Designated by Congress as the American National Maritime Museum in 1998, the South Street Seaport Museum houses a permanent collection of over 1,000 model ships in addition to its fleet of full sized vessels (the largest private collection in the country) and other important maritime artifacts.

The model ship collection focuses on vessels and that were significant in economic and maritime development of New York and America in general. The Museum itself sits on site of the original Port of New York and visitors can come watch demonstrations of model ship building by experts of the craft.