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USS Constitution Museum

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 Boston, 02129

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Call: +1 617-426-1812
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About

The USS Constitution Museum fills Building 22 of the Charlestown Navy Yard, the old pump house for Dry Dock 1, directly across the pier from USS Constitution, the frigate launched in 1797 and known as "Old Ironsides." The museum is a private nonprofit, incorporated in 1972 and open to the public since April 1976, and it calls itself the memory and educational voice of the ship. The ship itself is a separate visit: it is an active-duty vessel operated by the U.S. Navy, with its own hours and its own security checkpoint.

It suits families, first-timers finishing the Freedom Trail in Charlestown, and anyone who wants the people and battles behind the ship before or after going aboard. The Freedom Trail's red line crosses the Charlestown Bridge into the Navy Yard, and the MBTA ferry from Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium, lands at the Charlestown pier, which makes a harbor crossing an easy way back downtown.

Two core galleries

"Old Ironsides" in War and Peace covers three centuries of the ship: how it was built, its War of 1812 battles and its later diplomatic voyages. All Hands on Deck: A Sailor's Life in 1812 draws on decades of research in census records, memoirs, diaries, letters and pension files, and turns it into personal stories and hands-on activities aimed at families.

Why the museum and the ship are separate

When the museum opened, the Navy was able to take the display cases off the ship's decks, so visitors aboard today see a working sailing vessel rather than a floating exhibition hall. The two visits complement each other: the decks and guns are on the ship, and the crew's lives, the battles and the objects are across the pier. Going aboard is free and first come, first served, and the Navy's boarding rules are in the FAQ below.

Changing exhibitions

Special exhibitions rotate alongside the core galleries. The current pair look at the ship through large-scale photography by Greg M. Cooper, taken from harbor and dry-dock vantage points, and through the paintings and prints it has inspired since the early 19th century.

Planning the visit

Admission is a suggested donation rather than a fixed ticket, and the museum stays open daily through most of the year. The galleries are on two floors linked by an elevator, and the introductory and battle films are captioned. Museum staff name weekday mornings, January and February, and the last hour of the day as the quietest times to come.

Sources: USS Constitution Museum, plan your visit, hours and admission, directions and parking, accessibility, exhibits, museum history, National Park Service, USS Constitution, The Freedom Trail Foundation. Checked September 27, 2026.

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Company Name
USS Constitution Museum
Phone Number
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Call: +1 617-426-1812
Location
Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard
Boston, 02129
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About USS Constitution Museum

The USS Constitution Museum fills Building 22 of the Charlestown Navy Yard, the old pump house for Dry Dock 1, directly across the pier from USS Constitution, the frigate launched in 1797 and known as "Old Ironsides." The museum is a private nonprofit, incorporated in 1972 and open to the public since April 1976, and it calls itself the memory and educational voice of the ship. The ship itself is a separate visit: it is an active-duty vessel operated by the U.S. Navy, with its own hours and its own security checkpoint.

It suits families, first-timers finishing the Freedom Trail in Charlestown, and anyone who wants the people and battles behind the ship before or after going aboard. The Freedom Trail's red line crosses the Charlestown Bridge into the Navy Yard, and the MBTA ferry from Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium, lands at the Charlestown pier, which makes a harbor crossing an easy way back downtown.

Two core galleries

"Old Ironsides" in War and Peace covers three centuries of the ship: how it was built, its War of 1812 battles and its later diplomatic voyages. All Hands on Deck: A Sailor's Life in 1812 draws on decades of research in census records, memoirs, diaries, letters and pension files, and turns it into personal stories and hands-on activities aimed at families.

Why the museum and the ship are separate

When the museum opened, the Navy was able to take the display cases off the ship's decks, so visitors aboard today see a working sailing vessel rather than a floating exhibition hall. The two visits complement each other: the decks and guns are on the ship, and the crew's lives, the battles and the objects are across the pier. Going aboard is free and first come, first served, and the Navy's boarding rules are in the FAQ below.

Changing exhibitions

Special exhibitions rotate alongside the core galleries. The current pair look at the ship through large-scale photography by Greg M. Cooper, taken from harbor and dry-dock vantage points, and through the paintings and prints it has inspired since the early 19th century.

Planning the visit

Admission is a suggested donation rather than a fixed ticket, and the museum stays open daily through most of the year. The galleries are on two floors linked by an elevator, and the introductory and battle films are captioned. Museum staff name weekday mornings, January and February, and the last hour of the day as the quietest times to come.

Sources: USS Constitution Museum, plan your visit, hours and admission, directions and parking, accessibility, exhibits, museum history, National Park Service, USS Constitution, The Freedom Trail Foundation. Checked September 27, 2026.

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Phone: +1 617-426-1812

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where is the USS Constitution Museum?+
In Building 22 of the Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, Boston 02129, across the pier from USS Constitution. For GPS the museum suggests the Nautica Parking Garage at 88 Constitution Road, where museum visitors get discounted parking with a validation.
Q. What are the museum hours?+
The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and closes at 2 p.m. on December 24.
Q. How much does the museum cost?+
Admission is a suggested donation: $25 per person to pay it forward, $15 standard, or a reduced amount from free to $10. The museum lists further free and discounted programs on its Ways to Save page.
Q. Is the ship part of the museum?+
No. USS Constitution is an active-duty ship operated by the U.S. Navy, a partner of the National Parks of Boston. Visiting the ship is free and first come, first served; the museum lists its hours as Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but check the Navy's own visitor page before you go.
Q. What do I need to board USS Constitution?+
According to the National Park Service, visitors enter through a security checkpoint at the Navy Yard Visitor Center, and everyone 18 and older needs a photo ID. Pets are not allowed aboard, though service animals may go on the upper deck. Access is limited: a tide-dependent ramp reaches the top deck only.
Q. How do I get there without a car?+
Take the Green or Orange Line to North Station and walk across the Charlestown Bridge, following the Freedom Trail's red line to the Navy Yard. The 93 bus runs from Haymarket or Sullivan Square to the Charlestown Navy Yard stop, and the MBTA ferry runs daily from Long Wharf to the Charlestown pier.
Q. Is the museum accessible?+
Yes. Both floors are reached by an elevator, wheelchairs are lent first come, first served, films are captioned and a family restroom is available on request. Sensory bags can be borrowed, and Sensory-Friendly Sundays open the galleries early, 9 to 10 a.m., on the third Sunday of each month from October to May.
Q. Is the museum on the Freedom Trail?+
The ship is: USS Constitution is the 15th of the 16 official Freedom Trail sites. The museum is not one of the numbered sites, but it stands beside the ship at the same stop.