By AARON PARSEGHIAN
Tourists hoping to step aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in Charlestown, Massachusetts were turned away Wednesday as the federal government shutdown halted scheduled tours of the nation’s oldest floating warship.
Visitors from across the country arrived at the Charlestown Navy Yard only to find the ship closed off. The disappointment was clear as families who planned to tour Old Ironsides were told the vessel would remain off-limits until the shutdown ends.
“It’d be great to be able to be on the ship and actually see it in real life,” said Lonnie Gohr, who traveled from Kansas. “We’re disappointed. This was one of our main highlights and it was taken out from under us.”
Sites in Boston closed
The U.S.S. Constitution is one of several Boston sites impacted. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Bunker Hill Monument are also closed to visitors due to the funding stalemate in Washington.
“It’s one of the last parts on the Freedom Trail I was going to have an opportunity to visit,” said a visit from Florida. “And people in Washington did us a bad job.”
U.S.S. Constitution Museum remains open
While the historic ship itself is closed, the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, which is operated by a private foundation, remains open to the public. Tourists can still explore exhibits about the warship’s history, offering at least some consolation.
“We just went through the museum, which was great, fantastic, highly suggested,” said Jim Clark, who is visiting from Kentucky. “There’s always bickering in Washington, so this is just one of those side impacts that we have to discount with. We’ll look at the leaves a little bit later and probably forget about it.”
Tours of the Freedom Trail, which are run by a separate foundation, will also continue while federal sites remain shuttered.
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