U.S.S. Constitution

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world still afloat, and “America’s Ship of State.”  She was launched in Boston in 1797 as a 44-gun heavy frigate, one in a group of six ships that would form the backbone of the early US Navy.  She fought and won in the Quasi War with France (1798-1801) and the Barbary Wars (1801-1805), and in the War of 1812 she defeated four British warships, proving that the Royal Navy was not invincible.  When she fought the HMS Guerriere, an American sailor saw the British ship’s cannonballs bounce off the Constitution’s heavy oak hull and exclaimed, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!”  She has carried the nickname “Old Ironsides” ever since.  Still an actively commissioned ship in the US Navy, the Constitution has a captain, officers, and a complement of sailors who conduct free guided tours daily throughout the historic ship.  Dockside, the USS Constitution Museum displays artifacts and collections from the ship’s long life and significant role in American history.

• Visit one of the most decorated warships in United States' naval history
• See the dockside exhibits and history that surround the USS Constitution, the Quasi War with France, the Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812