Lovers of all things maritime can step aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Lilac, the last existing steam-powered lighthouse tender in the US, which once brought supplies to lighthouses and their keepers before American lighthouses were automated. Launched in 1933, Lilac was decommissioned in 1972 and since 2011 has been berthed at Pier 25, undergoing restoration work and serving as an educational and community resource.
It also displays changing historical, photographic and artistic exhibits inside; past subjects have included maritime art, stories from the transatlantic slave trade and shipwrecks in New York waters.
Lilac is open to the public for free tours several days each week from Memorial Day through the end of October, though inclement weather or private events can cause changes to the schedule (check the website first).
