Visit the museum where the US Navy launched its maiden ships - including the USS Constitution, the oldest active naval ship in the world, and the USS Cassein Young, which survived kamikaze strikes in Okinawa during WW2.

USS Constitution Museum

Visit the museum where the US Navy launched its maiden ships - including the USS Constitution, the oldest active naval ship in the world, and the USS Cassin Young, which survived kamikaze strikes in Okinawa during WW2. From the War of 1812 to present day, these ships have played vital roles in American History. Written in combination with National Park Service (NPS).

USS Constitution Museum and Naval Yard

Come aboard one of the first ships to serve the US Navy.

Prior to independence, the thirteen American colonies enjoyed protection from pirates and foreign navies under the British Royal Navy. However, after winning freedom from Britain, the young nation had to provide its own defense.

In 1794, Congress authorized the construction of the first six warships to comprise the new United States Navy. Each of the six were built at different seaports along the eastern coast. Constitution was built at Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston.

Construction began in 1794 and Constitution launched on October 21, 1797. She went on her first cruise the next year as the Quasi-War with France emerged. Later she served in engagements with pirates off the Barbary coast in the Mediterranean.

The greatest glory for Constitution, however, came during the War of 1812.

Constitution's crew defeated four British frigates during three separate engagements. She earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" because the cannon fire from enemy ships seemed as if they couldn't penetrate her strong oak hull.

Before and after these voyages, Constitution had to undergo constant repairs and refits.

USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy. 

Watch the video below for 5 more facts you didn't know about the USS Constitution.

Naval officers and crew still serve aboard her. The Navy operates the ship as a historic site in cooperation with the National Park Service. The Naval History and Heritage Command, Detachment Boston, is housed in Building 24 and is responsible for the maintenance, repair and restoration of USS Constitution at the Navy Yard. 

Most of that work throughout her service was here in Boston at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Established in 1800, the yard was one of six commissioned for the purpose of keeping the Navy afloat. After over 200 years in the Navy, Constitution still calls Charlestown home and relies on the same facilities for maintenance and repair in dry dock. You can watch the rigorous undocking process below.

Cover photo credit: @dnjent via Instagram. 

The USS Constitution

Dubbed "the greyhound of the seas," the Cassin Young faced battle in Okinawa during World War II.

You felt like you were really living...you'd turn into the wind and get a little bit of spray in your face and, you'd taste the salt...you'd feel those propellers turning...and you could feel the power in that thing.
-Heath Haggerty, Gunner's Mate 1944-1945

Designed for speed and capability, USS Cassin Young engaged in seven Pacific battles in World War II, survived two Kamikaze hits, and served another full decade beyond her expected lifetime. Built in San Pedro, California in 1943, she is one of 175 Fletcher-class destroyers built during World War II.

Maintained by the National Park Service and an army of dedicated park volunteers, Cassin Young remains to this day as a testament to the crews who sailed her, and the men and women who built and maintained her.

The first destroyers were designed at the beginning of the twentieth century to counter a small, but feared, ship - the torpedo boat. The destroyer, which also carried the newly invented torpedo, was developed to protect capital ships from torpedo boat attacks. 

Bainbridge, the first American destroyer, was commissioned in 1902. She displaced 400 tons, was 250 feet in length, mounted two three-inch guns and two torpedoes. As the new destroyers grew in size and carried more torpedoes, they replaced torpedo boats and assumed the role of torpedo attack ships.

In World War II, destroyers were truly all-purpose ships, ready to fight off attacks from the air, the surface and under the surface. 

See the video below to learn just how much power this ship could pack into an attack. 

Destroyers handled a variety of duties such as picket ship (escorting larger ships and convoys), shore bombardment (rescuing pilots who were forced down at sea), and even acting as mailman for the fleet. 

