Google Maps Releases Virtual Tour of USS Constitution

You can now explore four decks of the USS Constitution Street View–style via Google Maps.

If you’re like us, you were bummed to hear that starting in March, the USS Constitution will be dry docked for three years to undergo repairs. Fortunately, Google has your back. Last fall, Google Maps teamed up with the U.S. Navy to photograph the vessel and create a virtual 360-degree tour of four decks of Old Ironsides.

Well, the dry dock isn’t even in effect yet, and Google Maps has made good. The site published the complete virtual tour online Tuesday, so now anyone can explore the Constitution from the comfort of their own home, or office, or anywhere with Internet access.

Of course, exploring the Constitution online does not offer the same realism as being there in real life. However, it’s an excellent substitute while the vessel is being worked on, not only for the thousands of tourists and locals who visit the historic ship annually, but also for people around the world who might otherwise never have the chance to see her.

“Adding interior imagery of the USS Constitution to Google Maps was the next step towards providing the most accurate, useful and comprehensive map of the world,” said Deanna Yick, Google Maps Street View program manager, in a press release. “We hope this encourages curious observers to visit this historic ship in person one day.”

The Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, joins other notable sites around the world—the Taj Mahal and the Louvre, just to name a few—in an exclusive club of “places you can now tour online thanks to Google.” Last year, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum partnered with Google as well. You can now browse the museum’s galleries via Google Art Project.

Take the USS Constitution virtual tour online now.