Guide to the USS Constellation in Baltimore

The USS Constellation in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a fantastic living history museum and one of four ships in the Historic Ships in Baltimore museum series. This is a great museum to visit with kids. Check out this guide for what to expect!

History of the USS Constellation

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The USS Constellation is a Civil War era sloop-of-war ship, the last sail-only warship designed by the U.S. Navy.

The materials used to build the USS Constellation came from a frigate of the same name that was in operation from 1797-1853. The frigate USS Constellation served primarily as an anti-piracy ship, and also served during the War of 1812.

In 1854, 1 year after being decommissioned as a frigate, the USS Constellation sloop-of-war was constructed using the discarded materials from the frigate. The sloop-of-war was commissioned to protect American life in Spain during a Spanish Revolution, and then gained notoriety as an anti-slavery ship. Meaning, it would seek out slave ships, imprison the slavers and free the slaves.

The USS Constellation also served vital roles in the Civil War, assisted with Irish famine, and was decommissioned in the late 1800’s.

By the 1960’s the USS Constellation had moved to its current location in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, where is has been restored. It is considered a national historic landmark and is one of a few historic ships you can visit that are on the national register of historic places.

Highlights of a USS Constellation Tour

During your tour, you can see the top deck and descend down multiple decks to the bowels of the ship. At each level, you can see not only what the ship looked like, but you can get an inside look at what life aboard a Civil-War era warship would have been like.

Upper Deck

The tour is impressive even before you walk aboard the ship! You can’t help but be impressed with the mast, sails (if they are out), the cannons, and just how massive this ship is.

Once you walk aboard, the upper deck is full of fun features. Kids will love ringing the bell.

And you can see what it was like to steer the ship by turning the wooden helm steering wheel.

At various times of the day, the re-enactors will have special ceremonies. You can see the raising of the American flag, as well as the lowering of the flag at the end of the day.

There are also live firings demonstrations of the cannon. Don’t worry, there are no cannon balls being fired into the Inner Harbor.

The view from the upper deck is fantastic too. You can get great shots of the National Aquarium, Inner Harbor promenade, World Trade Center tower, and more.

Lower Decks

Your tour doesn’t stop with the upper deck though! Carefully climb down the stairs to tour all four decks of the USS Constellation. Each deck is open and shows how various shipmates would have lived and worked while at sea.

Clearly the officer quarters are impressive. But even the Captain of the ship has a small berth. Inside the officer quarters you can see how the size of the room decreases with the the descending rank of the officers.

Throughout the decks that are above the water surface, you can get a good look at how the sloop-of-war would have utilized it’s fire power. The decks are clean now, but you can almost taste the gunpowder and sweat that likely stunk up the ship when it was chasing pirates or slave traders.

How Civil-War Era Sailors Lived and Worked

Some of the more interesting areas of the ship are the medical bay, supply office (if that’s what they call it), and the kitchen area. The medical bay in particular gives a pretty detailed description of some of the surgeries routinely performed. You can see the actual table where amputations and other surgeries were done.. without anesthetic. Yikes!

The kitchen area shows not only how the food was made, but also what types of food the sailors ate, and how they ate it.

One of the more fun and interesting areas of the below deck experience is the general sailor berthing quarters. Well, that’s not completely accurate because it’s likely sailors were berthed (slept) literally all over the ship.

However, you can see how most sailors on board the USS Constellation would have slept. And your kids can even hop in a bunk and try it out for themselves!

The Bottom of the Ship

The lowest deck you can actually see the bottom of the ship, and see the types of things that were stored in the belly of the ship. There are informational placards all throughout the ship to explain what you see and why things operated the way they did on the USS Constellation.

FAQ/Know Before You Go

Where is the USS Constellation located?

The USS Constellation is located at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, just a short walk down from the Maryland Science Center.
Google Map Directions here.

Where do you park for the USS Constellation?

There are numerous parking garages in the Inner Harbor area. The most convenient one is probably Charles Light Parking Garage.

When does the USS Constellation offer tours?

The Spring and Summer hours the USS Constellation are 10am-5pm every day. In the off season (January-March) its open 10am-430pm Thursday-Monday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

What is the cost of the admission for the USS Constellation?

Cost of admission: Adult $19.95; Teen/Student/Senior/Military $17.95; Youth (6-14) $7.95; Child (0-5) FREE

Is the USS Constellation stroller friendly or accessible?

The upper deck probably is fairly stroller friendly and accessible. However, the lower decks are not. Also, I would not recommend the USS Constellation visit for kids who can’t walk or climb stairs safely.

Are there restrooms at the USS Constellation?

There are no restrooms aboard, but the Baltimore Visitor Center is right across the boardwalk from the USS Constellation.

Make a Day of it/Day Trip Ideas

If you are visiting the USS Constellation with kids, these are our top recommendations for a day trip!

The Maryland Science Center is the BEST activity to pair with a USS Constellation visit.
Next to the Maryland Science Center is a fantastic park and playground- Rash Field.
The American Visionary Art Museum is another great idea. It’s quirky and fun and totally Baltimore!
Where to eat: There are tons of great kid-friendly restaurants in the area of the USS Constellation. Try Blue Moon Too for Captain Crunch French Toast, Mother’s Federal Hill Grille, and Iron Rooster Locust Point.
If you want something sweet, try Bmore Licks or Insomnia Cookies.

Guide to the USS Constellation in Baltimore

History of the USS Constellation