Tours and Tickets to Experience Charlestown Navy Yard

There are plenty of ways to experience Charlestown Navy Yard. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Boston Harbor Sunset Cruise

• Boston Historic Pubs with Food and Drink, Ferry, and Walking Tour

• Boston Holiday Cocoa Cruise

• Boston Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour with 13 Stops

• Best of Boston Small Group Tour: I know Secrets Others Don't!

There’s no charge to visit Charlestown Navy Yard, which is free and open to the public. However, to visit this historic navy facility as part of a guided tour, either by land or by water, expect to pay around US$50 for either a sunset cruise or hop-on hop-off trolley tour.

Charlestown Navy Yard opened way back in 1800, and it’s still known as one of the oldest navy yards of the US Navy (although naval operations were suspended in 1974). Today, it’s part of the Boston National Historical Park. The USS Constitution, a late 18th-century naval warship, is docked here.

Aim for May through October, although be prepared for plenty of hot, humid days (and big crowds) during the summer months. June and September or October tend to be solid options, especially if you plan on doing a lot of outdoor sightseeing. Check the Charles Navy Yard calendar for year-round events.

Aim for the morning or late afternoon and early evening, especially in summer. That’s when you’ll have the fewest crowds and the softest lighting conditions for photography. The USS Constitution fires its ship cannon every day at 8am and again at sunset, so come then to hear a slice of history.

Yes, Charlestown Navy Yard, the Visitor Center, and the USS Constitution Museum are all accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. Unfortunately, since the USS Constitution itself and the USS Cassin Young (from the mid-20th century) are historic ships, neither is fully wheelchair accessible and both have limited accessibility.