Facility Overview

Situated within the historic grounds of the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) along the Thames River in New London, Connecticut, T Lot serves as a key on-campus open-air surface parking facility. Located adjacent to the Academy's athletic and academic facilities off Hunter Liggett Drive and Deshon Street, the lot provides level, paved parking configured with standard striped vehicle stalls and dedicated accessible spaces. Because T Lot is a surface-level open parking area without overhead canopies or multi-story deck barriers, it offers virtually unlimited vertical clearance. This makes it suitable for standard passenger sedans, crossovers, full-size pickup trucks, SUVs, and high-roof conversion vans. Access to the lot is governed by federal military installation protocols, requiring all drivers and vehicle occupants to pass through official base security checkpoints before parking.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

T Lot boasts prime positioning on the northern sector of the Coast Guard Academy campus, placing drivers within steps of prominent campus facilities, athletic venues, and regional cultural landmarks:

• Cadet Memorial Field & Nelson W. Nitchman Field: Located just a 2- to 4-minute walk away, making the lot ideal for spectators attending CGA Bears NCAA Division III football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and track and field competitions.
• USCGA Campus Highlights: Within a 5- to 8-minute walk are Dimick Hall, Hamilton Hall, the Otto Graham Hall of Athletic Excellence, Leamy Hall, and the Coast Guard Memorial Chapel. When docked at the academy waterfront pier, the historic tall ship USCGC Barque Eagle is accessible down the campus hill.
• Connecticut College & Arboretum: Directly bordering the Academy immediately to the north and northwest along Mohegan Avenue (Route 32), offering easy walking access to Palmer Auditorium, Cummings Arts Center, and the 750-acre Connecticut College Arboretum.
• Lyman Allyn Art Museum: Located roughly 0.5 miles west across Mohegan Avenue, home to a permanent collection of over 17,000 works of American and regional art.
• Downtown New London Waterfront & Ferries: Situated about 1.5 miles south (a 5-minute drive), featuring the Garde Arts Center, local restaurants on Bank and State Streets, the Cross Sound Ferry to Orient Point, Long Island, and the Block Island Express ferry terminal.
• Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum: Located directly across the Thames River in Groton, easily reached in less than a 10-minute drive across the Gold Star Memorial Bridge.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Vehicular ingress to the Coast Guard Academy campus is coordinated via the Main Gate at Mohegan Avenue (CT Route 32) or the secondary Deshon Gate during designated event operations. CT Route 32 connects seamlessly to Interstate 95 (Exit 83 northbound or Exit 84N southbound) and Interstate 395 (Exit 5), allowing regional drivers from Providence, Hartford, and New York to reach the lot quickly without complex city driving. Post-event egress is facilitated by controlled campus avenues directing flow directly back to Route 32.

For public transit users, Southeast Area Transit (SEAT) buses run regular scheduled routes along Mohegan Avenue and Williams Street connecting to regional stops. New London Union Station, located 1.5 miles south along the waterfront, provides comprehensive rail connections via Amtrak Northeast Regional, high-speed Acela services, and the Shore Line East commuter rail connecting eastward to New Haven and New York City.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

• Open-Air Surface Parking: Level asphalt pavement with clearly delineated lane striping and turnarounds.
• Headroom Freedom: Open-sky layout with no low-clearance ceiling constraints, accommodating tall pickups, roof-racked vehicles, and transport vans.
• Installation Security: Continuous 24/7 security oversight by military police and Coast Guard security forces, featuring secure perimeter fencing and illuminated night lighting across campus roadways.
• ADA Accessibility: Marked accessible parking stalls situated close to ADA-compliant paved sidewalks and pedestrian ramps leading to academic and athletic facilities.
• Complimentary Campus Parking: Authorized parking is free of charge for approved base personnel, registered cadets, academy faculty, and credentialed visitors attending official Academy events.

Ideal For

• Academy Visitors & Families: Relatives and friends visiting cadets for Family Weekend, Swearing-In Day, and Commencement exercises.
• Bears Athletics Fans: Spectators attending NCAA football, soccer, baseball, track, and lacrosse matches at Cadet Memorial and Nitchman Fields.
• Academic & Event Guests: Attendees participating in leadership symposiums, campus orientations, or special events at Leamy Hall and Dimick Hall.
• Official Base Personnel & Contractors: Daily faculty, military staff, and authorized service vendors needing convenient access to northern base facilities.

Visitor & Driver Tips

• REAL ID Compliance: Because the lot is situated on an active military base, every vehicle occupant aged 18 and older must present valid government-issued photo identification meeting federal REAL ID standards at the gate.
• Vehicle Inspection Protocol: All vehicles entering the installation are subject to security search and registration inspection by Coast Guard security personnel at the entry gatehouse.
• Major Event Shuttles: During heavily attended events like Homecoming or Commencement, on-campus parking fills early; event organizers may direct general spectator parking to satellite lots (such as the Crystal Mall or local schools) with dedicated shuttle transit to Leamy Hall.
• Pedestrian Navigation: The Academy terrain slopes downward toward the Thames River; allow extra time for uphill walking when returning to T Lot from the lower waterfront piers.