City's historic ships share the spotlight during Maryland Fleet Week

BALTIMORE - The USS Constellation is a staple in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the last sail-only warship designed and built by the U.S. Navy.

"Just to be able to get on and walk around and feel like you're back in history, it's really fun," said Ben Steinberg as he walked around the deck with his family.

This week, the Constellation will be joined by some of its modern day comrades for the Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore.

"We're so excited to have the Navy coming up, Coast Guard, Army ships, we've got planes flying over," said Chris Rowsom, executive director of Historic Ships in Baltimore, "it's just going to be a great week."

Historic Ships in Baltimore also maintains the Lightship 116 Chesapeake, USS Torsk and USCG Cutter 37, all located around the harbor.

Returning as an in-person event for the first time since 2018, this maritime celebration lets you climb aboard ships old and new.

"People can not only get an idea of what the modern Navy is like but also what it was to serve aboard military ships in the past," explained Rowsom.

It's an event that puts historic ships in Baltimore in the limelight and celebrates one of the many things that makes this city great.

"We're really, really lucky that we can have an event like this, and have ships in all of these different places, really easy public access, and when we have ships in the Inner Harbor, too, the city just shines," said Rowsom.