The 2,050-ton Fletcher-Class destroyer was considered one of the best destroyers of the period. One hundred seventy-five of these ships were built between March 1941 and February 1945. Being 376 feet, 6 inches, in length meant that they could carry five five-inch dual-purpose guns, ten torpedoes, depth charges and antiaircraft guns.

Their ability to refuel at sea enabled them to carry less fuel yet operate effectively in the vastness of the Pacific. Fletcher-Class destroyers incorporated the lessons learned from earlier destroyer construction along with ongoing combat operation.

Destroyers are still the workhorse ships in the modern navies of the world. Although they now carry guided missiles and are twice as large as Cassin Young, the destroyer is still an important and versatile type of combat vessel.

USS Cassin Young was built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at San Pedro, California and commissioned on December 31, 1943. 

Assigned to the Central Pacific, Cassin Young first experienced combat in April 1944, attacking Japanese strongholds in the Caroline Islands. In June, the ship escorted American amphibious forces that invaded the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Guam. In August, the ship was reassigned to Task Group (TG) 38.3, which included several aircraft carriers. For the remainder of the Pacific war, Cassin Young would be in the forefront of the naval offensive against the Japanese.

Between October 23 and October 27, 1944, TG 38.3 and Cassin Young participated in several actions that were part of the Battle for Leyte Gulf. She rescued over 120 men from carrier Princeton when that ship sank on October 24 and participated in the Battle of Cape Engano the next day when four Japanese carriers were sunk by the American carriers that Cassin Young was helping to escort. 

During the remainder of 1944, the ship continued to escort the carriers of TG 38.3 as they provided air cover to American troops engaged in the liberation of the Philippines. Cassin Young also experienced the new Japanese suicide tactic of the kamikaze aircraft for the first time.

In January 1945, TG 38.3 went to sea for attacks against the island of Formosea, Indochina (Vietnam) and southern China. American ships had proved that they could penetrate deep within enemy waters and the stage was set for the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. 

During February and March, Cassin Young supported Marine operations on Iwo Jima and helped "soften up" Okinawa for the upcoming assault on that island. In preparation for the Okinawa operation, Cassin Young was reassigned to Task Force 54, the gunfire and covering force for the entire invasion fleet.

After escorting assault craft to the beaches and providing shore bombardment, Cassin Young took up the duties of radar picket ship, possibly the most hazardous duty performed by any warship during World War II. The picket's role was to provide early warning of impending air attacks to the main fleet. 

The ships assigned to the fifteen picket stations bore the brunt of over fifteen hundred kamikaze attacks in the weeks and months ahead. Radar Picket (RP) Stations 1,2, and 3 faced the worst of these attacks. On April 6 the Japanese launched the first of ten massed attacks, sending 355 kamikazes and 341 bombers towards Okinawa. Cassin Young was on duty at RP Station 3. The ship downed three "bogeys" (enemy planes) and picked up survivors from the destroyers assigned to RP Stations 1 and 2 (both were hit and sunk by kamikazes).

Cassin Young was then assigned to RP Station 1 where, on April 12, the ship came under massive attack. 

Six kamikazes were shot down, but one hit the mast and exploded fifty feet above the ship. One sailor was killed and 59 were wounded. 

After repairs, Cassin Young returned to Okinawa in July for further duty. Only individual kamikaze attacks were now occurring as the Japanese hoarded 10,000 aircraft to throw against the U.S. fleet in the upcoming invasion of Japan.

Cassin Young's most severe test came just sixteen days before Japan surrendered. At 3:26 a.m. on July 30, a single kamikaze crashed the starboard side of the main deck near the forward smoke stack. There was a tremendous explosion amidships and the ship lay dead in the water. The crew contained the damage, restored power in one engine and got the ship underway within twenty minutes. Casualties were 22 men dead and 45 wounded.

Cassin Young was the last ship hit by kamikazes in the vicinity of Okinawa. For her determined service and gallantry on the Okinawa radar picket line she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. After returning to California, the ship was repaired, decommissioned on May 28, 1946, and placed in the reserve or "mothball" fleet.

