The USS Constitution Museum is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, which is part of the Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The museum is situated near the ship USS Constitution at the end of Boston's Freedom Trail. The museum is housed in a restored shipyard building at the foot of Pier 2.
The museum, through its collections and interactive exhibits, tells the story of Constitution ("Old Ironsides") and the people who designed, built, and sailed her. The museum is also home to the Samuel Eliot Morison Memorial Library and includes a comprehensive archival repository of records related to the ship's history. The USS Constitution Museum is a private, non-profit organization that is managed separately from the naval ship.
Monday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Tuesday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Thursday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Friday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Saturday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Sunday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Beny Jackson | Feb 20, 2018
This is another must do if you’re going to do the Freedom Trail. What’s not to like? There’s a nice little museum before going out to the ship. There are real Navy personnel who can give you insights and history about the ship. Finally, the ship itself is something to behold. It has been restored extremely well
Clarence Leblanc | Mar 8, 2018
Our less costly and most interesting place we visited on our last trip in Boston. Free access to the ship and a little museum, comprehensive guide on the tour and very interesting stories about this piece of history. Make sure to have all people IDs, cause it's on a Navy base so you'll be asked to pass under metal detector/x-ray scan. The ship visit can be difficult for very young children, access on and off the ship and to the lower decks are quite steep and can be hard to climb for very young sailors ;)
G Aquino | Jan 11, 2018
Very informative! Learned so much about the history and significance of the famed warship and why it's such a national treasure. It's great that it has survived all these years and preserved for future generations. The museum also lets visitors experience what it was like for personnel of various ranks to work in the warship in its heyday and discusses their motivations for enlisting. The exhibition is quite comprehensive. I'd say allot two hours to see everything at a comfortable pace. It's pay-as-you-wish all the time, with $5 to $10 as the the suggested donation. We arrived from downtown Boston via the Charlestown Ferry. From the Charlestown ferry station, it's about a 10-minute walk to the museum.
Jessica Buker-Vincent | Mar 7, 2018
Two museums and the ship in one afternoon, the whole experience was great. The museum holdings were phenomenal, there's a great balance of what's geared to children (and 30 and 40 something children) and adults alike.
Daniel Haller | Mar 7, 2018
Very cool museum. A lot of hands on exhibits for kids. Does a great job of showing what it was like to serve on the Constitution during that time period
AnimalBot99 | May 4, 2018
Great place to find lots of little souvenirs. There is a Navy vessel and Navy workers there too. If you want to go onto the Navy boat part you have to be checked for items and such. But there is a nice gift shop on the inside. And another building with a gift shop not too far. Best way to explain it would be to just go there and have a look for yourself if you are in the area and want to go sightseeing.
Victor Wang | Apr 28, 2018
Absolutely fantastic small museum split in to 2 parts. There's a little building with a museum store and a few exhibits showing off the background and quite a few super interesting interactive exhibits. The ship itself has different hours (10-4:30) than the museum portion so be careful of that. Staff is extremely friendly and admission is by donation only which makes for a very fun at a very inexpensive price.
Narutodippy | Apr 28, 2018
Imagine taking a step back in time. This fully functional naval ship is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's free as well so long as you have your ID.
Steven Yackel | May 13, 2018
The USS Constitution is a very interesting place to visit while in the Boston area. While it is still a commissioned ship of the US Navy, you will need to be prepared to show your id and go through a metal detector which is really not a big deal. while the ship is in dry dock, the accessibility varies depending on what work they are doing on the ship. When we were there, the full masts were down and most of the guns had been removed from the ship to cut down on the weight on board the ship while it was dry-docked. The sailors that are stationed on the boat are active duty Navy, but they will provide you with an interpretive speech on the history of the boat and some very interesting facts. It had been a while since our last visit and just like last time, it is something that I will remember from our vacation.
Elizabeth McMahon | Jul 8, 2018
This is one of the best museum interpretations I have seen of a standing exhibition. Telling the story by using different people involved in the ship's conception was genius. These illustrated the conflicting needs and interests of real people while explaining why some history happened. Plus the workshops that teach the logistics of ship building were fun and thoughtful. And the use of electronics throughout was really well done.
