Historic ships in baltimore will fabricate and install a permanent exhibit in the newly constructed USS constellation education and heritage center in baltimore's inner harbor

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded $168,982 to Living Classrooms Foundation, Inc. under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) on October 1, 2025, for the fabrication and installation of a permanent exhibit within the newly constructed USS Constellation Education and Heritage Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The exhibit will serve as an interpretive introduction for visitors prior to boarding the historic USS Constellation vessel and will feature museum-grade conservation techniques, visually cohesive displays, and engaging audio-visual and textual narratives designed for diverse audiences.

This project represents the completion of a 15-year strategic modernization plan for museum facilities complementing the USS Constellation, a nationally significant historic vessel. The deliverables are designed to increase visitor engagement and time spent both in the exhibit and aboard the vessel while deepening visitor knowledge about the USS Constellation and the nineteenth-century U.S. Navy sailors and officers who served aboard. The project will conclude by September 30, 2026.

The proposed exhibit will provide a thorough interpretive background for visitors before boarding the USS constellation and will complete a 15-year strategic plan to modernize museum facilities that complement this historic and nationally significant vessel. The exhibit will feature museum-grade conservation techniques, visually consistent displays, and an engaging audio-visual and textual narrative designed for all ages. Expected outcomes include increased visitor engagement, time spent in the exhibit and on the vessel, depth of knowledge about the USS constellation and the nineteenth-century U.S. Navy sailors and officers who served on board.