USS Constitution Museum

06/01/2026

As Commander Tyrone G. Martin’s birthday approaches on June 5, we are taking this week to celebrate his remarkable life and enduring legacy.

Commander Martin’s connection to USS CONSTITUTION began as a boyhood fascination and grew into a lifetime of service, scholarship, and stewardship. As one of the Ship’s most influential modern commanders and a great friend and resource to the USS Constitution Museum, his work continues to shape how “Old Ironsides” is preserved, understood, and shared with the public.

Follow along this week as we highlight the stories, moments, and contributions that reflect his lasting impact.

Read the latest tribute by Museum public historian Carl Herzog: https://bit.ly/3RIdRP1

06/01/2026

Plan your visit to see the next Underway -- usscm.org/

05/29/2026

, we remember John F. Kennedy on his birthday. A decorated World War II Navy veteran, Kennedy’s first congressional seat represented the district that includes the USS Constitution Museum today.

During Kennedy’s presidency, the Oval Office reflected his connection to American naval history. Paintings from the USS CONSTITUTION and HMS GUERRIERE battle series, loaned from the United States Naval Academy Museum collection, were displayed near the mantle, where a model of USS CONSTITUTION stood at the center.

Kennedy also continued the tradition of using the Resolute desk, made from timbers from HMS Resolute. On the desk were bookends fitted with models of CONSTITUTION’s 24-pound long guns. In a 1962 Oval Office photograph, young Caroline Kennedy appears especially interested in one of them.

Today, we pay tribute to President Kennedy and the enduring naval legacy visible in these remarkable Oval Office moments.

Images courtesy the JFK Library Foundation

05/28/2026

Huzzah!

05/28/2026

We’re excited to support our friends at American Ancestors… we hope you join us for this event with author Eric Jay Dolin.

Join us for a voyage into the great Age of Sail as author Eric Jay Dolin, heralded an “expert literary steersman,” by The Washington Post, shares the tragic tale of the American whaleship Mentor and its brave crew, shipwrecked, then captive, in an unknown land. https://hubs.ly/Q04hx6C70

05/27/2026

Another Boston “first?” The tall ships celebration.

Meet Boston’s latest podcast episode of Boston Found is hosted by President & CEO Martha Sheridan, in conversation with Dusty Rhodes of Conventures, Inc. and our President & CEO Jeff Draeger.

Together, they look ahead to the tall ships celebration and America250, exploring how Boston Harbor continues to serve as a stage for history, civic pride, and connection. With USS Constitution at the center of the story, this conversation is a meaningful look at why Boston’s maritime legacy still resonates today.

Listen to the episode and look ahead with us to an extraordinary moment for Boston.

Tune in for the latest installment of the Boston Found podcast as we welcome Dusty Rhodes, President of Conventures, Inc., and Jeff Draeger, CEO of the USS Constitution Museum!

Sail Boston is coming! Tune in to learn about the Parade of Sail and the role of the USS Constitution as Boston's majestic maritime heritage will be on full display.

Listen now: https://bit.ly/3t6Ldv0

05/27/2026

Tomorrow, all eyes turn to Boston Harbor as USS CONSTITUTION gets underway.

The Ship is scheduled to cruise from the Charlestown Navy Yard to Castle Island, with viewing opportunities from points along the Harbor.

Visit the Charlestown Navy Yard to see the Ship return to the pier at approximately 12:30 to 1:00 PM, and make time to explore the USS Constitution Museum while you’re here.

05/26/2026

America’s Ship of State is more than a tall ship.

As the nation looks toward America250, USS CONSTITUTION will once again take center stage as a living symbol of the earliest ideals of the new republic: courage, resilience, independence, and service to something larger than oneself.

Over the next month, we’ll be sharing paintings from the USS Constitution Museum collection that capture “Old Ironsides” through the eyes of artists across generations. Each work offers a different interpretation of the Ship, its story, and its enduring place in the American imagination.

You can see these paintings in person at the Museum, and we hope you’ll enjoy following along as we share them one by one.

Plan your visit and experience America’s Ship of State at the USS Constitution Museum. 🇺🇸

05/23/2026

This Memorial Day weekend, we remember all those lost while serving aboard USS CONSTITUTION, and honor the sailors and Marines whose service is forever part of the ship’s story. ⚓

The video features artist Gordon Grant’s 1927 painting of CONSTITUTION, commissioned by the Secretary of the Navy to help raise funds for the restoration of “Old Ironsides.” Reproduced as a lithograph, it was purchased by Americans who wanted to honor the enduring legacy of CONSTITUTION and its crew. 🇺🇸

The Museum's story, "Consigned to a Seaman's Grave" shares more about the souls who perished while serving aboard America's Ship of State: https://bit.ly/491AXUG

Credit: USS Constitution Museum Collection. Dr. and Mrs. Louis Arthur Norton Gift. [2182.1]