Tour Through Time on the USS Constellation
The USS Constellation is a unique and grand spotlight in the Baltimore Inner Harbor. With its giant masts reaching toward the sky and its long body stretching into the waters of Baltimore Inner Harbor, there's no wonder why this old warship is a popular site for children and adults. Now docked permanently on Baltimore's popular Harborplace, the USS Constellation is the only surviving ship from the Civil War and the last of the sail-powered warships built by the U.S. Navy.
The historic ship was first launched in 1854 as a sloop-of-war, though history argues whether this boat was reassembled with pieces from the original frigate built in 1797. The USS Constellation served important roles, including flagship of the US African Squadron from 1859-1861, which interrupted African slave trade ships and freeing enslaved Africans on board. It also carried famine relief supplies to Ireland in 1878 and served as a receiving ship for many years. It was also used for naval training, preparing nearly 60,000 for World War I. The ship was decommissioned in 1933 but recommissioned as a national symbol and as a flagship for two admirals during World War II.
In 1955, the ship was decommissioned permanently and eventually designated a National Historic Landmark. It was docked permanently in Baltimore Inner Harbor until it underwent extensive repairs and a $9 million restoration in 1996. Today, the ship sits majestically in the harbor, painted in rich black and green. Visitors start the journey through the museum on the pier, which displays artifacts from the ship's crew. An audioguide talks about daily life on board the ship. Visitors can then tour the ship alone or with a human guide, and most of the ship is open to the public. Uniformed crew on board will answer questions, and there's always a live firing of a Parrott rifle.
The ship has four decks and includes the spar deck for sailing operations, the gun deck which carries the ship's guns as well as the captain's cabin and the galley, the berth deck where crew lived and socialized, and the ship's hold. The ship is great fun for kids to explore and experience a little bit of sea life by participating in a gun drill and pulling on lines. It also piques the patriotism of retired Navy members and even those who remember when it sailed the seas.
The USS Constellation is a part of a group of historic ships in the Baltimore Inner Harbor, along with the USS Torsk submarine, the U.S. lightship Chesapeake and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Taney.
Posted by Rin-rin Yu