With the outbreak of the Korean Conflict, many destroyers were recalled to service. Cassin Young was recommissioned on September 7, 1951, and initially served in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. In 1952, Cassin Young underwent a major overhaul at the Charlestown Facility, Boston Naval Shipyard, beginning her association with this navy yard.

In 1954, as part of an around-the-world cruise, the ship carried out patrols in Korean waters. From 1955-1959, Cassin Young performed routine duties in Atlantic and Caribbean waters with four Mediterranean deployments. During those years, the ship returned to the Boston Naval Shipyard five more times for overhauls to keep ahead of unavoidable problem: old age. 

But Cassin Young could still perform well, which she proved in 1959 when the ship was awarded the Battle Efficiency "E" for overall excellent performances in all exercises that year. On April 29, 1960, Cassin Young was again decommissioned and mothballed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia.

USS Cassin Young now has a new mission. Maintained and staffed by National Park Service staff and volunteers, Cassin Young is an example of the type of ship built, repaired, and modernized in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Although built in California, fourteen Fletcher-Class destroyers just like her were produced at this yard.

Cover photo credit stuborides via Instagram.

The USS Cassin Young

A living piece of history, Dry Dock 1 was used to build the first steel hull.

Before dry docks came into use in the late 15th century in England, the only way to service a ship’s hull was to “careen” it—heave it over on its side, still floating, or laying in the mud at low tide. It was difficult and time-consuming and put great strain on the hull.

The concept is simple: float the vessel into a three-sided basin, then close the seaward end and remove all the water. The vessel settles on a cradle, its hull accessible. To undock: re-flood the basin, open the seaward end and float the vessel out.

But the concept’s execution required a finely-engineered complex of masonry, engines, pumps, reservoir, tunnels, culverts, valves, and gates—in effect a huge well-coordinated machine. 

The Charlestown dry dock and the one built concurrently at Norfolk, Va., both designed by Loammi Baldwin Jr., were the first such naval structures in the United States. Six years under construction, the Charlestown dock was inaugurated in 1833 with the docking of Constitution. 

Over the course of its history Dry Dock 1 has been enlarged several times.

In 1833, the dock was 341′; in 1858-60 the dock was extended to 357’; the final extension occurred in 1947- 48, when the dock became 415’ in overall length, the size that it is today.

It took the original eight pumps four to five hours to empty the tremendous basin. Other operations were to some extent governed by Boston Harbor’s 10-foot tide. After the dock was enlarged the water level did not rise as rapidly as the tide during filling, so it took two high tides to do the job. 

For emptying and filling, the caisson (door) was filled with water and sunk in place between grooves in the dock walls. For docking and undocking, the caisson was emptied and floated out of the way on the high tide. It took 24 men working hand pumps for an hour and a half to expel the water from the caisson.

The original 1833 wooden caisson was replaced with a riveted steel gate that was launched October 31, 1901, and placed in service in 1902. Dry Dock #1 had its third caisson installed on April 1, 2015. 

The new caisson, built by Steel America in Norfolk, VA, weighs 296 tons.

It was launched from its barge into Boston Harbor by “Chesapeake 1000”, the largest East Coast floating crane that is capable of lifting 1000 tons

Dry Dock 1

One of the oldest structures in the Charlestown Navy Yard, with panoramic views of Boston Harbor.

Built for the first Commandant of the Navy Yard and his family, the house was completed in 1805 and served as a private home and entertainment venue for some of the highest ranking naval officers of the time. 

Counted among its distinguished guests are two U.S. presidents, James Monroe and Andrew Johnson, domestic and foreign naval officers and numerous other dignitaries from around the world.

The historic mansion's design reflects the classical influence of the early 19th-century's Federal period. The house was modified over the years to adapt to harsh New England winters.

In 1825, windows on the weather-bearing side were reduced in number and central steam heat was installed in 1835. 

