at Pier 17, an outdoor concert stage above the Seaport with views over the water, and the listings mark some shows as Family Friendly alongside the Arts, Concerts, Eat & Drink and Fitness & Sports categories.
4.7★ from 12,431 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
The Cinemas NYC
movie theater · Seaport
A Seaport District cinema showing current releases alongside a repertory programme, so alongside titles like Minions & Monsters, Moana and Spider-Man: Brand New Day you can catch The Goonies, Stand by Me or The Lost Boys on a big screen as part of the August Encore Series.
4.3★ from 3,871 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any dayFree
Pier 15 East River Esplanade
pier · Seaport
A public pier on the East River with a two-level structure where people picnic and sit out by the water.
4.6★ from 1,980 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any dayFree
Pier 16
maritime museum · Seaport
This is the South Street Seaport Museum.
4.5★ from 1,798 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
HeliNY
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
You check in, get noise-cancelling headsets, and fly over Manhattan with the pilot narrating live.
4.6★ from 1,753 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
City Cruises
boat tour agency · Seaport
Sightseeing and dining boat tours around New York Harbor, passing landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Brooklyn Bridge.
4.3★ from 1,739 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Manhattan Helicopters
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
Flights leave from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport and follow a set route over the harbour and skyline.
4.6★ from 1,225 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Charm Aviation NYC
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
Tours run from Manhattan or New Jersey departure points and vary by how much of the city you cover.
4.6★ from 847 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Manhattan By Sail
boat tour agency · Seaport
You sail the harbour on a tall ship rather than a motor boat, passing close to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with the Manhattan skyline behind you.
4.5★ from 719 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any dayFree
McNally Jackson Books Seaport
book store · Seaport
4.7★ from 649 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
The Rooftop at Pier 17
concert hall · Seaport
This is an outdoor concert stage on the roof of Pier 17 at the Seaport, with a view over the water behind the performers.
4.8★ from 552 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Downtown
sightseeing tour agency · Seaport
You sit on a boat for the whole trip and a live guide points out landmarks as you pass them — the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, One World Trade Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Governors Island are named on every route, with over 150 landmarks in total.
4.4★ from 547 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any dayFree
Pink Pier at Watermark - NYC
event venue · Seaport
Dining takes place inside heated igloos, coloured pink, arranged along a pier.
4.2★ from 390 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Zip Aviation
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
You take a sightseeing helicopter flight over the city, with departures from either Manhattan or New Jersey, and the pilot points out landmarks as you go.
4.3★ from 347 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
Liberty Helicopters Sightseeing Tours and Charters
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
You board a helicopter at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport for a short sightseeing flight over the harbor and the city.
4.4★ from 307 Google reviews
More info ▾
Open any day
New York Helicopter Charter & Tours
helicopter tour agency · Seaport
4.6★ from 54 Google reviews
More info ▾
Neighborhood FAQs
Where can I have a sit-down meal at the Seaport?
A waterside seafood meal and a three-course lunch are two distinct sit-down choices at the Seaport.
The Fulton at Pier 17 offers oysters, sashimi and other raw-bar dishes, with fish such as black sea bass and Faroe Island salmon among its main plates.
Carne Mare lists a three-course lunch with choices including Spanish octopus carpaccio, mushroom agnolotti, a prime rib sandwich and lemon sorbet.
Can I take a boat trip from the Seaport?
You can choose a 75-minute harbor ride on a wooden tugboat or a two-hour cruise with lunch.
W.O. Decker tugboat rides depart from Pier 16 aboard a 1930 tugboat. Tickets cost $25–$40 and include Seaport Museum admission. Passengers must be ages 10 and up.
City Cruises New York Signature Lunch Cruise leaves from Pier 15, with a buffet of entrees, salads and desserts, live DJ entertainment, and views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty.
Where can I find an unusual gift at the Seaport?
For a gift beyond books or stationery, you can look at handmade accessories or take home decorated cookies.
Mure + Grand carries clothing, jewelry and gifts, including one-of-a-kind handmade items among its changing collections.
Funny Face Bakery has a Seaport shop with a signature hand-painted Custom Face Cookie and other cookies inspired by pop culture from the past and present.
