This museum is a fun place to visit with the kids. There are lots of interesting artifacts to look at and it is rich in the history of submarines. On staff are active duty Navy submariners that are more than happy to tell sea-stories and answer any questions about the submarines and life aboard them. Also located at the museum is a submarine that is available to tour. It is well maintained but note that the spaces are tight and some stairs to climb. Another added bonus is that it is free.

We visited the Nautilis museum and the nuclear submarine on a rainy Saturday afternoon in June, 2006. There were no crowds and no wait to get onto the submarine. The admission price is free. They do ask for a donation and that you exit through the gift shop, but for the admission price I thought it was tastefully done. My two year old liked looking through the periscopes. It only took 2 hours to go through the entire museum, but you can go at your own pace and take longer if you like. There are volunteers (some veterans) in different areas of the museum to answer any questions you may have. The submarine is a self paced walking tour. There is an audible guide using a hand held receiver. This voice guide can be set to 4 different languages and changes when you enter another chamber of the submarine (sleeping quarters, torpedo room, etc.). I didn't feel claustrophobic, but it may not be for everyone. Their website (http://www.ussnautilus.org) was really helpful too. Overall, I thought it was worthwhile.

My girlfriend and I visited her friend who lived in Groton, CT, while we were on a holiday to New York and New Jersey. Her friend's husband was recently back from naval service and offered to take us to the museum one afternoon. Here, you are able to wander around to look at various types of sea-faring vessels and weaponry up close, such as a prototype of an early submarine. You can watch interactive displays and models about naval sea crafts which I found interesting (despite knowing very little beforehand). The best part of the museum has to be the walk-on submarine, which is partially submerged and very claustrophobic! It's a daunting experience to be underwater in order to see how a submarine works and how its crew live. Life-sized models are used to simulate the conditions of actual crews on similar crafts, and there are some that lie on their small bunk beds, some in the small kitchen and some at the controls. This place is well worth a visit if you are visiting the area!