The United States Life-Saving Service began in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1874 when there were only a few hunting clubs and many shipwrecks along the desolate shore. There were five original stations: Cape Henry, Dam Neck Mills and False Cape stations constructed in 1874; Seatack and Little Island stations built in 1878.

These early Life-Saving Stations were later upgraded with new buildings. In 1903 the Seatack, or Virginia Beach Life-Saving Station No. 2 later became the United States Coast Guard Station #162 in 1915. This station had a long and illustrious history which ended in 1969 when it was decommissioned by the United States Coast Guard.

The historic, Virginia Beach Coast Guard Station sat empty for ten years and was scheduled for demolition by the city when a group of concerned citizens rallied public support and financially saved the building from destruction. The station was moved 100 yards south to it's present location on 24th Street at Atlantic Ave.

The Virginia Beach Maritime Museum was established in 1979 as a private, non-profit foundation dedicated to the presentation and preservation of maritime history and artifacts. In 1996 the name was changed to The Old Coast Guard Station.

New exhibits were designed and installed which sharply focused the museum's mission to depict the history of the United States Life-Saving and Coast Guard Services in Virginia and shipwrecks on the Virginia coast. The museum also focuses on the oceanfront communities of Virginia Beach.