To start off with, the USS Constitution Museum is not a part of the National Park system/Navy that owns and runs the actual USS Constitution. The USS Constitution Museum runs on a "pay what you feel" system with a suggested 15.00 per person charge. I paid the suggested amount and went in. The museum had some interesting relics and exhibits inside but it seemed to cater to kids. Especially the 2nd floor. A lot of interactive things for the kiddos to do. I was kidless so the 1st floor was pretty much where I stayed. The whole thing took about 30 mins then I went across the lot to the National Park Visitor's Center and checked out the actual ship. read more

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Happened to visit the museum at the end of August when the USAA sponsored free admission for U.S. service members, veterans, and their families. We also received a USAA challenge coin and pin. The second floor is dedicated to what life was like as a sailor. The first floor has artifacts and interactive exhibits related to the USS Constitution, including an impressive, fully rigged model of old Ironsides. read more

USS Constitution Museum - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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She is amazing ship .. no fee to visiting just smile And visit this ancient and undefeated ship .. read more

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This is a place to take your time. The museum is donations to enter. The ship requires a photo ID and having your bags searched. We couldn't see the whole museum on this trip. We will have to come back. Some fun activities inside the museum for kids. You can design your own old time ship and fight other people. read more

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My 12 year old lovedddd this museum. Be mindful cause the museum and the actual shop are not curated by the same people so they have different hours. Smaller museum, we were here about an hour. USS Constitution: The world's oldest commissioned warship afloat 1794-1797: Congress authorizes construction of 6 frigates to help protect American merchant fleets from attacks by Algerian pirates and harassment by British/French forces. They are designed by Joshua Humphreys and built at 6 different sites. The contract for the CONSTITUTION is given to Edmond Harrt's Shipyard in Boston. Made from more than 1,500 trees (from Maine to Georgia), armed with cannons cast in Rhode Island, and copper fastenings provided by Paul Revere, the vessel is truly a national ship. 1798: After Congress votes it fit for sea, it cruises in West Indies protecting U.S. shipping from French privateers. 1803-1806: President Thomas Jefferson sent her to the Mediterranean to protect American ships from the Barbary pirates. With Captain Edward Preble in command, CONSTITUTION and other ships of the squadron bombarded Tripoli. She hosted the signing of a peace treaty between the US and Tripoli. 1812-1815: War with Great Britain. The war was hardly a month old when CONSTITUTION, on the way from Chesapeake Bay to New York, met a squadron of 5 British ships. Her escape is now legendary; a 3-day, slow-speed chase. Its crew kept her ahead of the English by rowing (known to Sailors as the "white ash breeze"), by attempting to tow her with the ship's boats. Then Lt. Charles Morris suggested "kedging," in which an anchor is carried out ahead of the ship, dropped, and the ship drawn up to it. Aug 19 1812: The fight with HMS GUERRIÈRE took place 600 miles east of Boston. The 2 settled down to a short-range slugfest. At some point, someone is said to have seen British shot bouncing off CONSTITUTION's side, and shouted, "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron' And so was born the nickname "Old Ironsides." The GUERRIÈRE was so badly damaged, she had to be sunk. Congress awarded Captain Isaac Hull a gold medal. Dec 29, 1812: 30 miles off Brazil. She began a fight with the faster HMS JAVA. American Commodore William Bainbridge was wounded twice, and the ship's wheel was shot away, but for more than 2 hours he fought until, Like GUERRIÈRE, JAVA was too badly damaged to bring home, but before sinking her, Bainbridge had her wheel removed to replace the one she shot away. Commodore Bainbridge also received a gold medal. Feb 20, 1815: 180 miles from Madeira Island. Captain Charles Stewart came upon the British men-of-war CYANE and LEVANT and overpowered them. He hoped to bring his captures home, but ran into a British squadron that retook LEVANT while CONSTITUTION and CYANE returned safely to New York. Captain Stewart received a gold medal from Congress. 1828-1830: Laid up at Boston. During this time the Navy requested the Navy Yard Commanders conduct surveys on all ships to determine how much work would need to be done to bring the ships into commission. This information reached a local publication and it was misreported that the Navy wanted to scrap 'Old Ironsides'. Immediately after that a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, called Old Ironsides, was written to generate public support. The Navy paid to refurbish CONSTITUTION. read more

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You don't really need to spend the money here- walk through the ship and read the free displays in the visitor center instead. There's even a free short movie. read more

USS Constitution Museum - USS constitution - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Really great place extremely well done. Great stories and historical content, plenty of fun areas for the kids. Lots of nooks and crannies to get into. Two floors worth of stuff to look at as well as the trip onto the actual ship with four levels and they got a tour by the US Navy. read more

