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USS Constitution Museum

USS Constitution Museum

USS Constitution Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
At the USS Constitution Museum you don't just learn about history, you EXPERIENCE it! Furl a a sail, fire a cannon, and scrub the decks to learn what life was like at sea over 200 years ago. Located across from the ship in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard. The Museum is private non-profit Museum and is operated separately from USS Constitution (the Ship).
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Charlestown
Charlestown’s hilly roads, narrow streets and gaslight lamps, make it an enticing neighborhood to visit. Follow the Freedom Trail over the Washington St bridge from the North End or take the scenic water locks to Paul Revere Park. Walk through City Square and stroll down cute Main street, wandering up the windy residential streets to Monument Square, where you can learn about the city’s history along with a great view of Boston at the Bunker Hill Monument. While it’s not a huge area, there are some excellent restaurants. Find your way to the Charlestown Navy Yard, which is a developing area with lots of condos and an additional site for Massachusetts General Hospital research centers. Here you will also find the USS Constitution Museum. After you’re done, hop on an MBTA ferry at the dock on Baxter street and zip on over to Long Wharf and the New England Aquarium.
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See what travelers are saying

  • OrlandoMouse
    St. Augustine, Florida2,318 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit the Museum, the USS Constitution, USS Cassin Young
    If you are walking the red brick Freedom Trail north, you will eventually arrive at the USS Constitution Museum as well as the home of “Old Ironsides”. All of these are free admission. The museum is self-guided. It is an excellent place to learn the importance of rope manufacturing and the key role it plays in ships and shipping. Outdoors of the museum you can explore the USS Constitution ship. There are three deck levels you can explore but beware you will climb narrow stairs with rope handles. Also watch your head as our ancestors on ships must be much shorter than today. It is a beautiful ship. You can appreciate the handiwork it took to create a wood ship back in the day. Also, while there walk a little further and visit the USS Cassin Young, a destroyer from WWII. While there take a look at the torpedoes and depth charger models.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 25, 2023
  • ybqueen
    Centreville, Virginia174 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ship Shape
    This is a small compact, but very comprehensive museum. It’s reasonable to enter, and the donations are suggested. Military both retired and active duty are free. There’s also an excellent gift shop with many appealing souvenirs as well as a library of books to purchase. There are interactive films to watch. The personnel are friendly and helpful. There is also a nice restroom.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 1, 2023
  • jtkoehler2
    280 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Done miss this gem
    Great info, great history info. Very good hands on for the kids, that will get them off their screens. I’ve done the ship, but I like the museum better. $10 suggested donation. We were there about an hour and half. Also there is war ship on the sight.. well worth a visit. Use Uber to get there and head back out.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 9, 2023
  • Evil_E207
    406 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An Amazing Museum!
    While not the biggest of museums, it does exactly what it was designed to do - and could not be any better. The displays and the way the information was presented was more than perfect - couldn't ask for a more complimentary museum to the ship! A definite must for anyone interested in the USS Constitution and our navy's history!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 3, 2024
  • Alireza123
    Tehran, Iran1,385 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Different experience
    This museum is about the oldest warship still afloat.you can go both in the ship and the museum building beside it. As I have seen lots of movies which is happened in a warship, it was very interesting and informative for me. I could imagine everything. It is a free museum and you can pay as much as you want. It takes about one hour to see every thing.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 11, 2024
  • James H
    Camp Hill, Pennsylvania72 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular Museum
    Visited here for the first time while on vacation and was not disappointed! The curators have done an amazing job detailing the history of how the USS Constitution came to be and the sailors' lives aboard the ship through fun, engaging, and interactive exhibits. Admission is by suggested donation (for two adults, we gave twenty dollars). The museum (and the separate USS Constitution ship) is a stop on Boston's Freedom Trail. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 19, 2024
  • PChipQ
    Madison, Wisconsin25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An unexpected treasure
    Do not let the initial glance at this museum cause you to underestimate it. We had three teenagers in our group. They were very engaged. As were many younger kids we encountered along the way. The adults had a great time too. One of the best hands on museums we have encountered. We loved it!!!
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 14, 2024
  • Brendan S
    Arlington, Virginia2,152 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    More here than expected
    I did not expect a museum about one warship to have this much in it. There’s an overview video and a hallway with hands-on exhibits about ship design and construction and large models (one made of Legos) about the Constitution. I especially liked one where you design a warship and sail it into battle against other ships. Another exhibit area discusses the military and long post-active service of the ship. Another floor features a full exhibit on the lives of different crew members aboard the ship, from enlistment to battle. It’s a museum that warrants at least an hour before visiting the Constitution itself, which is docked a stone’s throw away.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written July 5, 2024
  • Patrice A
    11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Required to visit the USS Constitution.
    The film is a must see, and does a nice review of the naval yard and currently military ship. The naval yard is still run by active naval officers, so you will see them around the yard. The museum itself is rather sparse. It is really a short visit on your way to the USS Constitution.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 12, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,665 reviews
Excellent
2,119
Very good
1,119
Average
340
Poor
62
Terrible
27

liliest2016
Coral Springs, FL16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
Our family really enjoyed visiting the USS Constitution and museum. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the history of “Old Ironsides” and how cannons “bounced” off her sides. George Washington approved her name and Paul Revere forged her copper bolts and fittings!! Free guided tours are offered. The museum is also a great stop. Very informative and interactive. My teens really enjoyed it and had a chance to “shoot cannons!” Another must see along the Freedom Trail.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bailey G
Orlando, FL106 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
Before I begin, please note that the USS Constitution Museum is DIFFERENT than the USS Constitution tour.

