National Coast Guard Museum

The US Coast Guard is undertaking a project to build a National Museum located in New London, Connecticut. Renderings by architects Payette showcase an 80,000-square-foot, five-story, interactive museum. Plans for the museum currently include three main exhibit decks: Safety, Security, and Stewardship. Additionally, there will be a rotating gallery for temporary exhibits. Outside the museum building, the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, a training vessel for cadets at the Coast Guard Academy, will be docked pier side when not undertaking training exercises. The United States acquired Eagle from Germany following World War II. Funding for the project was boosted in March 2022 when the federal government passed an omnibus bill containing $50 million for the museum. This raises the total federal investment to $70 million. Thus far, the museum association reports $81 million in fundraising towards the estimated $150 million cost of the project. On 19 August 2022, the Coast Guard is formally celebrating the commencement of construction. Later in the year, the project will issue a tender to appoint contractors to undertake exhibition design and fabrication services. This project is slated to open to the public by early 2025. (Updated 16 August 2022)