USS Nautilus

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Great memorial. Staffed by veterans. Great place to take the family@

It was free but we ended up giving a donation because this was a very cool museum to visit! Small but packed with really cool exhibits and the submarine was very cool to walk through. It is small but as someone with claustrophobia, going in with not many other people inside didn't make me anxious at all. Definitely recommend giving it a visit if you have a free afternoon.

Really nice submarine museum....no cost very nice and well run on donations only

Very interesting and unique museum. Free. If you are in Groton, you must visit. The first atomic submarine 'Nautilus' is there and you can go inside.

This thing is so cool! I mean where else can you walk around in a submarine?! And on top of that it's free. Even on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend it wasn't that busy so we were able to walk right in. They built up everything so that there are nice stairs going down into the submarine and you're on a linear path that is one way through the whole thing. It's nice because you know you're not going to miss anything and you just follow the path through. They have built a lot of glass walls so you can't touch anything, but they have little signs around explaining what things are. They have some mannequins playing the roles of sailors, But as you peek around corners, you're bound to be frightened a time or two when you're staring down a mannequin where you didn't expect one. My wife did this at 34 weeks pregnant so that should give you a certain gauge of the accessibility, but there are a few doors that are tough to get through because you have to lift your legs up and duck down low and there are a bunch of stairs throughout as well. They may have used an elevator for JFK, but they don't use it for you so get ready to take all those stairs . Plenty of handrails and signs telling you to watch your head. By my estimation, you're only exploring about 2/3 of the submarine or less because I'm sure the other parts are classified still, but either way it is a cool experience. If you're claustrophobic, it actually isn't as bad as you might think. The submarine sits only halfway submerged so it's acting more like a boat So if you think you will feel claustrophobic just time it so you're not going down with a big group of other people that way you won't ever feel trapped. It only took us 20 minutes or so to walk through, but if you wanted to get out of there quickly, you could probably get back out in 3 minutes or less with a pep in your step.

We arrived around noon on a Friday. There was plenty of parking available and no wait to get in.

There was no admission cost (but you do have to exit through the gift shop!).

The displays were extremely well done and informative. Touring the submarine was the highlight, but looking through the periscope and viewing the battle flags were definitely favorites.

Awesome museum and free which is wonderful. You can tour about 50% of the first nuclear powered submarine and get an idea of what it was like to love aboard her.

Museum was free. Took boat tour down river. Recommend tickets before you go. Depends on boat booking. There was room on boat to get tickets on line before departure.

Cool place. You can enter real submarine, see the interior and try to imagine living there for the timespan of a mission. There is also an museum with history of submarines, origin of nuclear power as a propeller source. In addition there is no fee.

Really educational and amazing to explore. Highly recommend a tour guide or you'll miss out on a lot.

The U.S. Nautilus is an historic and world renowned U.S submarine, and an absolute “must see” attraction in the state of Connecticut.

The U.S. Nautilus is recognized as the world’s first operational nuclear powered submarine. It is located at the Submarine Force Library & Museum which is positioned near the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

When celebrating my wife’s birthday in September of 2024, I brought her and myself for a visit to the U. S. Nautilus, and we thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of this amazing ship!!!

When touring the submarine, my wife and I were able to visit and view many of the ship’s diverse sections ranging from the sailer’s bed rooms, the captain’s quarters, the kitchen and dining areas, the gallery, the control room, and the attack center. We learned that the Nautilus was fully launched in 1954 and was capable of carrying over a 100 navy sailors. The ship was in operation from 1954-1980.

We also learned that the submarine’s nuclear propulsion system allowed her to stay under the water far longer than previously built submarines, and that it was able to travel to farther remote locations, most notably the North Pole in the 1950’s.

Due to its pioneering technological capabilities and design, and its huge impact on naval history, the USS Nautilus is listed on the U.S.National Register Of Historic Places, and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Visiting the USS Nautilus gave me and my wife a chance to view and understand the layout, interior design and setting of a submarine, and provided a glimpse of what life is life for a Navy sailor.

Both my wife and I highly recommend for everyone to visit and explore this outstanding historic landmark!!!

How cool was this place.

On arrival Naval FD on scene tending to a medical emergency. Staff was very attentive to the person by greeting guest out by cars and suggesting to view the pieces outside the museum while medical care was given and PT taken out. As an EMS provider, 5 Stars.

Once all clear, we went inside with kids and had plenty for their eyes to browse and their hands to touch.

This place is kid friendly!

The submarine was out of this world. The manikins in uniform forever sealed in action of what was done I. The room was an amazing way to commemorate the men that served on this vessel.

It was managed so that the tour would not be over crowded. There are even guided tours at the top of the hour.

It’s also pretty cool to see the US Base next door.

The USS Nautilus Museum is free and open to the public. They provide self-guided audio tours and let you walk around inside the USS Nautilus. It's the first nuclear powered submarine and was the first to sub to make the a trip to the North Pole. Highly recommend taking the time to visit and check it out.

Took my husband and kids here for Fathers Day , awesome museum with rich military history. The best part is going inside the USS Nautilus to explore the marvelous submarine