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Neat little museum. Love that it runs off optional donations and free to the public. Lots of history and interesting things to learn inside the museum, especially interactive cannon exhibit. The gentleman building the ship models kindly gave us a tutorial on the cannon loading/reloading process, and went over some skills of the trade on how to how to create a ship in a bottle. Also interesting to learn that the USS Constitution is the oldest floating warship and one of just a few vessels that formed the first U.S. Navy. read more

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It was very informative and interactive. Great for families or even a great date. No too expensive to spend 2 hours. read more

USS Constitution Museum - Uss Constitution - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Visiting Boston and as a former sailor, I couldn't NOT visit the museum and the ship* that we learned about in boot camp. A small museum that actually runs on donations but don't let its small size fool you. This place is jammed packed with history! To see wood, copper, and other artifacts that are 200+ years old and which makes up a huge part of the foundation of the United States is an awesome experience. Lots of interactions for kids and lots of history for adults. Definitely a solid stop on our tour! *note: the museum is NEAR the actual ship and is a separate experience and worth going to visit. read more

GREAT MUSEUM ABOUT THE USS CONSTITUTION ======================================== My husband and I visited in January and this museum is very nice. The whole thing centers around the USS Constitution of course. We were bummed out that we couldn't tour the actual ship, but it was closed the day we were there. Check the dates and times for the museum and ship and visit both. It is very interesting as far as a historical perspective goes. read more

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The USS Constitution Museum is located in a large grey-colored building that is across from the ship. Anyone can enter here and a donation amount is up to you. The inside has information about what type of wood the ship was built in, the people on the ship, what the sailors use to eat every day, how much stuff is packed inside the boat, and much more! I felt like I learned so much information about the sailors and also how life ass on the ship! I think this place should be visited by everyone and after that go on the ship! Had a wonderful time in the museum and I'm sure you'll also learn something here! read more

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Wonderful museum of maritime items from the ship. Interesting is information about the various woods that the ship is made of, and the tools used. A large scale replica of the ship is in a glass case. A beautiful painting of the ship sailing away from the British is stunning. Donations are requested, tho the museum is free otherwise. Outside is a dry dock. The USS Constitution or "Old Ironsides" was the first ship to use the system for repairs. The actual ship is located nearby and has four decks. It's worth walking over to. The ship is not handicapped accessible. read more

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The USS Constitution Museum, which is part of the Freedom Trail (towards the end of it), is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, which is part of the Boston National Historical Park in Boston. The museum is across from the USS Constitution Ship. The museum is in a restored shipyard building at the foot of Pier 2. The museum, which is free but has a suggested donation of $10-$15 for adults and $5-$10 for children (it's up to you how much you wish to donate) has plenty of items from the boat and in history. There are also interactive exhibits that help to tell the story of the USS Constitution, the sailors and the people who helped to design and build the ship. This museum is two stories and found the floor upstairs to be the most interesting and probably most fun for children (than compared to the 1stfloor) as you get to read about different sailors that sailed the USS Constitution. But it does seem a bit too elementary and so I can see adults losing interest. I liked that you get to know more about some of the sailors and their lives. I think the museum is very informative and you can probably spend an hour reading everything. Then afterwards, check out the USS Constitution (which is free to visit). read more

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This museum would be fantastic for kids, but I went without kids and had a blast! Don't miss out on the mini golf in the front, there's no extra charge and it's a lot of fun! Our favorites were: - Creative and interactive exhibits - love the hands-on learning - Great info about the USS Constitution and relevant history. Especially helpful before going to see the ship. It's not a huge museum, so you don't need more than 45 minutes or so. But thoroughly enjoyable! read more

Unless you are 8 or are bringing someone who is 8, you can safely skip this museum. It's fully aimed at children and the material that isn't is sprinkled. 200 feet away is the Navy/National Park Service museum -- AND THE BOAT ITSELF -- which explains the history of the former surrounding shipyard and the USS Constitution. read more

USS Constitution Museum - The USS Constitution Museum takes its mandate so seriously that it has mini-golf right in front. - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This museum was fine just a little underwhelming. People who are interested in military stuff will probably find the most value in this museum. read more

It costs $10 to get into the museum. The ship is free. The USS Constitution ship is fabulous! We go to hear stories from a Navy crewman that was almost like he was there! You can walk all over the ship. I'd recommend skipping the museum. It wasn't nearly as good as the ship. And there is building where you go through security for the ship that has exhibits as well. read more

Such a great, fun, interactive museum. As a person who adults most days, I had a blast going through this museum and playing with the interactive displays. I can see why it was voted as a Family Friendly in 2022. read more

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Great museum that is run on donations. Multiple levels with lots of artifacts and several films that showcase the area.

