Lightship Chesapeake is part of Historic Ships in Baltimore, a collection of museum ships in the city’s Inner Harbor. Before lighthouse construction and channel marking techniques advanced, lightships acted as lighthouses by assisting sailors to navigate to safe harbor. Take a self-guided tour of the museum ship to see how Lightship Chesapeake’s sailors lived and worked.
With ongoing support from volunteers, Lightship Chesapeake has been wonderfully restored. Stop at many fascinating areas, such as the crew’s mess and the staterooms. The lightship was designed to accommodate 10 seamen, five officers and one cook however, as crewmembers rotated for shore leave, the vessel was rarely at full capacity.
Long days sitting on station and extreme weather conditions meant lightship work was not easy. Discover the history of this fascinating vessel through onboard exhibits and at events hosted via Historic Ships in Baltimore. Learn how Lightship Chesapeake was converted into a military warship during World War II, when it served as a patrol vessel near the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal.
At the time of its launch in 1930, Lightship Chesapeake was regarded as a marvel of engineering. The ship was equipped with mounted electric lamps, a foghorn and a fog bell to assist sailors. For stabilization during extreme storms, it was designed with two 5,000-pound (2,300-kilogram) mushroom anchors. Notice how Lightship Chesapeake has been painstakingly restored as you wander along the ship’s main deck.
Visit more nearby ships in the Historic Ships in Baltimore collection, including a United States Navy tench-class submarine and a United States Coast Guard cutter. USS Torsk, a submarine with a significant World War II history, is moored next to the lightship.
Find Lightship Chesapeake at Pier 3 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Purchase tickets at a booth on Pier 3 or from the Historic Ships in Baltimore Ship’s Store on Pier 1. Buy tickets for one, two or four historic ships of the Inner Harbor’s collection.
Spend an hour exploring Lightship Chesapeake between visiting other attractions along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, including the nearby National Aquarium.
