Waiting to get their last chance to catch a glimpse of the USS John F. Kennedy, hundreds of thousands of visitors stood in line for hours at the Boston Marine Industrial Park this past weekend to board the historic carrier one last time before it is decommissioned.

By Sunday morning, at least 150,000 people had visited the ship since Friday — including almost 40,000 who arrived before 3:45 a.m. Saturday, when the carrier was open for tours at 8 a.m., said Navy officer Aman Winterroth, who said he has spent the past year working on planes on the JFK.

“My most memorable experience will have been this decommissioning,” he said.

Tour guides led visitors, consisting of many military veterans, through the ship’s tight corridors, which can hold up to 5,000 people at a time, to view the flight deck and hangars as well as letting them try on some of the fire-fighting equipment on board.

Officers explained how mission and rescue procedures operate on the ship, which has served 21 major deployments during its 38-year history, including tours in Lebanon, Libya and Iraq.

Boston resident Michael Jones said seeing the ship was worth the hours of waiting in line.

“This ship is a part of our history,” he said, “and that’s why I wanted to see it.”

USS JFK spokesman Lt. Walter Matthews said the ship attracts a crowd, especially in Boston, because people recognize and respect its namesake. He said the only experience that measures up to this weekend’s decommissioning is a similar stop the ship made in Boston in 2005, which also drew thousands.

The ship will be remembered not only for its size, but for the efforts of the 3,000 men and women who served on it and who could be seen exploring the streets of Boston over the weekend, Matthews said.

They deserve recognition as well, he said, because they “rose to every occasion” throughout its tour of duty.

“They did anything and everything they were ever asked for,” he said.

After leaving Boston this morning, the ship will head back to Mayport, Fla. to be officially decommissioned, and it will then be towed to the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, where it will remain in inactive reserve. The Navy will remove several artifacts from the ship to be placed in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

“This ship is special because it has a direct heritage with our city, where JFK came from,” said Coast Guard veteran Jim Mahoney, of Cape Cod. “I came to see it out of respect for the president and the ship.”

Adam Turner, who has served on the JFK for 18 months, walked the length of the carrier, chatting with visitors and other sailors as he reflected on his service on the ship, where he has spent most of his career.

“This is my home,” he said. “I live in this hangar.”