The Massachusetts saw her first battle during the Spanish-American War. She sailed to Cuba to help blockade the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago. In the following years Massachusetts performed a variety of duties, conducting battle practice in several different ports. In 1906, she was decommissioned, but in 1910 was refitted with a caged mainmast and other modern hardware, including one of the first shipboard wireless telegraphs. The Massachusetts was placed in reduced commission to serve as a summer practice ship for midshipmen. She also served as a gunnery practice ship for naval reserve crews after war was declared with Germany.

In 1919, the Massachusetts returned to Philadelphia and was decommissioned for the final time. Stripped of her guns and furnishings, the obsolete ship was towed to Pensacola in January 1921 to be used as a target for experimental artillery, and scuttled just outside the entrance to the bay. Scarred and torn, the ship sat peacefully for years in the Gulf, attracting fish and fishermen alike. In the late 1950s, several salvage companies tried to salvage the wreck but with the support of the people of Pensacola, the state filed an injunction to prevent salvage, and when the case was brought before the Supreme Court, title to the Massachusetts was awarded to the State of Florida.