Submarine Force Library and Museum, Connecticut

With the Electric Boat manufacturing center and the New London Submarine base just a few miles from one another on its shores, the Thames River estuary is the epicenter for American submarines. Between them, at the southern end of the navy base, is the Submarine Force Library and Museum, the institution offering the official history for underwater warfare, full of elaborate dioramas, cross-sections, full-scale weaponry including ICBMs, and more. Outside, in the river, is the Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine, which visitors are allowed to enter and explore.