Coast Guard Museum Northwest
Encyclopedia
The Coast Guard Museum Northwest (sometimes written as "Coast Guard Museum/Northwest") is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the United States Coast Guard
in the Pacific Northwest
. The museum is located on the property of Coast Guard Station Seattle on the Elliott Bay
waterfront south of Downtown, Seattle, Washington. It covers the full range of Coast Guard roles, ranging from protecting our shores, lives and property to lighthouses and lightships, from life-saving stations to rescue boats, from buoy tenders to icebreakers and weather ships and from modern aircraft to patrol boats and cutters. The museum admittance is free of charge.
maritime history, over 2,500 historical documents, clippings and vessel plans, and over 15,000 photographs. Among the exhibits are numerous detailed ship models, portions of historic ships, Coast Guard uniforms, lenses from lighthouses and buoys, and the Coast Guard flag carried on the first Space Shuttle
flight.
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. The museum is located on the property of Coast Guard Station Seattle on the Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
waterfront south of Downtown, Seattle, Washington. It covers the full range of Coast Guard roles, ranging from protecting our shores, lives and property to lighthouses and lightships, from life-saving stations to rescue boats, from buoy tenders to icebreakers and weather ships and from modern aircraft to patrol boats and cutters. The museum admittance is free of charge.
History
Coast Guard Museum Northwest houses thousands of artifacts and a library with over 3,000 books and periodicals about U.S. Coast Guard and Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
maritime history, over 2,500 historical documents, clippings and vessel plans, and over 15,000 photographs. Among the exhibits are numerous detailed ship models, portions of historic ships, Coast Guard uniforms, lenses from lighthouses and buoys, and the Coast Guard flag carried on the first Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
flight.
Collections
Besides ship models, some of the numerous artifacts on display include:- A United States Lighthouse ServiceUnited States Lighthouse ServiceThe United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
clock, circa 1860 - Ship's wheels, binnacles, etc.
- Pieces of HMS BountyHMS BountyHMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
and "Old Ironsides" (the ) - The ship's bell from the steam tugTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Roosevelt, Admiral Robert PearyRobert PearyRobert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
's ship during his quest for the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface... - A United States Revenue Cutter ServiceUnited States Revenue Cutter ServiceThe United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
ensignEnsignAn ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
from Captain "Hell-Roarin" Mike Healy's Bear, circa 1900 - The sextantSextantA sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight...
from the German U-boat U-873 captured by the Coast Guard-manned during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - Items from the German trawlerNaval trawlerA naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
Externsteine captured by the icebreakerIcebreakerAn icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
EastwindUSCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)USCGC Eastwind was a United States Coast Guard Wind-class icebreaker.She was laid down in 1942 and launched in 1944. Eastwind ferried 200 US army troops which captured the last German weather station in Greenland, Edelweiss II, on 4 October 1944. She also seized the German trawler Externsteine,...
off GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - The largest public collection of Coast Guard patches
Other Coast Guard Museums
- Old Coast Guard Station MuseumOld Coast Guard Station MuseumThe Old Coast Guard Station Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of lifesaving on along the Atlantic coast.-History:In 1915, the United States Lifesaving Service became the United States Coast Guard. The station at Seatack is now the museum at 24th street adjacent to the boardwalk of...
- Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum
- Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime MuseumGlen Haven, MichiganGlenn Haven is a restored logging village on the shore of Lake Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Attractions include the restored General Store and Blacksmith Shop. The unincorporated community is located in Glen Arbor Township.Also located in...
- USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166)USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166)USCGC Tamaroa was a United States Coast Guard cutter, originally the United States Navy salvage tug USS Zuni . Following the USCG custom of naming cutters after Native American tribes, she is named after the Tamaroa tribe of the Illiniwek tribal group.She was one of 70 built in her class for the...
(museum ship)
External links
- Coast Guard Museum/Northwest official website
- U.S. Coast Guard website
- Coast Guard Museum/Northwest, U.S. Coast Guard
- Official history
- Coast Guard Historian's Office webpage