USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
Charlestown Navy Yard Main Page
While the USS Constitution is the main draw at the Charlestown Navy Yard, there is a second ship that is open to the public, the USS Cassin Young. The ship is owned by the National Park Service, not the Navy, so you do not need to go through security to go on board as you do the USS Constitution. And don’t worry about the crowds. I’m just guessing, but it seems like for every ten people who visit the USS Constitution there is one who ventures over to the Cassin Young. Either people don’t know about it or just don’t care.
The USS Cassin Young is a Fletcher Class World War II-era destroyer that was in service from 1943 to 1960. During World War II she served in the Pacific, surviving damage from two Kamikaze attacks. After the war the Cassin Young patrolled the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The Cassin Young was not built at the Charlestown Navy Yard, but she was modernized with the latest sonar equipment and weapons in Charlestown in 1952.
Bow of the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
Once the Cassin Young opens around Memorial Day, visitors can come aboard anytime and explore the top deck and open rooms on that deck but cannot go to any part of the ship that involves climbing up or down a ladder. There is a walkway around the perimeter of the ship that takes you around the entire deck.
Radio room on the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
40mm anti-aircraft guns on the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
To visit below-deck areas such as the mess, officers’ quarters, engine room, and crew quarters, you must join a Ranger-guided tour. A free ticket is required, and these are given out a half hour before the tour begins on a first come, first served basis. There is a limit of twelve participants, and participants must be at least 42 inches tall. For a schedule, see the National Park Service’s official Things to Do web page for Boston National Historical Park (scroll down to get to the Guided Tours section). Tours were not being given on the day I visited, so I was only able to see the top deck.
Unlike the USS Constitution, the Cassin Young is not open year-round. Access to the ship is typically from 10 AM to 5 PM starting around Memorial Day and continuing through the end of October. The ship is closed the rest of the year. 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.
One of five 5″ guns (38 caliber) on the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
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Last updated on February 2, 2024
