First U.S. National Coast Guard Museum to Open in New London in 2027

The United States Coast Guard announced that the nation’s first dedicated Coast Guard museum will open to the public during the week of Aug. 2, 2027, in New London, Connecticut, coinciding with the service’s birthday on Aug. 4. The 80,000‑square‑foot facility is being built along the Thames River waterfront and will include five public decks, three exhibit floors, five thematic experience wings, a rotating gallery, classrooms and event space.

Visitors will encounter more than 5,000 historic images, 600 artifacts and interactive displays. Signature features include a suspended MH‑60T Jayhawk helicopter with a life‑sized crew modeled after an active‑duty team from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, and the Medal of Honor awarded to Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro. Educational programming will cover STEM, leadership, civics and maritime history, extending the museum’s reach to schools nationwide. Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, called the museum “a permanent tribute to the Long Blue Line,” while retired Capt. Wes Pulver, president of the museum association, highlighted the partnership that made the project possible.