Free to public. Fantastic ship to tour. The best free museum. Educational and great for whole family

Look, the entire Freedom Trail is way longer than Google will tell you. Google will also not tell you that every sight wants to charge you $20 to go sit on a bench George Washington might have sat on. Its all a great time and very historical, but also a scam. This is one of the very few FREE stops, and I'd say it's also the coolest. By far. The museum is so informative and extremely interactive. It's built for kids and adults to walk through, learn and have fun. I can say that this museum genuinely got me thinking about so many things with ships. I'm not even that into ships. But I'm into this ship. Loved all the staff and the boat building simulator. When we went, they had an exhibit on model ships and it honestly blew my mind. I wish we had had more time in here read more

Not a bad museum to contextualize the USS Constitution. Not a ton of content and a lot of it feels dated, but it is informative. The suggested donation feels quite high for quality and amount of content. I would not go out of my way but interesting if in area. read more

If you are planning to visit the USS Constitution, visiting this museum is a must for you to get a deep understanding of the ship. You'll be able to learn from topics ranging from what type wood the ship was made, the names who were aboard, and all the history in between. There's no fixed admission fee but there's a suggested donation amount that you can give, I believe it's between $10-15 for adults. This is a great museum for all ages. read more

One of the best museums I've been to.Extremely interactive with tons of games, exhibits, videos, and touchable objects. Highly recommended for kids and adults. read more

In between all the fresh seafood meals, I had to get in a bit of history while visiting Boston. The USS Constitution Museum is a solid spot, right on the water, where you can learn more about the nautical history of the US and can actually go aboard the oldest commissioned vessel. The museum is free, you just need valid ID to enter. Donations are appreciated and can be dropped off at the gift shop counter or in various dropboxes. The museum itself opens to a current feature showcasing women's efforts during the war and their involvement in the US Navy, as well as the history of the naval docks and the importance of the Boston harbor specifically. The ship itself, Old Ironsides, is the bigger focus, and it's cool to be able to experience the low ceilings and small sleeping quarters, and see the ring of cannons lining the upper deck. There are also current Navy members on board to answer questions and give tours. read more

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This museum delivers! It's hands on. It's educational about the war of 1812. The teenagers and adults all found things to do. It was fantastic! read more

USS Constitution Museum - A game - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The oldest commissioned vessel, the USS Constitution is a ship you should visit. Cue up in the visitor checkin and prepare to show a valid identification. There you will get your hand stamped and will proceed to go through security screening. Then off you go for an informative history of the naval docks. After boarding the USS Constituion, you can venture around and go down 2 levels. The guides are friendly and located throughout to answer any questions you may have. Overall pretty cool vessel to checkout if you're looking for something to do. read more

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Set some time aside while walking the Freedom Trail to really explore the USS Constitution Museum! We went into the museum first before actually visiting the boat and this ended up being so beneficial as we got to see multiple things from the museum out on the boat. It is entry by donation only (they recommend $10-15 a person) and well worth any money spent. There are so many exhibits and all of it is hands on. They have activities for all ages including a Lego room to build your own ship, hammocks to swing like the sailors did, puzzles, and information games to play along the way. They had a projector showing the history of the USS Constitution in one room, multiple wooden models of parts of the ship, and artifacts from the history of it. We thought this would be a quick stop, but we ended up spending more than an hour and a half inside this two story museum. They also have a nice gift shop inside where you can buy pens and other objects actually made from the wood of the USS Constitution. The bathrooms were nice and well kept and they had water fountains to fill up your bottles at. This was the most fun and hands-on educational stop along the Freedom Trail. I would highly recommend checking out this museum before heading out to explore the boat itself! read more

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A lot of walking and exploring and things to see here at the Constitution. It's a big stop on the Freedom Trail and it will likely tire the kids out pretty well. The museum at the start is a good look at shipbuilding history and the Boston Naval Yard. Interesting artifacts that show how important this place was to the war effort and why. Then the ship. Much to climb on, climb down in to, see, touch, explore and listen to. A handful of sailors are here not just as security but also as living history and tour guides to point out things and answer questions. They seem quite happy to be here. And then the gift shop at the end has all sorts of trinkets and things to purchase to remember your time with the USS Constitution. Entrance to the gift shop is free and there is a small fee (and security) to access the museum and the ship. read more

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Without a doubt this is a MUST see in Boston. Located on the north leg of the freedom trail and quite a hike from downtown. A friendly tip, take the Boston Harbor Ferry from the long wharf over to the museum. The ferry is only $3.50 and well worth it, unless you need lots of steps this is the way to get there. This is an active military place so you will go through security. You pretty have free reign once you get in. The ship is very well kept and has many interesting areas. We spent a little over an hour. We were lucky to see several new navy recruits being commissioned on the ship. read more

