April through December, we are open Tuesday through Sunday, from 1 to 5pm or by appointment. January through March, we are open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 PM.
Call: 860-447-2501 for information.
May is National Historic Preservation Month!
Catch our new exhibition
< Sgott MacKenzie's Further Adventures of the Giant Squid & the Seagull
Sgott will read from his new book on Saturday, May 19, from noon to 4 PM.
FRIDAY: May 11, 6:30-8:30 PM
Win dinner atop New London Harbor Light, 2 Lobster-Dinner Cruise tickets aboard the Mystic Whaler, a $50 gift certificate to On The Waterfront, auction treasures from the Custom House basement(!), & much, much more... Buy your tickets now.
The Waterford Rotary Annual Charity Wine Tasting & Silent Auction;
It's delicious, it's fun, & it benefits the Custom House Maritime Museum(!), Sound Community Services and Women's Center of SE CT. The event is held at the beautiful Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Waterford.
This year's event will feature a tremendous variety of imported and domestic wines, spirits, cordials and a selection of craft brews and imported beers courtesy of Ed Cramer, owner of Gordon's Yellow Front Package Store. Additionally there will be scotch tasting, vodka tasting and tequila tasting, too! To top it off, a cigar vendor will even be there. Finally, you can expect your palate to be tempted and satisfied by a variety of mouthwatering dishes and desserts catered by Filomena's. Live music by the James Hunter Group will complement the evening. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and are available at the Custom House. - Please call 860-447-2501.
Sign up NOW for Monday, June 4, 2012
Join NLMS for a Colonial Newport Walking Tour.
A tour of 18th-century architecture and history and a visit to Doris Duke's incredible 17th-18th century furniture collection in an 1811 mansion with magnificent gardens, and to the Redwood - the oldest lending library in the country. A terrific lunch at the Black Pearl is included. Member price $80, non-members $95. Call 860-447-2501 for reservations.
We have a 2nd trip planned
Sign up NOW for Tuesday, June 26
Join NLMS to visit Boston and the USS Constitution, a destroyer and the Lightship Nantucket, in advance of OpSail's 1812 Celebration. Yes, a great lunch also is included.
Call 860-447-2501 or email Jennifer for reservations.
< Jon Buller returns this summer with Cartooning for Kids, ages 7 & Up
Four Tuesdays: June 19, 26, July 3 & 10, 4 to 5 PM, fee $75, materials included.
Jon returns with his popular class on cartooning basics.
Call 860-447-2501 to register.
Read > Lighthouse Comix -- work from this spring's cartooning class with Jon Buller.
Every Wednesday, 5 to 6 PM, catch our TV show
CUSTOM HOUSE MARITIME MATTERS, on New London Metrocast cable, channel 25. Hosted by George Sprecace. Replayed on ComCast and Thames Valley on Fridays at 7 PM.on Channel 12. Our next guest, on May 9, is Jennifer Gaudio, curator of the USCG Museum, set to open with an Open House on Saturday, May 12.
New London Harbor Light Tours
New London Harbor Light will open for visitor tours on Wednesdays in May and June, 2012. Space is limited to six visitors per tour and reservations are required. Visitors meet at the Custom House Maritime Museum at 1 and 3 PM. The tours raise funds for the restoration of New London Harbor Light--the oldest and tallest lighthouse on LI Sound.
New London Harbor Lighthouse is located onshore, approximately three miles from the downtown, and offers breathtaking views over the Sound. According to the United States Coast Guard, at night more lighthouses can be seen from the lantern of this lighthouse than from any other place on earth.
Visitors receive a guided tour as they climb the 119 steps to the lighthouse lantern. Call 860-447-2501 to make a reservation. Suggested donation is $35 for adults and $15 for children ages 8 to 14.
New London Harbor Light also will open for three special lighthouse weekends this summer. These three weekends, the lighthouse will be approached by boat leaving from the Custom House Pier in downtown New London. ‘Project O’ also will be leaving from the Custom House Pier to bring visitors to Ledge Light & the new Ledge Light Information Center insode the lighthouse. Lighthouse Weekend dates are July 14-15, August 4-5, and September 1-2, 2012. Watch here for information about booking tours...
< Our Lighthouse Kids Sea Shanty Chorus has begun practicing in earnest this month! We're proud to say that 26 students have signed on for the after-school chorus / maritime-history club, out of a total 100 in-school Lighthouse Kids this year.
< New London native, artist Mark Shahsa will exhibit his work at the Custom House this summer. Moonjellies and Daydreams - The Art of Mark Shasha, opens July 14.
Summer Intern Sought – a Self-Starter who loves the Water
The Custom House Maritime Museum seeks a summer intern to work a flexible part-time schedule of Tuesday-Friday with occasional evening and weekend hours. A small stipend is available. Students have the opportunity to experience all aspects of a small community museum. Responsibilities will include assisting with summer special activities, such as the annual Chowda’ Fest and three Lighthouse Weekends. Students with a background in boating, maritime history, studio art, or business are encouraged to apply. Please send cover letter and resume to: Susan Tamulevich, director, Custom House Maritime Museum, 150 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320.
EXHIBITIONS
AMISTAD: A True Story of Freedom
a new permanent exhibition at the site of the original Amistad events of 1839.
See New London Maritime Society's Amistad exhibition at United Nations headquarters, NYC, March 2010. CLICK >> HERE. Read the latest about Amistad America in The Day 1.23.12
Vintage Dive Helmets from Jay Kane, of Shoreline Diving, & dive historian Ed Uditis.
One Small Boat by David McCulloch Our favorite small-boat builder, David McCulloch of Old Lyme, has brought in one of his hand-built boats. The 12-foot boat, with a heat-shrunk aircraft dacron cover, is David's own design and weighs just 20 pounds! Is it a canoe or kayak? Read David's answer click >> here.
New in the MUSEUM SHOP >
We also carry
New London - opoly
& Lighthouse-keepers caps.
It's the Bicentenniel of the War of 1812
What happened 200 years ago TODAY?
High School students: Win a chance to sail into New London harbor
