Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center, Boston National Historical Park

---

See the Visitor Centers web page for an interactive location map.

---

GENERAL INFORMATION

The main draw to the Charlestown Navy Yard is the USS Constitution, the oldest active-duty ship in the United States Navy. The ship is open to the public, and the entrance is through the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center. Because of this, everyone must pass through security, complete with metal detectors and baggage search. Those 18 and older need an official photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.). Younger visitors must be accompanied by someone 18 or older. Even if the ship is not in Boston or is being repaired, you still have to go through security to enter the building.

The Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center—and the shipyard for that matter—is one of the few attractions within Boston National Historical Park that is actually owned and operated by the National Park Service.

OPERATING HOURS

• May to mid-October: Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 AM to 6 PM
• Rest of the year: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM
• Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

Keep in mind that times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Boston National Historical Park.

AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a park brochure
• Charlestown Navy Yard Museum
• Film about the Charlestown Navy Yard

Information desk at the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center, Boston National Historical Park

PARK FILM

A 10-minute film on the history of the Charlestown Navy Yard features a lot of archival footage, including that of rope making and the forging of die-lock chain, two products that became synonymous with the shipyard. There is also footage that shows how a dry dock works. The film contains no objectionable material, so it is suitable for all ages.

CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD MUSEUM

Serving the Naval Fleet exhibit at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

The National Park Service has put together an excellent museum about the Charlestown Navy Yard called Serving the Naval Fleet. Because I have an interest in technology, I enjoyed it as much as the well-funded USS Constitution Museum next door. There is a lot of actual equipment and other artifacts on display, including a detailed exhibit on the rope-making process. The shipyard was the main manufacturer of rope for the Navy from 1837 all the way up to 1971.

Rope and Ropewalk exhibit at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

Another product that was invented at the Charlestown Navy Yard is die-lock anchor chain. This chain is the strongest in the world and could be produced much faster than hand-forged or cast-iron chain. The once labor-intensive process was transformed into an industrial scale factory production line by the 1930s. There is an exhibit in the museum that explains the process and has actual chain on display.

Die-lock chain exhibit at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

Information on the forging of chain at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

Other topics include the modernization of the shipyard as naval technology improved, the shipyard during World War I and II, and the demographic changes in the workers over the years.

Exhibit on the modern era of the Charlestown Navy Yard at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

Worker safety equipment on display at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

All of the products on display were made at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The information panels indicate which buildings they were made at, and all of these buildings still stand today. Most are outside of the National Park Service property and are now commercial buildings and $500,000+ condominiums, but you can still take a walk outside and see the exteriors of these buildings.

Binnacles, a ship’s exterior running lights, from the USS Wabash (1856) at the Charlestown Navy Yard Museum inside the visitor center, Boston National Historical Park

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

The Charlestown Navy Yard Museum itself is not that big. Most people will only browse through the exhibits on their way to see the USS Constitution. For those who want to give the museum a thorough going-over by reading all of the information and watching the 10-minute film, plan to spend 30-45 minutes.

Unfortunately, time spent at the museum may only be a small part of your visit. The main problem is going through security. While that doesn’t sound like a bid deal—everyone has been through security—during the height of the tourist season when the USS Constitution is open, the line to get in the Visitor Center can be extremely long, and you could be waiting up to an hour or more due to the backlog. I can’t tell you how many times I walked by and decided to “come back later when the line dies down” only to find it just as long. It’s one thing to stand in the line when your goal is to see the ship—gotta do what you gotta do—but standing in line just to see the museum, regardless of your interest in the shipyard, is a little too much. While I enjoyed the museum, if that’s all I wanted to see, I wouldn’t even attempt to enter the Visitor Center unless there were only a few people in line. Also, I can’t stress enough the importance of arriving early in the morning if you want to beat the crowd.

Back to the Top