National Historic Landmark · nuclear submarine · Groton, Connecticut

U.S.S. Nautilus (submarine)

First nuclear-powered submarine of the US Navy in Groton, Connecticut. Added to the National Register in 1979, and a National Historic Landmark.

National Historic LandmarkListed 1979
330-PS-2848 (USN 706636) (17597790501)330-ps-7557-usn-681182 16660421511 o330-ps-7557-usn-681184 16635872786 o330-ps-7557-usn-681188 16475663499 o
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first nuclear-powered boat, nuclear-powered submarine, and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole on 3 August 1958. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy in the US and who had a storied career during military service and afterwards.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeObject
AddressNaval Submarine Base, Groton, CT
CountyNew London County
ListedMay 16, 1979
Listed forMilitary, Engineering, Transportation, Invention
Level of significanceNational
Also known asNautilus
Reference number79002653
Type of placenuclear submarine
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 structure
StandingYes

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressNaval Submarine Base, Groton, CT
Coordinates41.3871° N, 72.0883° W · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitTouro Synagogue National Historic Site · 41 miles · on Park Atlas
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Map

Local history books for New London County

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Connecticut

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was U.S.S. Nautilus (submarine) listed on the National Register?

May 16, 1979. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Where is U.S.S. Nautilus (submarine)?

Naval Submarine Base, Groton, New London County, Connecticut. The nearest national park unit is Touro Synagogue National Historic Site, 41 miles away.

Source: Touro Synagogue National Historic Site

Where is the nomination form for U.S.S. Nautilus (submarine)?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Is there cell service at U.S.S. Nautilus (submarine)?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 79002653. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.