The ship is named after American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819), the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie (1813).

The SSV Oliver Hazard Perry measures 207 feet (63 m), and is a three-masted square-rigged vessel, making it the largest privately owned tall ship and largest civilian sail training vessel in the United States.

It teaches students STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) lessons while applying it to the practical activities they learn how to do on the ship.

[2][3] The ship, when acquired by the Rhode Island trust for $325,000, was a 138 feet (42 m) steel hull, built by an organization in Ontario.

[6] After repairs were made, the ship set sail again, fulfilling its mission as an educational vessel, hosting students from high schools, the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC), and the Naval Academy Prep School.