Group Visit Policies

Cancellation Policy

The Museum requires cancellations at least two weeks prior to the date of the visit. If the group cancels the visit with less than 24 hours notice, the full cost of the program will be charged to the credit card on file. Due to the preparations required, a Customized Experience at the Museum must be cancelled at least two weeks prior to the date of the visit or the full cost of the program will be charged to the credit card on file.

Bus Cancellations: For Massachusetts schools that receive bus funding from the Museum, the cancellation policy will follow that of the bus company. If a school cancels after the deadline, they will be responsible for the cost of the cancelled bus.

No-Show Groups: If a group does not show up for their visit or cancels their visit without notifying the Museum (a no-show group) the Museum reserves the right to charge the group for their visit and will not be responsible for the cost of transportation if a bus scholarship was awarded to the group.

Bus Drop-Off & Parking

The Charlestown Navy Yard has a designated turnaround area located on Constitution Road for bus drop-offs. Afterwards, the Boston Autoport, located at 100 Terminal Street in Charlestown, is available for short-term motor coach and school bus parking. The Boston Autoport is a privately owned and operated facility and is not affiliated with the USS Constitution Museum. For information on getting to the Museum by public transit or car, please visit the Directions & Parking page on the Museum’s website.

Check-In

Upon arrival, the Group Leader should proceed inside to the Museum’s admission desk to check-in for the program. During check-in, the group leader will be asked to confirm the number of adults and youth in the group and process any payment due.

If the group is running late or unable to make the program’s start time, call the Museum’s front desk at 617-426-1812 x 101. The Museum reserves the right to modify the program or change the visit to a self-guided reservation upon late arrival.

If there is inclement weather forecast on the day of your visit, call 617-426-1812 to find out if the Museum is open. If the Museum is closed, an outgoing message will play with an announcement, and we will follow up to reschedule. If the visit cannot be rescheduled, the cost of the visit will be refunded. If the Museum is open, we will expect your group as scheduled. If you still choose not to visit, but notify us, a $25 cancellation fee will be charged to the credit card on file. If you do not notify us, the full cost of the program will be charged.

Payment

Full payment is due no later than the time of your visit. Cash, all major credit cards, and checks made payable to “USS Constitution Museum” are accepted and can be processed either before the visit or at the Museum’s admission desk during check-in.

Transportation Scholarships

Bus transportation scholarships are available for the 2024-25 school year for public schools in Boston and Massachusetts gateway cities. These groups are invited to complete a scholarship application to support their bus transportation to the Museum. Groups that receive bus funding are responsible for coordinating their bus reservation and providing the Museum with a pre-visit quote or confirmation from their bus company. The Museum will not book buses. Groups that have received transportation scholarships must submit a final invoice from their bus company in the form of a printable PDF within two weeks of the scheduled date of visit to guarantee transportation funding.

Guidelines in the Museum

For the safety of our visitors and our artifacts, we ask all of our visitors to respect the following guidelines:

• Be respectful!
• Visitors under the age of 13 should be accompanied by an adult
• No food, drink or smoking in the museum
• Personal items must be attended at all times.

Chaperones

Chaperones are expected to be actively involved in the education and management of their group. This may include reading directions, facilitating group activities, and enforcing the safety guidelines. If a chaperone encounters any problems or has a question, they should seek out a Museum Educator. If your group does not have the appropriate chaperone ratio, the Museum reserves the right to change the type of program your group receives.

Museum Store

All students entering into the Museum’s Gift Shop must be accompanied by a chaperone or a teacher. The chaperone/teacher is required to stay in the gift shop for the duration of the students’ visit to the shop. The Museum and Museum Gift Shop reserves the right to request additional chaperones to help assist with larger school groups (35+ students). To help with the flow of traffic in the shop, students are requested to have their form of payment out and ready before they reach the register.

Lunch

The Museum does not have any indoor space to eat lunch. There is plenty of green space to enjoy a picnic-style lunch outside in the Charlestown Navy Yard. In the case of inclement weather, the Museum has a seasonally tented courtyard that groups are allowed to use on a case by case and first come, first served basis. Groups utilizing this space are responsible for picking-up and disposing of any trash.

What Else to See?

Built as one of the original six naval shipyards in the country, the Charlestown Navy Yard is home to the USS Constitution Museum as well as a National Park Service Visitor Center and two historic ships: USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young (a World War II-era destroyer). Operating hours for each of these attractions vary seasonally and can be found on the Plan Your Visit page of our website. Please keep in mind that each site takes at least 30-45 minutes to explore.

For more detailed information specifically about USS Constitution and its operating hours, policies, and contacts, visit the official website.