Key Aspects
- The SS United States is being prepped for placement as an artificial reef off the Florida coast.
- The ship’s two funnels, at 65-feet tall, are being dismantled at a recycling center in Alabama.
- The conservancy group that manages the vessel is building a companion museum in Destin-Fort Walton, Florida.
The illustrious and historic ocean liner SS United States will soon become an artificial reef off the coast of Florida, but parts of her will live on in a shoreside museum, including her enormous pair of funnels.
The first of the ship’s two funnels was dismantled on August 4, 2025 at her current location, a recycling center in Mobile, Alabama. The smokestacks are about 65 feet tall, and their removal is being watched by cruise ship enthusiasts, photographers, and others, according to local media reports.
The ship’s funnels were not just for show. They were fully functional, each serving an engine room and a boiler room on lower decks.
The funnels, along with other memorabilia still inside the iconic ship, will become a key focus of the SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience, which is slated to be built in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, located on the Panhandle of the Sunshine State. The artificial reef site is slated to be just off the Destin coast.
The 53,329-gross-ton ship that once accommodated about 1,900 guests and 900 crew members has a storied past. The SS United States was built in 1950 by United States Lines and sailed as a cruise ship until the early 1980s.
She holds the distinction of being the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction and welcomed scores of celebrities as well as many immigrants during her life span.
The ship was owned by multiple entities, left service in the mid-1980s, and eventually ended up docked at Pier 82 in Philadelphia in 1996.
The derelict vessel eventually came under the protection of the SS United States Conservancy, a non-profit group that attempted to save the ship. However, a lack of financing led to eviction notices, and after several court battles a compromise plan to sink the ship as an artificial reef finally was reached.
Historic Vessel Finally Arrives in Alabama in 2025
In early March 2025, the SS United States arrived at Modern American Recycling Services in Mobile Bay. She is expected to remain there for about a year while being prepped to be sunk. Along with memorabilia, any toxic materials will be removed from the vessel before she enters the ocean.
Also, the hull will be reinforced so that the ship will remain upright on the ocean floor, offering a prime dive experience. The artificial reef and the museum are expected to become major tourist attractions in the Destin-Fort Walton area.
Read Also: Uncovering the Secrets of the Cruise Ship Graveyard
“We are deeply committed to celebrating the enduring legacy of America’s Flagship, and we have assembled an extraordinary team to help us realize our vision,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy.
“By incorporating iconic components from the historic ocean liner into an architecturally stunning land-based museum, the SS United States will continue to excite and inspire future generations,” added Gibbs, the grand-daughter of naval architect William Francis Gibbs, who designed the ship.
Other large parts of the ship are slated to be removed, restored, and added to the museum, such as its five-bladed propellers and her radar mast, which included revolutionary radar technology.
Additional spaces of the ship, including its cocktail bars, will be retrieved, spruced up, and added to the museum.
There is no firm timeline yet for the placement of the ship into the ocean, nor is there an opening date for the museum.
