NYC Discovery Lab – Port City

When: Saturday, May 3, 2025, 11:00am
An 1841 historical painting of a tall ship sailing at sunrise with clouds in the sky in New York Harbor. A military fort made of sandstone is painted on the left of the ship, with Manhattan and Brooklyn pictured in the distance.
James Fulton Pringle. View of New York (From Bedloe’s Island). 1841. Museum of the City of New York. 29.100.1304

Join us this May at the NYC Discovery Lab with drop-in activities for children ages 5-12 and their grownups!  

Set sail! This month we’re exploring New York City’s beginnings as a port city. Learn about the role waterways, like New York Harbor, played in growing New York into the bustling city we know today.  

Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday in May 

Time: Drop-in anytime between 11am-4pm 

  • Learn about the lighthouses that guide ships to New York City’s shores and create your own mini lighthouse to take home.  
  • Craft a paper oyster and learn how shellfish played an important role in the lives of the Lenape and other Indigenous communities in the region for thousands of years 
  • Become a historian and discover how New York Harbor has changed throughout the years with a timeline matching activity 
  • Explore historical objects from New York City’s maritime past  
  • Grab a scavenger hunt and explore our galleries to learn how being a “port city” has helped New York grow into the busy city we know today  

Museum Admission:
New York State Residents: Pay What You Can 
Children: Free for ages 18 and under
Adults $23/Seniors $18 & Students/$14 – please purchase a ticket online or pay-what-you-wish at the door on the day of your visit. No registration necessary.

Questions? Email familyprograms@mcny.org.

Members: To receive your discount, click on the "Buy Tickets" button above, then sign in to your account on the ticketing page.

Groups of 10 or more get discounts; contact us at programs@mcny.org or 917.492.3395.

Supporters

NYC Discovery Lab is made possible in part by the Rochlis Family Foundation. 

This program is supported as part of the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. 

orange and blue logo with the words Dutch Culture USA Future 400

Family Programs are made possible in part by the Margaret S. Ogden and Stephen A. Ogden Memorial Fund, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Rochlis Family Foundation, and Tianaderrah Foundation. 

The Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center is endowed by grants from The Thompson Family Foundation Fund, the F.A.O. Schwarz Family Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Endowment, and other generous donors. 

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