Custom House Maritime Museum
150 Bank St
New London, CT
A granite custom house from 1833, the oldest still in service in the country, telling the story of New London's whaling wealth and the Amistad captives who landed here.
The Custom House Maritime Museum occupies a dignified granite building on New London's Bank Street that has been collecting the nation's customs duties since 1833, making it the oldest continuously operating custom house in the United States. Designed by Robert Mills, the architect of the Washington Monument, it was built when New London was one of the busiest whaling ports on earth, and it stands as a monument to that era of sail, oil, and global trade.
Run by the New London Maritime Society, the museum inside tells the story of the city's maritime life, from the whaleships that made its fortune to the extraordinary episode of the Amistad, whose captive Africans were brought to New London in 1839. The building's front door is said to be built from oak taken from the USS Constitution, a fitting entrance to a place so steeped in seafaring history.
What Guests Love
- Standing in the oldest continuously operating custom house in the United States
- The building's grand front door, said to be made from timber of the USS Constitution
- New London's deep whaling history told right on the working waterfront
- The museum's connection to the Amistad captives who came ashore here
Worth Knowing
- The museum is compact, so it pairs well with a walk along the New London waterfront
- Hours are limited and seasonal, so check ahead before visiting
- The building itself, designed by architect Robert Mills, is part of the attraction
- New London was once one of the world's great whaling ports, second in Connecticut only to nearby rivals
Details
New London, CT
Learn about Custom House Maritime Museum
A working custom house since 1833
The building was completed in 1833 to serve the busy port of New London, collecting the tariffs and customs duties that were a major source of federal revenue in the early republic. It was designed by Robert Mills, one of the first American-born professional architects, best known for the Washington Monument, and it reflects the solid, classical style of federal buildings of its day.
Remarkably, the custom house has never stopped functioning in that role, which makes it the oldest continuously operating custom house in the country. That continuity is part of what gives the museum its authority: this is not a reconstruction but the actual building where New London's maritime commerce was recorded for nearly two centuries.
New London and the whaling age
In the 19th century, New London ranked among the most important whaling ports in the world, sending fleets of ships on multi-year voyages after the whales whose oil lit the lamps and lubricated the machines of the industrial age. The wealth that flowed back built the city's fine homes and filled its wharves, and the custom house was at the center of that trade.
The museum's collections and exhibits carry that history, from the tools and logbooks of the whalemen to the broader story of a small Connecticut city with global reach. Standing on the waterfront, it is easy to imagine the forest of masts that once crowded the harbor below.
The Amistad connection
One of the most significant chapters in New London's history is its link to the Amistad. In 1839, a group of Africans who had been illegally seized and sold into slavery seized control of the schooner carrying them and were eventually brought ashore near New London. Their fight for freedom became a landmark legal case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that they had been taken illegally and were free.
The custom house museum interprets this history and honors the Amistad captives, whose arrival in these waters ties New London to one of the defining struggles over slavery and freedom in American history. It is a sobering counterweight to the romance of the whaling era, and an essential part of the story the museum tells.
The building and the waterfront
Details make the custom house memorable. Its front door is traditionally said to be built from oak salvaged from the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, connecting the modest Connecticut building to the most famous ship in the U.S. Navy. The granite walls and classical proportions reward a slow look before you even step inside.
Because the museum is small, it fits naturally into a walk along New London's revived waterfront, near the ferry terminals that carry passengers to Long Island, Block Island, and Fishers Island. Together they make for an easy, history-rich stop on a tour of the southeastern Connecticut coast.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near New London
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
About 2 miles, a 6 minute drive
The service academy for the Coast Guard, whose visitor center and grounds, and the training barque Eagle when in port, are open to the public.
Ocean Beach Park
About 3 miles, a 10 minute drive
A classic New London beach and boardwalk on Long Island Sound with a wide sand beach, arcade, and mid-century seaside charm.
Mystic Seaport Museum
About 8 miles, a 15 minute drive
The nation's leading maritime museum, a recreated 19th-century coastal village with tall ships and the last wooden whaleship in the world.