National Coast Guard Museum facts for kids
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The National Coast Guard Museum is a new museum being built in New London, Connecticut. This city is a historic seaport located where the Thames River meets Long Island Sound. It's also home to the United States Coast Guard Academy. The museum is planned to open in 2026.
This exciting museum will show off more than 600 artifacts and 5,000 images. It will also offer special educational programs for schools and colleges, focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The museum will become the new home for the U.S. Coast Guard's tall ship, the Barque Eagle. Best of all, it will be free for everyone to visit! The National Coast Guard Museum is expected to have over 200 galleries and exhibits. It hopes to welcome about 300,000 visitors every year.
The city of New London gave a special spot along the Thames River for the museum. The building will be about five or six stories tall and cover 80,000 square feet. It will even have an outdoor stage for concerts. The United States Coast Guard Band and other groups can perform there. The Coast Guard and the Space Force are the only two of America's six military branches that don't have their own museum yet. The Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force already have dedicated museums.
Building the Museum: A Look at Its History
The National Coast Guard Museum Association has been working to create this museum since 2001. They had hoped to start building in 2018. However, construction officially began on August 19, 2022, with a special "keel laying ceremony." This ceremony is a tradition for starting a new ship or building.
By late 2024, the museum association had received $50 million in money from the government. They also raised $49 million of their own $50 million fundraising goal. The state of Connecticut has promised $20 million to help build a special bridge. This bridge will connect the waterfront and the museum to a nearby parking garage. The main construction of the museum started in 2025. It is expected to be finished in 2026.
