If you've always wanted to tour or cruise on a tall ship, here's your chance! The Providence is docked in Old Town Alexandria, and the public can come aboard later this summer.

Historical tours and Potomac cruises aboard this lovely tall ship will be starting later this month. If you are in Old Town Alexandria, stop by and see her at the dock! Providence is located at the Old Town Marina, near Chart House. 

Once the season opens, 30-minute daily tours will be booked each day. Evening cruises will be 90 minutes long, and you will leave from the Old Town Marina at 6 p.m. Because of our fickle weather, cruise tickets will be available the week before the sail date. Special cruises for adults over 21 will include craft brew cruises on Friday nights, and pirate cruises (costumes and pirate-speak are highly encouraged!) will be on the occasional Saturday evening. What a great time to break out a corset and your eye patch!

This particular tall ship has quite a colorful background. As a faithful reproduction of the first ship in the Continental Navy, it has a special place in maritime history. When it opens for tours, you will even be able to meet John Paul Jones, the first commander, and hear all about his adventures at sea. You may have seen Providence in two of the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and she has gone through several ownership agreements over the years. Read all about the ship's past here.

For more information, visit the official website for the Providence. You can sign up for the newsletter to be one of the first to know when the tours and cruises start.

**All of the photos in this article are courtesy of the Tall Ship Providence Foundation Facebook page.

Will you be setting sail on the Providence? Have you been on other tall ships? Tell us about it in the comments!