USS Constellation, Museum ship in Baltimore Inner Harbor, US
The USS Constellation is a wooden warship docked at Pier 1 in Baltimore's harbor basin, preserved with its rigging, cannon, and original fittings from the mid-1800s. The vessel offers access to multiple decks where visitors can walk through cabins, the gun deck, and crew quarters.
The vessel launched in 1854 and served during the Civil War to block Confederate coasts and intercept merchant ships. After the war, it remained in service as a training ship until the early 20th century before being converted into a floating museum.
The ship is named after the 1797 frigate Constellation, broken up at Gosport in 1853; the 1854 vessel was long mistaken for that older ship. During her 1871–1893 training years she earned the nickname "Cradle of Admirals". Visitors today tour her as part of Historic Ships in Baltimore.
Access to the vessel is via a gangway that can sway slightly with waves, so visitors with mobility concerns should take care. The best times to visit are weekday mornings when fewer school groups are aboard.
The ship's nickname, "Cradle of Admirals", dates from its years as a training vessel for midshipmen from 1870 onward. In May 1861 it captured the slave ship Triton off Charleston, the Union Navy's first prize after Fort Sumter. Look for the dark oval plaque on the stern bearing the name.
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