Tiana Life-Saving Station museum to open for summer.

Southampton plans to open the restored Tiana Life‑Saving Station as a self‑guided museum at the start of the 2026 summer season. The building, bought by the town in 2014, was an early Coast Guard station staffed by Black servicemen and has World War II connections.

The Town of Southampton has tentatively scheduled the restored Tiana Life‑Saving Station to open to the public at the start of the 2026 summer season. The town purchased the building in 2014 for $3.2 million using Community Preservation Fund money to preserve and restore it. Restoration work is reported as near completion, and the facility is planned to operate as a self‑guided museum. The station is notable for its World War II role and for being one of the first Coast Guard stations in the nation to be staffed by Black servicemen. Key facts: - The town projects a public opening at the beginning of the 2026 summer season. - Southampton purchased the station in 2014 for $3.2 million from Community Preservation Fund money to restore and preserve the property. - The site will be presented as a self‑guided museum covering its 1912 commissioning, World War II service, and later community uses such as Club Neptune. - In late summer 1942, 150 men (some accounts say 136) reassigned from Manhattan Beach were placed at Tiana Station under Chief Petty Officer Cecil R. Foster to conduct coastal patrols. - The station’s wartime story is set against the broader 1942 coastal defense concerns on Long Island, including U‑Boat activity and related security responses. Summary: The planned opening will make the station's layered history accessible to visitors and preserve a local landmark. The town reports restoration is near completion and aims for a public opening at the start of the 2026 summer season. Exact opening dates and visitor hours are undetermined at this time.