Coast Guard Museum Northwest facts for kids
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| Established | 1988 |
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| Location | 1519 Alaskan Way South Seattle, Washington |
| Type | Coast guard |
The Coast Guard Museum Northwest is a cool place to learn about the United States Coast Guard! This museum helps keep the history of the Coast Guard alive, especially in the Pacific Northwest area. You can find it right by the water at Coast Guard Station Seattle in Seattle, Washington.
The museum shows you all the different jobs the Coast Guard does. They protect our shores, save lives, and keep property safe. You can learn about lighthouses, rescue boats, and even big icebreaker ships. They also have exhibits on modern aircraft and patrol boats. The best part is, it's free to visit!
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What You'll Find at the Museum
The Coast Guard Museum Northwest has tons of interesting things to see. It holds thousands of artifacts, which are like historical treasures. There's also a huge library with over 3,000 books about the Coast Guard and sea history. You can also look at over 15,000 old photographs!
Cool Exhibits and Displays
The museum has many detailed models of ships. You can also see parts of real historic ships. They display old Coast Guard uniforms and big lenses from lighthouses. One special item is the Coast Guard flag that went into space on the first Space Shuttle flight!
Amazing Collections
Besides the cool ship models, there are many other unique items on display. Here are just a few:
- A clock from the United States Lighthouse Service, made around 1860.
- Old ship's wheels and binnacles (which hold a ship's compass).
- Pieces from famous ships like HMS Bounty and "Old Ironsides" (the USS Constitution).
- The ship's bell from the steam tug Roosevelt. This was Admiral Robert Peary's ship when he explored the North Pole.
- A special flag, called an ensign, from Captain "Hell-Roarin" Mike Healy's ship, the Bear, from around 1900.
- A sextant (a tool for navigation) from a German U-boat (submarine) called U-873. The Coast Guard captured this during World War II.
- Items from a German fishing boat, the Externsteine, captured by the icebreaker Eastwind near Greenland during World War II.
- The museum also has the largest public collection of Coast Guard patches!
Other Coast Guard Museums
If you like this museum, you might also enjoy visiting other Coast Guard museums across the country:
- Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
- Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum
- Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum
- USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166) (a museum ship you can visit!)
- USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) (another museum ship)
- The Coast Guard Heritage Museum in Barstable, Massachusetts.
See also
- Military Sea Services Museum
