USS Constitution reopens after COVID hiatus

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The Associated Press

The USS Constitution heads to Castle Island in South Boston Wednesday, July 4, 2018, to fire guns in salute and to receive a salute from three military canon there. (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via AP)

The USS Constitution, and the USS Constitution Museum in Boston reopened to the public Friday after being closed for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement.

Guests on board the ship, known as “Old Ironsides,” as well as in the museum will be required to wear face coverings. Guest capacity will be limited and the museum will require timed tickets.

Chief petty officer selects come together for Chief Heritage weeks aboard the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, USS Constitution, on Aug. 23, 2019, in Boston.
Chief petty officer selects come together for Chief Heritage weeks aboard the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, USS Constitution, on Aug. 23, 2019, in Boston. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Casey Scoular/Navy)

Both the ship and the museum will undergo more frequent cleanings.

The Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 until 1855. The ship was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 enemy vessels.

It earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812, when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off its wooden hull.

The museum collects, preserves, and interprets the stories of the ship and its crew.

USS Constitution is tugged through Boston Harbor to Fort Independence on Castle Island during ‘Old Ironsides’ underway commemorating Independence Day on July 4, 2018. (MC3 Casey Scoular/Navy)

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