New London — The Coast Guard barque Eagle is hosting free public tours this weekend at City Pier in New London.

Tours are scheduled to be offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Public tours are open from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Coast Guard is offering tours from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for first responders and personnel from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense.

At 295-feet, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes, and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service.

Eagle was constructed in 1936 in Hamburg, Germany and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy. The United States took Eagle as a war reparation following World War II.

With more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, Eagle has served as a floating classroom to future Coast Guard officers since 1946. A permanent crew of eight officers and 50 enlisted personnel maintain the ship and train up to 150 cadets at a time in the skills of navigation, damage control, engineering and deck seamanship.

For the most up-to-date information about Eagle follow the United States Coast Guard barque Eagle Facebook page.