Nearly 100 years later, the brick exterior, which had been painted white for protection against water damage, was restored to its natural state.

Other renovations have included adding a sun porch on the harbor side, built as part of a Works Progress Administration Project completed during the Depression.

Since the Charlestown Navy Yard was decommissioned in 1974, the Commandant's House has been preserved by the National Park Service as part of Boston National Historical Park. 

Today the house is used in keeping with its historic role as a meeting space.

Commandant's House

Established in 1800, Charlestown Navy Yard played an important role in the birth, growth and continued effectiveness of the U.S. Navy. 

The men and women employed at the Charlestown Navy Yard built more than 200 warships, maintained and repaired thousands of others, and proved their worth in each of the Nation's wars throughout its 174-year history. 

The Yard, consisting of industrial buildings, cranes, dry docks, slips, piers, residences and military buildings, is situated along the southeastern Charlestown waterfront in Boston's inner harbor.

Some of the historically significant structures located within the boundaries of Charlestown Navy Yard are Dry Dock 1, which was built in 1827 as one of the first two dry docks in the country; the ropewalk designed by Alexander Parris, which began operation in 1838; and the chain forge, built in 1904, where die-lock chain was invented and perfected for production in 1926.

Built between 1827 and 1833 the Charlestown Naval Dry Dock, Boston, Massachusetts and the Gosport Naval Dry Dock, Norfolk, Virginia are two of the earliest major structures of their type in the United States.

Despite the lack of scientific knowledge of hydraulics and geotechnology at the time, Loammi Baldwin II and his associated engineers successfully completed these projects which served the U.S. Navy for well over a century.

Throughout its history the Charlestown Navy Yard has been referred to by a number of different names. Navy tradition dictates that a shore station or yard was named after the largest city in the geographical area—in this case the U.S. Navy Yard, Boston. However, most yards were known by multiple names, the alternative, like Charlestown, usually being the name of the actual place where the yard was located. 

Throughout the 19th century, "navy yard at Boston" and "navy yard at Charlestown" frequently appeared in both correspondence and Congressional legislation, often interchangeably. It does not appear that there was ever a formal order naming the facility until the November 1945 reorganization of naval shore establishments, when it became the Boston Naval Shipyard.

The shipyard closed in 1974, and that same year Congress passed the Boston National Historical Park Act of 1974.

The act formalized Charlestown Navy Yard as the legal name of the property, and thirty acres of the original 129.5-acre navy yard were designated as part of the park. 

The remainder of the property was turned over to the City of Boston for redevelopment. The park contains 20 buildings, Dry Dock 1, three piers, and an assemblage of artifacts including a large collection of navy documents relating to the history of the facility.

The USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young are also displayed, representing the types of vessels built in this shipyard. 

Cover photo credit sofiaclc via Instagram. 

Charlestown Ship Yard

Europe was at war. A young United States was caught up in the crossfire.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the United States was a developing nation. Although twenty years had passed since the end of the American Revolution, the country had not yet achieved economic independence.

The French Empire, ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, controlled most of mainland Europe. Great Britain was among the few nations free from French domination. With trade suspended between the warring countries, neutral America had a commercial advantage: her merchants could supply both sides.

Closely entwined with the questions about the rights of neutrals to trade with European belligerents, the British practice of impressing American merchant sailors stands as one of the central grievances leading up to the War of 1812. 

The British practice of manning naval ships with "pressed" men, who were forcibly placed into service, was a common one in English history. Under British law, the navy had the right, during time of war, to sweep through the streets of Great Britain, arresting men and placing them in the Royal Navy.

By 1811, the British Royal Navy had impressed at least 6,000 mariners who claimed to be citizens of the United States.

In addition to impressments, Americans were dismayed by British agitation of the native population on the western frontier. Congress declared war on June 18, 1812.

USS Constitution fought and won three major engagements during the war. Her most famous battle was against HMS Guerriere. 

