HISTORY & MISSION

About Us

The St. Marys Submarine Museum is located in historic St. Marys, Georgia. It is the largest museum of its kind in the south, and the fifth largest in the country with nearly 5,000 square feet of exhibit and display space on two floors. The museum is a great place to learn about “silent service.” We are dedicated to educating, preserving and sharing the rich history and legacy of the submarine force and all the men and women who have served and are currently serving our nation.

More than 99% of all WW II submarine combat war patrol reports are housed here, and files on nearly every submarine the United States has or has had in service is part of the collection. History comes alive with a wide variety of pictures, paintings, models, artifacts and rare historical documents, some of which have not been made available to the public.

While you are visiting the museum, and taking in the exhibits, you can operate a real submarine Type 2 periscope to view the beautiful St. Marys River and beyond. Be sure to check out our gift shop for submarine memorabilia and other souvenirs commemorating your visit. While you move through this website, you will want to read the bios of many who contributed their time and efforts to establish the museum and read the story of how one man's personal collection of submarine paraphernalia, documentation, and artifacts came to St. Marys.

Introduction

The United States Submarine Force was born on 11 April 1900, when the Navy purchased its first vessel from early submarine designer and builder John Holland. Since that time nearly 800 submarines have been built for and purchased by our Navy, serving across the globe under the seven seas in defense of freedom and to ensure the preservation of our liberties.

We have lost a total of 65 boats during that time nine before WW II, 52 boats and over 3,500 men during WWII, and four since the end of the war. During the early days of the Cold War, the USS THRESHER (SSN 593) was lost during sea trials southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts on 10 April 1963 with 129 men aboard following overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. This is and remains the largest loss of life in a submarine accident in the world. This tragic loss of life and loss of this submarine brought about a sea of change in our submarine force. After much soul searching and reflection, the SUBSAFE program was created, and since that time we have thankfully not lost a submarine that has been SUBSAFE certified. On 22 May 1968 we lost the USS SCORPION (SSN 589), which had not yet undergone overhaul to be upgraded to SUBSAFE standards, and 99 men lost their lives. Thankfully since then we have not lost another submarine in over 50 years. This is a true testament to the effectiveness of the SUBSAFE Program, the wonderfully talented and dedicated people who build these incredible machines, and the men and women in uniform who operate and take these submarines to sea around the world.

On 30 March 1996, WWII Submarine Hero and Medal of Honor recipient RADM Eugene Fluckey dedicated the St. Marys Museum. That day celebrated this new beginning as we opened our doors for the first time. We are honored and eternally thankful to have begun our service as a repository and take these submarines to sea around the world.

We hope you enjoy your visit to the Museum as you see hundreds of photographs, plaques, paintings, artifacts, various pieces of equipment and so much more contained in this building, which showcases the rich history and heritage of our force. We salute and offer a big THANK YOU to all the men and women who have served and continue to wear the cloth of our nation in the greatest submarine force in the world! BRAVO ZULU to all our Submariners, past, present and future. WELCOME ALL!

Beginnings

The St. Marys Submarine Museum initially opened its doors on 30 March 1996. Since then, the two-floors of the approximately 5,000 square foot building located on the waterfront street of St. Marys, Georgia has been receiving thousands of visitors. It is here they get the opportunity to see, enjoy, and learn about submarines and their artifacts. The thousands of artifacts, some older than 100 years are on display providing historical information about submarines that is not found elsewhere. This information includes combat war patrol reports, artifacts, displays, exhibits, uniforms, battle flags, and much more.

The Museum's Meager Beginnings - its Hull was once a 100-Year Old Movie Theatre

On 18 September 1995, the Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, GA) published the article headlined: "Museum to offer look at submarines." The Associated Press was given credit for the article found on the Internet at www.genealogybank.com. The article said, "The museum, being constructed in an old movie theater on the St. Marys River in the city's historic district, is about 40 percent complete." The article went on to say, "More than 300 artifacts have been donated for display, museum organizers said. Items donated so far include deep-sea diving suits from the 1940s, command plaques, photographs and models of World War II submarines. Organizers are still seeking memorabilia for display."

Sheila McNeill who was identified in the same article as the "museum president" along with Art Robb as the "vice president". Mrs. McNeill was also identified as the "...commissioning president of the St. Mary's Submarine Museum." The article further added that the State of Georgia had granted the Museum "tax-exempt" status and that it would be staffed by volunteers, many of whom served on submarines. Mrs. McNeill arranged for thousands of brochures to be produced announcing the opening and these were handed out to the public at the gate of the nearby submarine base, Kings Bay, GA. Click here for the Augusta Chronicle 1995 newspaper article and click here to read Mrs. McNeill's bio.

A later article also about the opening was published on 16 March 1996 in the Brunswick News (Brunswick, GA). Headlined New Submarine Museum to Open elaborated on Ms. McNeil's involvement. The article said that she had been urging military families to hold onto their memorabilia since as early as 1991. Further, Ashley Norton, News Staff Writer who wrote the article explained, that Mrs. McNeill was the owner of Sheila's Hallmark, a card shop at St. Marys, Mrs. McNeil (age 52 at the time) who had noticed the military town lacked a place to exhibit and to express community appreciation for being a part of the Kings Bay Submarine Base. Norton also mentioned that "Mrs. McNeil became involved in the museum during her work with the Navy League. As a league officer, she supports the men and women of the sea services and their families."

Admission

Museum Members - FREE

Adults (19 through 61) - $5.00

Active Duty/Retired/Reserve Members of the Military - $4.00

Senior Adults (62 and over) - $4.00

Students (13 through College) - $4.00

Children (6 to 12 years) - $3.00

OPEN TUESDAY - SATURDAY 10AM-5PM

CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY

The Museum and Gift Shop are Closed on the following days: July 4th, First Saturday in October (St. Marys Seafood Festival), Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day through mid-January when we do a stand-down, inventory and maintenance period that lasts approximately 2-3 weeks.

We also may close for private functions and special events rentals. Call us for information on booking your private event.