Starbase 178 was a Federation starbase operated by Starfleet in the 24th century.
By the early 2370s, the Constitution-class USS Yorktown was docked at the starbase and served as a museum, and contained many 23rd century museum pieces such as the original bridge module of the USS Enterprise and the cloaking device stolen from the ChR Memenda by Captain James T. Kirk.
Following Spock's capture by Romulan soldiers on Constanthus in 2371, Montgomery Scott travelled to the starbase and managed to "borrow" the Yorktown. Equipping her with the still functioning cloak, Scott set off for Constanthus. (TNG novel: Crossover)