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 name Constellation honors the original frigate from 1797, which served as a symbol of American naval power during the Civil War era. Onboard, visitors can see how the crew lived and worked in tight quarters, with wooden planks and rigging providing a close view of life at sea.
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.
Visitors can participate in hands-on demonstrations where crew members reenact loading and firing the broadside guns, with the thunder of cannon fire echoing across the harbor. Turning the heavy capstan offers a direct sense of how physically demanding the work of sailors was.
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