Quick Overview

USS Nautilus SSN-571 was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the North Pole.

The USS Nautilus was initially put to initial sea trials in January 20, 1955. From 1955 to 1957, Nautilus continued to be used to investigate the effects of increased submerged speeds and endurance.

On February 4, 1957, Nautilus logged its 60,000th nautical mile (111,120 km), matching the endurance of the fictional Nautilus described in Jules Verne's novel
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." In May, Nautilus departed for the Pacific Coast to participate in coastal exercises and the fleet exercise operation "Home Run," which acquainted units of the Pacific Fleet with the capabilities of nuclear submarines.

Nautilus returned to New London, Connecticut, on July 21 and departed again on August 19 for her first voyage of 2,226 km under polar pack ice.

On April 25, 1958, Nautilus was underway again for the West Coast at San Diego, California, San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington.

On June 28, Nautilus arrived at Pearl Harbor to await better ice conditions. It became the first ship to reach the geographic North Pole.

In May, 1982, Nautilus was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Secretary of the Interior.

Nautilus was named the official state ship of Connecticut in 1983.

Nautilus now serves as a museum of submarine history, after undergoing a five-month preservation in 2002 at the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, at a cost of approximately $4.7 million.

Handcrafted and handpainted wooden model.