Ships, planes and people have descended upon the city as part of Maryland Fleet Week and Baltimore Flyover, which officially kicked off this week and runs through Tuesday.

The free event celebrates Navy and other military service members and gives people a chance to tour modern and historic vessels. There are also flyovers and festivals around the city and in Baltimore County.

You can check out more than a dozen ships during Fleet Week, docked at the Inner Harbor, Fells Point and the North Locust Point Marine Terminal. A crew of Banner interns went out Thursday to explore some of the ships in the Inner Harbor.

Meet the fleet

Some vessels are visiting Baltimore for Fleet Week, while others are here permanently but offering free entry and special programs.

Mark Guarino, who has been out of the U.S. Navy for 33 years, drove two hours from Burlington, New Jersey, early Thursday to see the new Navy ships.

“I’m very impressed with how the ship looks. We did tour a number of times on my ship, and we always wanted our ship to look the best,” he said about the USS Marinette LCS 25, which was commissioned last year. “This is a lot wider and not as long as my ship. It has a very sleek design whereas mine was boxy-looking.”

The USS Marinette and the U.S. Naval Academy Yard Patrol training ship are docked at the Inner Harbor West Wall.

At the end of Pier 3, you can find the Catlett and Reynolds ships docked just behind the National Aquarium. Both are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and were instrumental in Baltimore’s recovery after the Key Bridge collapse.

The Catlett, one of the first on the scene of the collapse, displays some of the latest in radar technology. You can hear how the crew sprang into action to survey the Patapsco River and identify hazards. On the Reynolds, a debris ship, you can see the large crane and basket that were used to clear the riverbed.

There are also historic ships to explore, but note that accessibility can be limited on these, with some requiring a long steep ramp to gain entry and stairs and ramps throughout to enjoy the full experience.

The Constellation, a sloop-of-war and the Navy’s last-ever warship that operated only using sails, is docked at Pier 1.

The lower decks — the most original parts of the ship — are the star of the show. Descend the first staircase to find rows of cannons and the ship’s dining room. Once you reach the bottom level, where you can walk through the cramped room that was used for storage. Be prepared to crouch so you don’t hit your head on the ceiling.

You may want to pinch your nose, as well: A child wandering the bottom deck noted that it smelled like “rotten celery.”

Over at Pier 5, you can check out the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 37, formerly the USCGC Taney.

The vessel contributed to more than 50 years of service before being decommissioned in 1986. The Cutter 37 is the last remaining warship that saw action during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988.

Here’s the full list of ships and locations. You can also see schedules and a map on the Maryland Fleet Week app.

• USS Marinette LCS 25 - Inner Harbor West Wall
• US Naval Academy Yard Patrol training ship - Inner Harbor West Wall
• Constellation - Inner Harbor Pier 1
• Skipjack Sigsbee - Inner Harbor Pier 1
• Buyboat Mildred Belle - Inner Harbor Pier 1
• USS Torsk - Inner Harbor Pier 3
• Lightship 116 Chesapeake - Inner Harbor Pier 3
• US Army Corps of Engineers M/V Catlett - Inner Harbor Pier 3
• US Army Corps of Engineers M/V Reynolds - Inner Harbor Pier 3
• US Coast Guard Cutter 37 - Inner Harbor Pier 5
• US Coast Guard Cutter JAMES RANKIN - Fells Point Broadway Pier
• USS Fort Lauderdale LSD 28 - North Locust Point Marine Terminal
• USS Gonzalez DDG 66 - North Locust Point Marine Terminal

Flyover and festivals

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be a series of flyovers featuring modern and historic military and civilian aircraft. Flyovers will be centered over the Inner Harbor and will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. At the Light Street Pavilion in Harborplace, you’ll be able to listen to expert commentary and information about the flyovers as they happen.

There will also be three festival areas during Maryland Fleet Week that will include live music, military displays, hands-on activities for kids and food and drink.

Here are the locations and times:

• Baltimore’s Inner Harbor West Shore Park | Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Fells Point Town Square and Broadway Pier | Friday, 2-9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Martin State Airport | Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Baltimore Banner editor Carrie Mihalcik contributed to this story.