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First tested in action during the War of 1812, the USS Constitution is the world’s oldest warship still afloat. A tugboat helps her perform an annual turnaround cruise on July 4th.

Ten minutes’ walk from the yard is this 220-ft (67-m) granite obelisk, which has towered over Charlestown since 1842. It commemorates the first major battle of the American Revolution (see Battle of Bunker Hill (1776)).

Begin your stroll through the Yard at the National Park Service-operated Visitors’ Center, where you can pick up literature about the site’s attractions and purchase tickets for the “Whites of Their Eyes” show.

This multimedia show places viewers in the thick of the Battle of Bunker Hill. More than 1,000 slides and seven sound channels bring history to heart-pumping life.

With enough activities to keep kids entertained and plenty of nautical trivia to satisfy a naval historian, this museum brings USS Constitution’s 200 years to life. This watercolor (left) on ivory is of 19th-century naval hero Commodore William Bainbridge.

This quarter-mile-long (0.5 km) building (1837) houses steam-powered machinery that produced rope rigging for the nation’s warships.

To facilitate hull repairs on the navy’s ships, Dry Dock #1 was opened in 1833. The granite dock was drained by massive steam-powered pumps. USS Constitution was the first ship to be given an overhaul here.

The oldest building in the yard (1805) housed the commandants of the First Naval District. With its sweeping harbor views and wraparound porch, this elegant mansion was ideal for entertaining dignitaries from all over the world.

This octagonal brick building was designed in the Georgian-revival style popular in the northeast in the mid-19th-century. The house served as an administration hub, where the Yard’s clerical work was carried out.

Never defeated, despite withstanding multiple kamikaze bomber-attacks in the Pacific, this World War II era destroyer could be considered USS Constitution’s 20th-century successor.