USS Constitution, Charlestown MA

You history buffs will know this:  The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the US Navy.  It's nickname is Old Ironsides, and it fought in the War of 1812.  It is a National Historic Site and is therefore FREE!

Because Old Ironsides is a real, working part of the US Navy, security is quite tight.  You do need to pass through metal detectors, xray your belongings, and show ID to enter. Outside the secure area there was a stand with a National Park Ranger showing toys used in the 1800s.   The kids did enjoy this for a short while.  The Ranger suggested that we also check out the separate Constitution Museum, which we originally didn't plan on.  Once you are inside the secure area, there's a small gift shoppe and several displays.  The bathrooms are located here, and I'd suggest getting a quick visit in before you get on the boat!

Outside the boat, you have two options.  You can have a self-guided tour that only includes the top deck, or instead you can wait for a guided tour that includes the living quarters, and other parts of the ship.  I look forward to doing the tour when the kids are a bit older.  For this day it was quite exciting enough to tour the real 'pirate ship'.  (Much as I tried to explain, the boy was convinced we were on a pirate ship!)  We spent about a half hour on board the boat.  We then ventured over to the museum.

A delightful surprise, the Constitution Museum was actually quite interesting and really geared towards children.  There are two levels.  On the first floor there was a theater which we didn't explore, and a "war room" that had a painted map of the world on the floor, puppet theater and stage, strategy games, and puzzles.  The kids liked this. Towards the back of the museum there were some other historical items that someday we will get to explore.  Then we went upstairs.  (I did not notice if there was an elevator or not....we simply left the stroller downstairs next to a few others.)  Upstairs was really geared towards children.  They continued with a theme of following the lives of some of the sailors.  You started in a room to resemble where you would enlist.  Great displays for all ages covering comparisons between being a sailor or a marine.  Then there was a play ship, and also a pully system to demonstrate how live animals were brought on board to provide food.  (Even I learned something here!)  There were some other displays and masks the kids checked out.  The back room up here hand on examples of how the sailors slept in hammocks, what they ate, and how they cooked. There's actually a real piece of bread from the 1800s.  It was really cool and several tears where shed when it was time to go.

This trip was an impromptu adventure and it's definitely something I plan to do with them again and again.

Parking: We did pay to park and had a short walk.  The Hubby did the driving so I didn't pay too much attention to the options.  There are many tour buses that stop through here, and it is on the Freedom Trail.  You certainly could park elsewhere in the city and walk over.  We opted to park here, walked to Fanueil Hall, rode the Carousel on the Greenway and walked back.

Cost:  USS Constitution is free.  The museum has a suggested donation of $5.00 per adult, $3.00 for Seniors, and $2.00 for children.  They also provide validation for parking in some local lots.

Important things to note:  The USS Constitution and the Constitution Museum are two entirely different things, run by two different organizations.  The days and hours of operation vary.

The USS Constitution current hours of operation are:

November 01 - March 31
Open Thursday-Sunday, 10:00 - 3:30                                   


April 01 - September 30
Open Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 - 6:00

October 1 - October 31
Open Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 - 4:00

The Constitution Museum hours are: 

November 01 - March 31
Open Daily, 10:00 - 5:00
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

April 01 - October 31
Open Daily, 9:00 - 6:00