The Charlestown Navy Yard is part of the National Park Service. We went to see the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship in the world (launched October 21, 1797). The U.S. Navy makes the self-guided tour pamphlet available for download.

Entering the Constitution tour area required passing through a metal detector. There are two lines. The self-guided tour is an expedited line; you can board the ship when ready. A guided tour only boards once every 30 minutes. Being impatient, we went through the self-guided tour line. Once on board, however, we discovered to some small amount of disappointment that access to the lower decks of the ship is only granted to guided tour members.

Next, we went to board the U.S.S. Cassin Young, a World War II destroyer, another alumni of the Charlestown Navy Yard. It is completely self-guided (although there are NPS personnel available to answer questions). As on the Constitution, only the main deck is available.

Finally, we walked back to City Hall Plaza to watch the World Cup Finals on a large outdoor screen. PepsiCo was on hand to give out free samples of Sierra Mist and various flavors of Mountain Dew. WCVB (the local ABC affiliate) was also on hand to provide live shots of the enthusiastic crowd at a few points during the live broadcast. The spectating crowd was unsurprisingly overwhelmingly pro-Italia, with many people sporting national flags, blue “toni” jerseys, and painted faces.