João Pedro d'Alincourt da Fonseca Peçanha | Jul 14, 2018
Old Ironsides! For those of you who like to travel back in time, this is so cool. The museum is full of interactive things that are entertaining for adults and magic for the children. They explain the historical moment when the ship was built, why it was made, how it was used. The Day to day experience for the crew and their families and how their life changed after the last battle. The ship itself is beautiful and deserves a visit!
Clinton Parsons Jr | Jun 30, 2018
The museum is small with top floor more child driven. Donation based entry so, you can adjust. There are some interesting artifacts and a guide explaining how ships were made water tight. Listen to that my favorite part. Nice 8 minute film. If going to the ship then do otherwise you can skip.
Rick K | Jun 26, 2018
Great museum for most any age. Plenty of interactive exhibits in the museum itself and the of course there are the boats. You can explore both the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young (a WW2 destroyer). You can easily spend half the day there if not longer. If you do end up running out of things to do the, the Bunker Hill monument is only about a 5 minute walk away. Parking garage near there is fairly inexpensive if you get it validated at the museum desk (think it's $14 for up to 4 hours). Great way to spend some time learning about history with the family.
Adam Gaston | Jul 11, 2018
A good stop on the Freedom Trail. Use the restroom while you're there. They're not exactly easy to come by while walking the trail. Museum itself is a little dated, but holds great info for adults and kids alike.
Bianca Copello | Jul 30, 2018
What a cool museum this was! We thought we'd just pop in but ended up staying a while because there were so many interesting things to see and do. The staff was super friendly and gave great explanations. It might lengthen your day to stop by but it was totally worth it for us to learn the fascinating history of this ship and ship building in general!
BradJill Travels | Aug 13, 2018
The USS Constitution Museum (suggested donation $5-10 per adult) is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard and makes a good complementary visit to the USS Constitution vessel, which you can tour at this important stop on the Boston Freedom Trail. The museum is open 10-5pm (autumn hours) and remains open even when the USS Constitution vessel is unavailable for boarding and visitation. We found this museum to be family-friendly and highly educational in a manner suitable for adults and children alike. Displays are user friendly, lots of interactive experiences for young visitors, model displays, video programmes and adequate text displays for those interested in more comprehensive details. As such, the museum caters to those with all manner of interest. You learn as much as you want about the USS Constitution and early American maritime history and at your pace. Overall, we felt very good about our experience at the USS Constitution museum and appreciated the lengths they had made to make the museum accessible and interesting for young visitors. This is a place we would happily visit again when spending time in the Charlestown Navy Yard area. Note: While the museum has regular opening hours, the USS Constitution vessel doesn't. Opening days and times are irregular and change during the year. Do check the USS Constitution official website to ensure you know which days and hours the ship can be boarded for tours during your visit to Boston.
Monica Orozco | Jul 18, 2018
Great place to visit when in Boston is a must I would say. Very easy to walk through and you can spent all the time you like in each part of the ship. It is incredibly the job of preserving and reconstruction of the original boat. Good for all ages... Well if you need assistance with a wheelchair this is definitely not for you...
Wander is a travel search engine that allows you to find the perfect travel destination that fits your budget and preferences.
Cheap travel packages from San Diego
Cheap travel packages from Tijuana Intl. (TIJ)
Cheap travel packages from John Wayne -Orange County Airport (SNA)
Cheap travel packages from Ontario Intl. (ONT)
Cheap travel packages from Los Angeles Intl. (LAX)
Cheap travel packages from McCarran Intl. (LAS)
Cheap travel packages from Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl. (PHX)
Cheap travel packages from Tucson Intl. (TUS)
Cheap travel packages from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl. (SJC)
Get compensated for late flights
The Ultimate Long Haul Flight Guide
Winter Wonderland: Top Destinations for Winter 2018
The Ultimate Travel Checklist!
What is it about Inspirational Travel Quotes?
Top Destinations for a Romantic Getaway