Bramble Museum (Retired Coast Guard Cutter) – Port Huron, Michigan
Commissioned in 1944 the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble is now a museum for you to learn about its life in war time.
At the time it was commissioned the cost was just over $925,000. Today it would certainly cost a great deal more. The Bramble participated in “Operation Crossroads” following WWII. This was the first test of an atomic bomb’s effect on surface ships, at Bikini Island. In 1957 the Bramble and the cutters Spar and Storis headed for the Northwest Passage, they traveled through the Bearing Straits and the Arctic Ocean for 64 days through 4500 miles of partially unchartered waters to reach the Atlantic Ocean. These vessels were the first to circumnavigate the North American Continent which was something that mariners had been trying to do for over 400 years and not succeeding.
Not done with service yet the Bramble transferred to Detroit to perform search and rescue missions, icebreaking, and law enforcement on the Great Lakes.
In 1975 the ship reported to Port Huron where in 2003 it was decommissioned and has been designated as a museum.
Prior to being decommissioned the ship was ported in San Pedro, California from 1945 to 1946; San Francisco, California from 1946 to 1949; San Juan, Puerto Rico from 1959 to 1953; Miami Florida from 1953 to 1962; Detroit, Michigan from 1962 to 1974 and finally to Port Huron, Michigan from 1975 to 2003 when it was decommissioned.
Hours: Coast Guard Cutter BRAMBLE Museum & HURON Lightship Museum are open:
Memorial Day to Labor Day
Open 7 days – 11am to 5pm
September through December
Thursday through Monday
April through May
Thursday through Monday
January through March, CLOSED
Location: 2336 Military St., Port Huron, Michigan 48060
Phone: 810-982-0891
Email: info@phmuseum.org