The ​Lilac, On Pier 25, Opens for Free Tours

Left: The 'Lilac' in an undated photo before she was decommissioned. Right: At her home at Pier 25 in Tribeca. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib.

The Lilac, the U.S. Lighthouse Tender launched on May 26, 1933, is now opens for free public tours. The boat, docked on the north side of Pier 25 in Tribeca, is open Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m., until mid-October.  

The boat will have rotating exhibits. This season's first show is "Innerspace Microsculptures," photographs of Hudson River phytoplankton by Andrew Paul Leonard. It will be on view through July 31 and is co-sponsored by Lilac's environmental program partner The River Project. An artist's reception will take place on June 7 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Check the website before visiting since hours are subject to change to accommodate special events and the weather.

Visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes because part of the tour requires climbing a steep ladder.