Is There a Fleet Week in Philadelphia?

There is no annual fleet week in Philadelphia — but the city is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. Here’s the naval history, where to board historic warships year-round, and the nearest tall-ship and fleet events.

If you are searching for a fleet week in Philadelphia, here is the straight answer: the city does not host a recurring, ship-touring fleet week on the model of San Francisco, New York, or San Diego. No annual Navy fleet visit brings gray-hull ships to the Delaware River waterfront for public tours.

That is not for lack of naval heritage — quite the opposite. Philadelphia is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, both founded here in 1775, and in 2026 it is the epicenter of the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebrations. What the city offers is a year-round naval-history experience rather than a once-a-year fleet week: you can board a cruiser that fought at Manila Bay and a World War II submarine any day of the year at Penn’s Landing.

This guide lays out that history, the warships you can visit any time, and where to go for the nearest active fleet events — the SAIL250 tall-ship flotilla in New York over the Fourth of July and SAIL250 Maryland in Baltimore in late June. NavyWeek.org is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy or any event organizer.

Written by

T Madden Alford — U.S. Naval Academy '02 · U.S. Navy Reserve Captain (O-6) · Former submarine officer, USS Key West

Reviewed by

Erik Rivera — U.S. Naval Academy '04 · Former U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer

Last reviewed: June 11, 2026 · Sources checked: June 11, 2026

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

Philadelphia is where the United States Navy began. On October 13, 1775 — now celebrated as the Navy’s birthday — the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, authorized the first armed vessels of what became the Continental Navy. Less than a month later, on November 10, 1775, it established the Continental Marines, traditionally tied to Tun Tavern in the city. Both services count Philadelphia as their birthplace.

The Philadelphia Navy Yard, established in the 18th century and relocated to League Island in the 1870s, built and maintained warships for generations and was one of the Navy’s most important shipyards through World War II. Though the yard closed as an active base in the 1990s and has been redeveloped, a reserve basin of mothballed ships and the Navy’s ties to the city endure.

Today the best place to experience that history is the Independence Seaport Museum at Penn’s Landing, on the Delaware River. It stewards the cruiser USS Olympia — Admiral George Dewey’s flagship at the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay and the oldest steel warship still afloat in the world — and the World War II submarine USS Becuna. Both are open for public touring year-round, no fleet week required.

In 2026, Philadelphia stands at the center of America’s 250th-anniversary commemorations as the city where independence was declared in 1776. Those celebrations are civic and historical rather than a Navy fleet week, so for visiting tall ships and active warships the closest events are the SAIL250 flotilla’s stops in New York and Baltimore.

PAST YEARS

SOURCES

• Independence Seaport Museum — USS Olympia & USS Becuna — Independence Seaport Museum
• USS Olympia (C-6) — history — Naval History and Heritage Command
• Birth of the U.S. Navy, October 13, 1775 — Naval History and Heritage Command

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