If you're a Stouffville optometrist on a conference trip to Baltimore, you may be wondering what there is to do in the city when you're between lectures and dinner events. Baltimore has plenty of things to do, including shopping, shows, and museums, but one of the more unique landmarks you can visit is the USS Constellation. The USS Constellation is a historic ship that has since been retired and incorporated into the Historic Ships Museum on Baltimore's waterfront. Here's some more information about the USS Constellation.

If you're familiar in passing with US Naval history, you know that there are two retired ships that go by the name of USS Constellation - a sloop of war dating back to the 1850s and a more modern aircraft carrier that was recently decommissioned. The USS Constellation in Baltimore's harbor is the old wooden sloop, which will be of great interest to a London home builder who is curious about the carpentry and construction methods of the Civil War era as well as to amateur historians and re-enactors.

The USS Constellation was built at the Gosport Naval Yard in Norfolk, Virginia from the materials of the day, which include heavy timers, coarse rope rigging, and thick canvas sailcloth. It has the distinction of being the last sail powered warship produced. Afterwards ships began to be fitted with steam, coal, or diesel engines such as the ones that today power vacuum trucks. The ship had only a single gun deck armed with sixteen 8 inch guns and four 32 pounders along with several long guns and rifles.

The USS Constellation's first captain, Charles H. Bell, led the sloop through many diplomatic missions in the Mediterranean Sea where the ship was stationed for three years. Afterward the Constellation was attached to the US Navy's African Squadron and had a hand in taking several slave ships. The history of these freed Africans likely crosses over with other Junction Triangle museums and slavery museums. Later duties included bringing famine relief to Ireland and training new sailors at the Naval Center in Rhode Island.

Initially decommissioned in 1933, the USS Constellation was recommissioned during World War II to serve as backup flagship for the Atlantic fleet. In 1955, over 100 years after being launched, the USS Constellation was finally decommissioned for good and turned over to Pier 1 of Baltimore's inner harbor, where it became a historical museum. Today you can take a break from your Toronto executive search and tour the ship, take part in demonstrations of its sailing rigs, or see a cannon fired. It is open year round during daylight hours, every day except holidays. The price of admission for adults is $10, with children under 5 and military personnel getting in free.