Two months after the declaration of war, Constitution, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, sailed from Boston to harass British shipping near Halifax. On August 19, 1812, Constitution approached Guerriere, holding her fire until she was along side, then fired a devastating broadside. 

After a few short minutes, Guerriere’s masts were shot away and plunged into the sea. 

It was during this battle, a sailor saw a British shot bounce off Constitution‘s hull and cried, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!” Thus her famous nickname ("Old Ironsides") was born.

But the war wasn't over. The White House and Capitol were burned to the ground during the invasion of Washington, D.C. 

First Lady Dolley Madison garnered fame for saving a portrait of George Washington before flames engulfed the president’s home.

In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” while watching the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

The treaty of Ghent signed on December 24, 1814 returned all territorial conquests made by the two sides. It did not address the issue of impressment, one of the major causes of the war. However with the downfall of Napoleon and peace in Europe, the Royal Navy no longer needed so many sailors. 

Despite the inconclusive ending, later-day Americans often regarded the post war period as prosperous. With the advent of peace came decades of stability, improved diplomatic relations and economic growth, the so-called “Era of Good Feelings.” 

A sense of self-confidence pervaded the nation, and it inspired the western expansionism that characterized the rest of the nineteenth century.

The War of 1812 allowed the new nation to break free of its colonial past, and told the nations of Europe that a new player had emerged on the world stage. As British diplomat Augustus J. Foster acknowledged at war’s end, “The Americans . . . have brought us to speak of them with respect.”

Cover photo credit drewjenkins02 via Instagram. 

The War of 1812

A Boston landmark, the museum takes kids and adults on a 200-year voyage.

The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of “Old Ironsides” and the people associated with her. We seek to create a positive, memorable experience for both children and adults by inspiring within them a love for the freedom that Constitution symbolizes. We will share Constitution’s contributions with a global audience, and we will strive to be the best museum possible based on scholarship and innovative ways of sharing Constitution’s stories.

The Museum was incorporated in 1972 as a private, non-profit and non-government funded interpretive complement to USS Constitution, an active-duty US Navy vessel and the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. This allowed the Navy to clear Constitution’s decks of display cases so that visitors could see the Ship as a sailing vessel, rather than as a floating museum, and for artifacts to be cared for in proper environmental conditions.

On April 8, 1976, naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison cut the ribbon to open the Museum to the public in its present facility in Charlestown Navy Yard’s Building 22 (the old pump house for Dry Dock #1), located just across the pier from “Old Ironsides.” Working with the National Park Service, the Museum expanded into two adjacent buildings and built a connecting corridor in the mid-1990s. In 2001, the Museum completed renovations on a new state-of-the-art collections storage facility and research library. 

Learn how a wooden hull helped earn the nickname Old Ironsides.

Discover how “Old Ironsides” has remained undefeated since being launched in 1797.

Find out how school children contributed pennies to help save “Old Ironsides.”

See how sailors ate a diet of hardtack and grog, and climbed masts 200 feet in the air.

Be part of the legacy of USS Constitution and sail into a year of excitement and discovery, all the while knowing that you are helping to inspire the future while preserving the past. Members receive subscriptions to museum publications, a 10% discount at the museum store and special discounts for museum events.

Cover photo credit: @usscm via Instagram. 

Phoenix

Austin

Tucson inspires a sense of freedom among all who visit. Freedom of thought and expression. Freedom to discover and explore. And the freedom to be yourself.

USS Constitution Museum and Naval Yard

The USS Constitution

The USS Constitution

The USS Cassin Young

The USS Cassin Young

Dry Dock 1

Dry Dock 1

Commandant's House

Commandant's House

Charlestown Ship Yard

Charlestown Ship Yard

The War of 1812

The War of 1812

USS Constitution Museum

USS Constitution Museum

Related Experiences

Download our app to experience the content you're previewing right now.

Watch, Listen, and Learn

Stories happen here

Find your inspiration