Attractions: On the Water

Battery Park
Located on the southern tip of Manhattan, historic Battery Park, with its lovely flower gardens and waterfront, is a wonderful area to visit. Originally, it was the world’s first official immigration center, welcoming millions of people from Europe and other continents who had come to this land to start a new life. Today, Battery Park hosts summertime concerts and serves as the dock ...
Beast Speedboat Ride
Hold onto your hats because for 30 fun-filled minutes! The Beast leaves all others in its wake as the Captain takes this custom-built 70-foot offshore racing powerboat up to 45 mph on a ride down to the Statue of Liberty. (Children must be 40”/100cm.) from http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises/cruise-details.aspx?id=5 Sightseeing cruises, Beast Rides and special adventures are all offered by Circle Line Sightseeing. Spend three hours circumnavigating the ...
Brooklyn Bridge Park
When completed, Brooklyn Bridge Park will stretch 1.3 miles along the East River. Parts of the waterfront park already are open to the public, offering visitors a myriad of experiences. For those in need of a time out from a busy touring schedule, the Pier 1 section offers expansive lawns for picnicking, a playground, a waterfront promenade, and lush landscaping. Pier 6 adds ...
Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tours
You may have crossed it or someone may have tried to sell it to you, but have you ever taken a tour of the Brooklyn Bridge? This fascinating piece of architecture, which inspired the renowned Ken Burns’ documentary film, is accessible through Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tours. Two different tours are available both guided by licensed tour guide Alfred Pommer, who ...
Brooklyn Navy Yard
Building 92 houses the exhibition The Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present, and Future. The 300-square acre Brooklyn Navy Yard is the third-oldest dry dock in the US and still is being actively used. Founded in 1801, the Yard was once America’s premier ship building facility. Today, while it is in the ship repair business, it also hosts a wide range of businesses. ...
Circle Line Downtown
Circle Line Downtown offers thrilling, romantic and peaceful cruises of New York Harbor. Looking for something to get your pulse going, then get on the Shark Speedboat Thrill Ride. Or take the ZEPHYR Liberty Seaport Cruise, a one-of-a-kind yacht that exudes elegance and power. You’ll see some of the Big Apple’s most renowned sites, including the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, ...
Circle Line Sightseeing 42
Sightseeing cruises, Beast Rides and special adventures are all offered by Circle Line Sightseeing. Spend three hours circumnavigating the Island of Manhattan, relishing the sites and sounds of the waterway and the city. Or take a 75-minute cruise to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the World Financial Center. If you’d rather a thrill ride, during the summer you can climb ...
Ellis Island
More than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island, the nation’s chief gateway during the years 1892 to 1924. Today, over 100 million Americans can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who crossed this island before dispersing to points all over the country. Following restoration in the 1980s, this building reopened as the Ellis Island ...
Governors Island
Although small in size, the location of this island has assigned it a prominent place in the area’s history. In turn, it was occupied by Native American tribes, the Dutch, the British, and the Americans. The name Governors Island evolved from the British declaration that the island would be for the “benefit of His Majesty’s Governors.” However, it wasn’t until 1784 that the ...
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex offers visitors exciting experiences in science, technology and history. With the aircraft carrier Intrepid as its primary base, the museum utilizes all levels of this great, restored vessel. Commissioned in 1943, the Intrepid helped defeat Japan in World War II and was later involved in picking up astronauts after they splashed down. Today you can ...
Manhattan by Sail
The folks at Manhattan by Sail know that there is nothing else in the world like sailing. Manhattan by Sail offers its customers a unique experience when they board one of their schooners. Take the Shearwater, an 80-foot, 48-passenger that is New York’s only designated floating landmark, and you’ll feel as if you’re transported back to the era of the ...
New York Harbor Parks
New York Harbor Parks has a wide range of opportunities to offer. Throughout the year, visitors can take any and all of the self-guided walking tours: The New Amsterdam Trail explores the city’s Dutch roots; This Hallowed Ground teaches about slavery in Old New York; the New York Freedom Trail or George Washington’s New York delve into the Revolutionary War years. During the ...
New York Water Taxi
Seeing New York from the deck of one of New York Water Taxis offers visitors a unique experience that one will not forget. Dazzling vistas of the iconic New York City and New Jersey skylines and intimate views of celebrated infrastructure and monuments unfold as the taxis ply the waters of the Hudson, the East River, and the bay. New York Water Taxi offers ...
South Street Seaport
Located along the Lower Manhattan waterfront, the South Street Seaport is a dynamic, thriving community that’s composed of diverse shops, restaurants and attractions. Outdoor concerts, various recreation activities along the beach and waterways, a farmer’s market and street performers are all a part of the South Street Seaport experience. Enjoy a day of shopping, dining and entertainment, ride a bike or take a boat ...
Spirit of New York Cruises
THE MOST ENTERTAINING WAY TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE NEW YORK. The Spirit of New York on New York Harbor delivers the most entertaining and unique combination of dining, dancing, entertainment and spectacular views. Cruising year-round from Chelsea Piers, the Spirit of New York offers Lunch, Brunch, Dinner, Cocktail, Moonlight Cruises and much more! LET THE SPIRIT MOVE YOU. Grand buffets. Breathtaking views of ...
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry provides free transportation between Staten Island and Manhattan. During the workweek, the ferry transports 60,000 passengers per day and 20 million per year. The free five-mile trip on the Staten Island Ferry last 25 minutes, but it affords passengers some spectacular views of Manhattan as well as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Because of this, many visitors to ...
The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty, designed by the French artist Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. Finished in 1884 and dedicated in 1886, Lady Liberty was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Those traveling on the waterways that surround the city can see the Statue of Liberty from various vantage points. ...