Historic Ships in Baltimore

Historic Ships in Baltimore is a collection of warships moored in the Inner Harbor, including the USS Constellation (an 1854 sloop-of-war), the USS Torsk (a Second World War submarine), the USCGC Taney (a Coast Guard cutter and the last ship afloat that was present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941), and the Chesapeake lightship. A single ticket covers all vessels.

The Torsk and Taney are the most compelling — you can go below decks on both and get a visceral sense of what it was like to operate a submarine or a surface warship in the 1940s. The Constellation is more formally presented but the ship itself is extraordinary. Combined with the National Aquarium nearby, this makes for a full day on the waterfront.

things to do museum sight inner harbor
A story
The USS Constellation, moored in the Inner Harbor, is the last sail-only warship designed and built by the US Navy — completed in 1854 and now 170 years old. During the Civil War she was stationed in the Mediterranean to intercept Confederate commerce raiders and prevent them from reaching European ports. She never fought a battle but made herself useful anyway.