New London Maritime Society (NLMS) CUSTOM HOUSE MARITIME MUSEUM l 150 Bank Street l New London, Connecticut 06320 l 860-447-2501 l email
EXHIBITIONS
two shows on view extended through September 10, 2017
Lighthouses, Tall Ships, and Submarines:
Maritime Photos from The Day's Photojournalists, by Tim Cook, Dana Jensen, Tim Martin & Sean Elliot.
Stars and Lighthouses - LIS, by David Zapatka
AMISTAD: A True Story of Freedom
a permanent exhibition at the site of the original Amistad events of 1839.
from two private collections: Jay Kane and Ed Uditis.
The
museum's most important artifact may well be the building, itself. Built
in 1833 as New London's U.S Custom House and designed by architect Robert Mills,
it has been the museum's home since 1983. New London's Custom House opened in 1835. It is the longest continuously-operating custom house in the country.
PUBLICATIONS
Read the new 2017 SUMMER NEWSLETTER
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Learn about our Book of the Month
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NLMS in the NEWS
The Custom House Maritime Museum - your local, independent, community museum - open year-round - telling the stories of New London's waterfront!
VIDEO
In 2013, the US Postal Service made a video about New London Harbor Light. See it HERE.
Watch what we do
New London Maritime Society -- nicely nautical
The work of the New London Maritime Society - Custom House Maritime Museum is made possible by generous grants from The Chester Kitchings Family Foundation, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, National Endowment for the Humanities, the Connecticut Humanities Council, Dominion Foundation, the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation, Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, Community Foundation of Eastern CT, Veolia / New London Water Authority, & and by the work of dedicated volunteers, members & friends.
WHAT'S UP at the CUSTOM HOUSE ?
EVENTS
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Our sister Custom House in Newburyport, MA.
Seafood WATCH - What seafood to buy now.
For all events going on in the region, visit the
Our museum shop offers all kinds of unique gifts.
Everybody is welcome in the shop, you don't need a
museum ticket. Every purchase supports NLMS's exhibition and educational programs.
Visit the Custom House MUSEUM SHOP
No matter how the wind howls or the sea lashes, we see clear sailing ahead for our work preserving and promoting New London's maritime heritage.
NLMS -- nicely nautical.
THANK YOU! None of what we do at the Custom House would be possible without your support.
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Support NL Maritime Society
We work every day to preserve our maritime stories.We strive to make learning enjoyable, even fun! And we aspire to have a positive effect on the entire community, for this generation & beyond. We cannot do it without you! Please support New London Maritime Society.
New London Maritime Society
nicely nautical ~ totally Thames.
New London Maritime Society is a New London-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Make a donation here on the website or by mail.
Remember: The Custom House
is available for private rentals.
Meetings, weddings, birthdays, retreats.
Our lighthouse boat tours start again August 6.
SUNSET BOAT TOURS - Twilight is a magical time to be on the water. Explore the region's lighthouses -- as the sun sets -- with the one who knows them best. Sign up at
We also have FULL MOON TOURS
see the lights as they were built to be seen
and Day-time New London LIGHTHOUSE TOURS
may be chartered for small groups (3 to 6), or large (12 to 30).
Call 860-447-8700 to arrange your charter tour.
New London Maritime Society - open year-round
your local, independent, community museum,
telling the stories of New London's waterfront.
150 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320
Winter hours: January through March
Thursday-- Sunday, 1 to 5 PM
April through December
Wednesday--Sunday, 1 to 5 PM
Contact: 860.447.2501 email $7 Admission
Free for NLMS members, children age 14 and younger, USCG cadets, active-duty military & their families
The Prize that Got Away - the History of Fishers Island's Tangled Relations with the Mainland Sunday, September 24, at 2 PM
at the Custom House.
Pierce Rafferty, director of Fisher's Island's Henry L. Ferguson Museum, explains it all, including border line disputes, secession and annexation attempts, and the lobster war.
NLMS members $10, all others $12. Call 860-447-2501 for reservations. You also may show up at the door.
Local History - Book Talk, with Gail MacDonald
Morton F. Plant - Shaping the Connecticut Shoreline
Sunday, August 27, 4 PM
Copies of the book are available in the Custom House MUSEUM SHOP.
Purchase a ticket to the event along with your book and receive a $4 discount.
Tickets $12, $10 for NLMS members.
a special FREE performance, sponsored by Veolia Water
Joseph Smith, Performing Artist of Living History
A Candid Conversation with Augustin Fresnel
August 20, Sunday, 2 PM. at the Custom House.
Joseph Smith, the recipient of a 2016 Staten Island Arts Fund Grant, will present an original living-history portrayal of Augustin Fresnel,1788-1827, the French inventor of the Fresnel lens. His Fresnel performance was the highlight of our 2017 Lighthouse Conference.
Based on his revolutionary theory of light behaving like a wave rather than as particles, Augustin developed the multiple glass prism shapes that made up a lens able to capture 85% of the light emitted by the light source, & project a light beam in a lighthouse over 25 miles.
This is a free presentation in honor of National Lighthouse Day (August 7).
Seating is limited and on a first-come basis. You may reserve your seat by calling 860-447-2501.
The performance is sponsored by a Veolia / New London Water Authority grant.
Jibboom Club #1 GAM - Kevin Farrar Talks Sail Making
Tuesday, August 15, at 1 PM
The Jibboom Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month.
Join Russ and Rob for a speaker's program, coffee, and cookies; donations for refreshments only.
Kevin Farrar is a sailmaker, skilled sailor, and boat builder. His sail loft, Farrar Sails, has been located in New London, in the former Monte Cristo Garage at 6 Union Street, since 1999. For the August Jibboom Club, Kevin Farrar will give a tour of Farrar Sails and explain the process of designing and fabricating custom sails.
We meet at the Custom House, 150 Bank St. 860-447-2501.