Submarine Force Library and Museum

Set on the Thames River beside Naval Submarine Base New London, the Submarine Force Library and Museum serves as the U.S. Navy’s principal archival and artifact center for undersea warfare. Established in 1955 by Electric Boat as a technical library and transferred to Navy stewardship in the 1960s, it has evolved into the only submarine museum managed directly by the Naval History & Heritage Command. Its centerpiece, the nuclear-powered USS Nautilus (SSN-571), anchors the site’s narrative of Cold War innovation, from the advent of nuclear propulsion to under-ice operations and the historic transit beneath the North Pole. Inside, early concepts are represented by a replica of David Bushnell’s Revolutionary War–era Turtle, while experimental craft such as Submarine X-1 and midget submarines from the Second World War illustrate the breadth of design approaches. The preserved sail of USS George Washington signals the emergence of ballistic missile deterrence. In the research library, documents, photographs, and specialized texts trace submarine development from John Philip Holland’s pioneering work through the nuclear age, making the institution a reference point for serious study of American undersea forces.