The ship tour itself is free and ran by the National Park Service / Active Military Personnel ( I believe). The Museum is on property, however seems to be privately owned and requires a separate admission fee to get in.

Now that that's been established, let me dive in!

In my review of the ship tour itself, I stated that this is a dream come true for me. As a lover of all thing historical and nautical, it has been on my bucket list to see the ship live and in person. I took the tour and, while I certainly was not disappointed, you don't quite get the full in depth history that lots of us desire.

The museum certainly picks up the slack on that issue! Admission is pretty cheap and military discounts are available. The museum itself has a fantastic collection of artifacts and does a supreme job of taking you through the genesis of this ship through modern times. It has some videos, it has a second story geared for more hands on learning for the children.

While we weren't able to take in the museum to its fullest extent (given we had a train to catch), it is certainly worth taking the time to visit while you're there anyways.

Overall I highly recommend to those who are lovers of history. Whether that's American, nautical or military history, you will certainly come out learning a lot more about something that has been an integral part of our country. I would say this is also really good for families, given the children experiences incorporated into the museum, however with any type of museum that is meant for more mentally mature individuals, this many not be right for everyone.

My wife just happened to be fairly taxed physically that day, as well as mentally from all of the other historical sites we visited leading up to this day, so she had a hard time fully enjoying it. I spent about 2 hours, could've spent a little more again if we weren't on a time crunch, fully taking in everything it had to offer.
Written January 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tinaNtravel
San Jose, CA2,122 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
This is worth visiting. There isn’t an entry fee, but they do collect donations and the recommended donation amount is provided. It is a rather cute museum, very hands on, and kids will likely enjoy it. First you can watch two 8 minute videos. The first film is about the history of the USS Constitution and how it was named old Ironside. I recommend watching that film for some historical background. The second film highlights some current enlisted folks in the Navy and their thoughts. The Museum also contains a number of displays such as various jobs one might do on a ship, a ship store, a clock, a bell, etc. and as mentioned, a lot of hands-on activities. A restroom is located inside and a gift shop. In addition, in front of the museum, is a dry dock which is huge and worth some pics.
Written September 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hermann S
San Pedro Sula, Honduras246 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Solo
The place is amazing. The entrance fee is up to you as it is only working through donations. The recommended fee to get in is between $10-$15 US dollars. The museum is good for the family as it has movies, games and also a nice souvenir shop.

After or before the museum you can also visit for free the USS constitution Warship which is dated from the 1800's and a World War II Battleship. They are amazingly cool.
Written June 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Traveller
New York City, NY3,304 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
I visited the USS Constitution Museum in November 2021 as part of doing the Freedom Trail from start to finish. I gave a donation of $10. The museum covered the history of the USS Constitution and related historical events such as the War of 1812 and the Barbary Coast pirates. It was my last stop on the Freedom Trail. As you cross into Charlestown on foot to go to the last stops on the Freedom Trail, I recommend going to the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum first and then the USS Constitution and USS Constitution Museum which is what I did. After I was finished, I took the nearby ferry back to the Long Wharf in Boston which was a nice experience.
Written December 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SML-Travels
Perry Hall, MD77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
I've made several trips to the USS Constitution over the last 35 years. It feels like this museum has been dramatically expanded in recent years. They do an excellent job of explaining the construction of Old Ironsides, her history, and what life was like for the sailors aboard her.
Written August 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

itsWanda
Boston, MA383 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Friends
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.
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

luvnabby
Morehead City, NC312 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
This museum was a big hit with my 10 and 13-year-olds. There are a lot of interactive aspects to the museum and as a whole we loved it! I would highly recommend going. While it is free they do ask for donations. There’s also a gift shop on site. We wanted to actually go see the vessel but that day was a holiday and it was not open to the public.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelli
Keller, TX1,386 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
We visited the USS Constitution itself, then went into the museum. There is no set admission fee, but a suggested donation of $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Some of the exhibits are definitely geared toward a younger audience, but we enjoyed them nonetheless and learned a lot. Restrooms onsite were clean. And of course, there’s a gift shop too. Worth a look for service members and anyone who appreciates history.
Written October 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James H
Camp Hill, PA72 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
Visited here for the first time while on vacation and was not disappointed! The curators have done an amazing job detailing the history of how the USS Constitution came to be and the sailors' lives aboard the ship through fun, engaging, and interactive exhibits. Admission is by suggested donation (for two adults, we gave twenty dollars). The museum (and the separate USS Constitution ship) is a stop on Boston's Freedom Trail. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.
Written May 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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USS Constitution Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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