One of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy
General Information
Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center: Wednesday–Sunday, 10am to 4pm (extended to 5pm mid‑May through September)
Closed major holidays
How to Get There
From Downtown Boston (North End and Waterfront hotels): Cross the Charlestown Bridge via MA‑28, turn right onto 1st Avenue, and follow signs to the Charlestown Navy Yard and USS Constitution along the waterfront.
Overview
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of the new U.S. Department of the Navy in 1798. After 175 years of military service, it was decommissioned as a naval installation on 1 July 1974.
The 30-acre (12 ha) property is administered by the National Park Service, becoming part of Boston National Historical Park. Enough of the yard remains in operation to support the moored USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") of 1797, built as one of the original six heavy frigates for the revived American navy, and the oldest warship still commissioned in the United States Navy. USS Cassin Young (DD-793), a 1943 World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer serving as a museum ship, is also berthed here. The museum area includes a dock which is a stop on the MBTA Boat water transport system. Among local people in the area and the National Park Service, it is still known as the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The South Boston Naval Annex was located along the waterfront in South Boston, an annex of the Navy Yard from 1920 to 1974. Other annexes of the Navy Yard during World War II were the Chelsea Naval Annex (formerly the Green Shipyard, now the Fitzgerald Shipyard), East Boston Naval Annex, and Boston Naval Yard Fuel Depot Annex.
The Boston Navy Yard hosts many attractions, including Charlestown Naval Shipyard Park. The fully commissioned USS Constitution and the museum ship USS Cassin Young (DD-793) are tied up at Pier 1 and open to the public. The Navy Yard also hosts the USS Constitution Museum. Dry Dock No. 1 is still used for ship maintenance for Constitution and Cassin Young.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Boston Navy Yard", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
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