The Massachusetts BB-2 was launched in June 1893 in Philadelphia, Pa.  On March 27th 1898 she was ordered to Hampton Roads, Va., to join the "Flying Squadron" for the blockade of Cuba.

On May 31th, in company with battleship Iowa (BB-4) and cruiser New Orleans, Massachusetts bombarded the forts at the entrance to Santiago de Cuba.  She exchanged fire with Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon, forcing the enemy ship to retire into the inner harbor of Santiago. 

The Massachusetts BB-2 remained on patrol off Santiago, intermittently bombarding Spanish fortifications, until July 3rd, when she stood out to coal at Guantanamo Bay. 

Missing the Battle of Santiago, the Massachusetts steamed back to her station on the 4th, arriving in time to help battleship Texas force cruiser Reina Mercedes to beach and surrender at midnight July 6th. Following duty in support of the American occupation of Puerto Rico, July to August, Massachusetts steamed for home.

During the next 7 years, Massachusetts BB-2 cruised the Atlantic coast and eastern Caribbean as a member of the North Atlantic Squadron.  Departing New York in January 1905, the battlewagon then steamed for the Caribbean on training maneuvers, operating there until she returned north to cruise off New England in May.  Putting into New York November 1905, she underwent inactivation overhaul and then decommissioned January 8th 1906.

Massachusetts was placed in reduced commission in May 1910 to serve as a summer practice ship for Naval Academy midshipmen. During the next 4 years she made three midshipman cruises—twice to Western Europe— before entering the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in September 1912.  In October, the warship returned to Philadelphia where she remained until decommissioning 23 May 1914.

Massachusetts BB-2 was recommissioned in June 1917 at Philadelphia.  Sailing in October, she arrived at the Naval Training Station, Newport, R.I., to embark Naval Reserve guncrews for gunnery training in Block Island Sound.  Continuing on this duty until May 1918, the old battleship then underwent repairs at Philadelphia Navy Yard.  Assigned to battle practice, "A" Division, Battleship force 1, Atlantic Fleet, June 1918 the veteran battlewagon steamed to Yorktown, Va., the same day, and for the remainder of World War I served as a heavy gun target practice ship in Chesapeake Bay and local Atlantic waters. 

Massachusetts was decommissioned for the final time on the May 31st, 1919.  She was loaned to the War Department as a target ship. Scuttled off Pensacola Bar, Fla., 6 January 1921, the hulk was bombarded by batteries from Fort Pickens for 4 years and then returned to the Navy 20 February 1925.  In November 1956, the ship was declared the property of the state of Florida. 

With her main turrets awash, the Massachusetts is now an underwater preserve.