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The displays are amazing, engaging and informative. It's fun and really brings home the importance of the USS Constitution to the US national character. read more

For our final tour in Boston, this is where we came. My father in law and husband both served in the Navy. This was a must see for both of them and they were both really happy seeing the USS Constitution. The museum itself is very, very well done with interactive exhibits and loads of easy to digest information. We went to the USS Constitution next and it was incredible to be walking on a ship that is still active but served in the War of 1812. We also went to the WWII destroyer which was fascinating as well. In short, I would recommend this as a must do when in Boston. read more

The USS Constitution Museum was a lot of fun. We were able to board Old Iron Sides and they actually have current US sailors giving narratives throughout the ship. It was very interesting to see a ship from more than 200 years ago being kept alive. There is a nice museum and also a visitors center. Best yet, the USS Constitution is free of charge. The site is pretty close to the North End and the bus and trolley tours all stop there. read more

USS Constitution Museum - Museums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Named after the highest law of our land, the USS Constitution represents all that this country holds sacred: Strength in our defense, fortitude in our endeavors and endurance in our resolve. Constitution embodies the history of the United States within her oak timbers, fought in the early days of our independence and has remained in service for over 200 years. Paul Revere forged her copper hardware and George Washington, himself chose her name. But it wasn't until the War of 1812 that she earned her nickname, "Old Ironsides", when cannonballs bounced off her thick oak hull. As a fully commissioned ship in the US Navy, she is fully manned (& womanned) by a crew of trained sailors. It is her crew that bring the ship to life. They're trained in the operation of a sailing vessel and their duties include the upkeep of the ship. They are also well versed in the history of the ship to answer all questions when visitors come on board. Every sailor we spoke to said that it is a singular honor to serve aboard and fun to boot. Currently, Constitution calls the historic Charlestown Naval Shipyard her home as she undergoes a thorough 2 year makeover to get her ready to sail once again. I can't wait to see her afloat under full sail heading out of Boston harbor. Though her fighting days are long past and her cannon long silenced, Constitution will be remembered as the only current active USN ship to have sunk an enemy vessel in anger over 200 years ago. read more

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PROS: I like the fact the ship was free to go on and the museum was very affordable. The museum had some original stuff on it which made me happy to see since the boat was restored and nothing is original from it. The staff was very nice too and the place was scrubbed clean CONS: The museum didn't really have that much of a variety of things. It was mainly just 30% original stuff from crew and 70% interactive games for children, videos, and blurbs on the wall. The ship tour just showed the gun room and thats it (but since it was free what do you expect) OVERALL: I'd come by this place again to check it out if I was with a history buff. But if History isn't your thing, don't come here read more

CONSTITUTION is berthed at a pier of the former Charlestown Navy Yard. In addition to the historic ship itself, the National Park Service runs a small visitor center/museum that's dedicated to the history of the Navy Yard, and a non-profit historical foundation has a museum dedicated to the history of the ship itself. CONSTITUTION is still considered an active duty ship and is manned by a Navy crew, who maintain the ship, conduct tours, and answer questions from visitors. The ship is well-preserved, with exhibits on the ship's history, living and working spaces for the officers and crew, and typical life for a sailor on the ship. The crew was very friendly and helpful, and the exhibits were fascinating. Entry to the ship itself requires guests to pass through a security gate and a metal detector, and a bag search is done before being allowed on the pier and to walk on the ship. The easiest way to get to the ship from downtown Boston is to take a ferry from the Boston Aquarium that's run by the MBTA; there's also a T station not too far from the pier, which makes connections from the rest of the city easy. There's a small bar near the ferry pier for drinks and refreshments and a Subway in one of the historic buildings on the former base. Visiting the ship and the museums makes for a great day out. read more

Easily my kids favorite stop on the Freedom Tour especially if you do both. We ran out of time at the museum part, he coulda stayed a lot longer. The ship is really cool to explore, kind of what you'd imagine, only super updated and a lot bigger than I expected. The museum is geared towards kids, but not in a normal children's museum. The games are thoughtful and educational and the kid wanted to play every single one. He also couldn't get enough of the interactive displays. Free, so if you don't like it, don't pay on your way out. read more

This was a pretty amazing experience, I would recommend checking it out if you are in the area. We got to check out the USS Cassin Young destroydestroyer and I thought that was pretty cool, you get to walk around and take photos with the torpedos. read more

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Great experience for free! When I was there they had cannons blast on the shore and there was a sailor telling us all about adventures on the ship. The ship is not in the water but suspended above. The museum is also available, but I didn't go. Bunker Hill is a small walk away. Bring your ID to get into the ship! read more

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