South Street Seaport to Be Port of Call for Two Historic Ships

El Galeón is an authentic wooden replica of a 16th-century Spanish ship manned by 28 crew members, as it was when it crossed the Atlantic 500 years ago.

Two historic ship replicas will be making a stopover at the South Street Seaport at the beginning of July, and the public will be invited aboard for tours, parties, exhibits and other events.

The Hermione, a $28 million replica of the 1779 French vessel that ferried General Marquis de Lafayette to the U.S. during the Revolutionary War, will arrive at Pier 15, near the end of John Street, on July 1 and leave on the 4th. The vessel, which began her 27-day Atlantic crossing from La Rochelle, France, in April, will be making a 13-stop tour of the Eastern Seaboard.

On July 2 and 3, visitors will be able to take free tours of the ship, and see costumed performances by Revolutionary era re-enactors, concerts of period and contemporary music, craft exhibitions and more.

On Independence Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Hermione will join a “parade of ships” that will line up south of the Verrazano Bridge, sail past the Statue of Liberty and up to the Intrepid Museum.

A full list of events and activities aboard the ship during its stay on Pier 15 can be found here.

Once the Hermione leaves, El Galeón, a 170-foot, 495-ton wooden replica of a 16th-century sailing ship that was part of Spain’s West Indies fleet, will take her place on Pier 15 from July 4 to 12. The Seaport is just one stop on this vessel’s Viva Florida 500 Voyage, which celebrates the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de León's arrival on Florida's east coast.

On July 4, July 9, 10 and 11, El Galeón will host “Shipwrecked at the Seaport” parties from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $150.

The ship will also be open for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets are $15 per person or $45 for a family of four.