The Famous Water Machine of Connecticut: How Grit, Determination, and Ingenuity Launched a New Era of Submarine Warfare
April 2026 – July 12, 2026

The Connecticut River Museum is home to two Turtle submarines. One, a replica that thousands of people step into each year. The other, a replica commissioned at the time of the nation’s bicentennial and christened by Governor Ella Grasso. The first Turtle, lost to the sands of time, was constructed in secret in 1776 by David Bushnell and was used during the Revolutionary War to transport a bomb with a time delayed flintlock detonator to a British warship. The submarine was an incredible innovation for its time and, as George Washington wrote, “was an effort of genius.” This exhibit will showcase the innovations of its construction as we commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The American Turtle Submerging, 1977                                                             Man exiting submarine “American Turtle” right next to

                                                                                                                                a dock, as a small group of people in a boat look on.

The American Turtle, Replica

This exhibit has been made possible through the generous support of General Dynamics Electric Boat.