USS Cassin Young — Attraction in Boston

One of the ships you can explore at the Charlestown Navy Yard is the USS Cassin Young, a Fletcher class destroyer built in 1943. This ship saw much action in the during WWII being involved in attacks on Japanese strongholds and enduring two kamikaze attacks.

You can board the USS Cassin and take a self-guided tour of several topside rooms including the gallery, officers' rooms, captain's cabin and a few others. Opening hours are 10-4pm.

There was a staff person providing information on the vessel and brochures as you board the USS Cassin Young (free entry). The brochure is useful but you'll also find signs around the ship describing the gun mounts and various rooms you can poke into.

Overall, we quite enjoyed seeing the USS Cassin Young vessel. It is a well-preserved destroyer and a good learning opportunity for those who have not boarded and explored a military vessel before. It also makes a nice change from the majority of Freedom Trail attractions which date back to the earlier colonial and American...

The ship is in excellent shape. The dedicated crew that is taking care of the ship are doing a great job to keep this piece of history around for generations to come. My problem is that visitors only have access to the main deck and first level of the superstructure. A person would need a guide to go to the upper part of the superstructure, like the bridge. No access below the main deck means, no engine room tour. What a disappointment! Why do you need a guide to go to the bridge when it is all free? Very baffling as the ship has been on display since 1981. It's not like they didn't have time to prepare it yet. I suggest people visit the USS Salem in Quincy, MA. It's not as pretty as the Cassin Young, but the crew is working hard to get her to that point. A visitor gets access to basically 3/4 of the ship. Main deck to the bridge, and 4 levels down to the #3 engine room. Also, one each of the 8" and 5" gun turrets open to the public. Now that's worth 5...

One of the best presented monument ships I have visited, the volunteers who help maintain vessel's condition have done an excellent job. Without taking the free guided tour you are limited to the main deck which due to design limiting since much of the functions of the ship are above main deck and below. The tour was informative and covered much of the areas mentioned that showed most of the sleeping spaces, office spaces, gallery, and bridges (actual and lookout area) but not engineering spaces for no explanation (maybe not remodeled or made safe for tours) I like seeing how the ship was able to travel, provide power, and perform the function designed for. Maybe in the future add to the tour or make all areas available for both self and guided tours. Ship is best example of a ship-based museum I have visited to date with the thanks going to the volunteers pride in...