New details are being rolled out about the nation’s first museum dedicated to the Coast Guard, opening one year from today.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday announced that the National Coast Guard Museum, described as a museum “dedicated to preserving and sharing the history, heritage and enduring missions” of the service, will open to the public during the week of Aug. 2, 2027, two days prior to the Coast Guard’s Aug. 4.
The museum, currently being built along the Thames River waterfront in New London, Conn., will consist of 80,000 square feet and reportedly feature five public decks with three exhibit floors, five thematic experience wings, a rotating gallery for special exhibitions, educational classrooms, and event space.
The museum is “designed to immerse visitors in the Coast Guard experience,” which they said will be accomplished by combining state-of-the-art interactive exhibits with “breathtaking” waterfront views.
“The Coast Guard has always stood as a military service and a vital instrument of national power,” Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a statement. “This museum is a permanent tribute to the Long Blue Line—the generations of crews who have saved lives, defended our borders and maritime approaches, facilitated vital commerce, and responded to crises with little or no warning.”
What Visitors Can Expect in 2027
Visitors will not just be entertained by vibrant views but by a treasure trove of items.
The museum will include more than 5,000 historic images, 600 artifacts and hands-on exhibits for all ages, including educational programming in STEM, leadership, civics and maritime history.
Those educational efforts will extend to classrooms and communities across the country, the service said.
One of the museum’s touted signature experiences will be a suspended MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter, complete with a life-sized aircrew modeled after an active-duty crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
Among the artifacts, attendees will observe the Medal of Honor awarded to Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro—the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient whose “extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Guadalcanal remains one of the defining acts of valor in Coast Guard history,” per the service.
“The National Coast Guard Museum represents incredible dedication, vision, and partnership,” said retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Wes Pulver, president of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, in a statement.
“We are deeply grateful for the Coast Guard’s steadfast support throughout this journey and look forward to continuing our collaboration as we build a museum worthy of the remarkable men and women who have served our nation. Together, we are ensuring their stories will inspire generations to come,” Pulver added.
Events in 2027 will stretch all the way to Aug. 4, commemorating the Coast Guard’s birthday in addition to representing an ode to an enduring legacy.
“This will be far more than a building of artifacts; it will illuminate the hard-earned lessons of the sea,” Lunday said. “By bridging our rich history with the challenges of tomorrow, we are creating a dynamic foundation to inspire the next generation of leaders ready to answer our nation’s call.”