AN IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE SS UNITED STATES

Florida's Okaloosa County has updated the timeline for converting the SS United States into the "World’s Largest Artificial Reef" and has announced that the ship's deployment is planned for the second week of November.

The SS United States will be deployed in the Gulf approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Florida's Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The ship has been in Mobile, Alabama since March 2025 undergoing remediation and preparation for reefing.

More details will be released in the coming weeks, including the final schedule of events, and how Conservancy supporters and the public can participate, both in person and online.

Photo of the SS United States from the Conservancy's collections

courtesy of Robert G. Lenzer

In partnership with Okaloosa County, the SS United States Conservancy is advancing plans for a land-based museum located near the embarkation points for future diving tours to the ship which will share the story of the SS United States with the tens of thousands of divers, history buffs, ship enthusiasts, and tourists visit the shores of Destin-Fort Walton Beach each year.

Conceptual rendering of the future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience

The Conservancy has secured many large items from the SS United States for our planned land-based museum, including the ship's iconic funnels, the radar mast, the stem anchor, and many other components. The museum will explore the cultural importance of the ship's mid-century modern art and design and the record-breaking engineering that made her a 20th century marvel, celebrating the ship’s storied design, seagoing service, and role in American history.  

Over the course of the year, the Conservancy has offered opportunities for our supporters to pay tribute to the ship by sharing post cards, video messages, and more to be preserved in our curatorial collections. Learn more about our programming celebrating the Big U during this pivotal time in her history here.

LISTEN: HISTORY OF THE SS UNITED STATES

Maritime historian David Perry was recently featured on the second episode of a new podcast “Wheels, Wings, & Rails” and shared highlights of the fascinating history of the world’s fastest ocean liner.

David Perry, longstanding co-chair of the Conservancy’s West Coast Chapter, spoke about the fascinating design elements the SS United States incorporated – such as the top-secret hull design, which was obfuscated even in Revel models of the ship, as well as highlights of her storied service career. 

To hear more about the SS United States’ fascinating history, click here.

SHOW OFF YOUR LOVE OF THE BIG U

The Conservancy is now offering a new SS United States t-shirt in our online store! Depicting the Big U’s stunning design, this is the perfect shirt for ocean liner enthusiasts

Sales from this item, and all items in our online store support the Conservancy. Click here to purchase.

Would you like to see your own SS United States-inspired design on a t-shirt? We invite you to submit a design that could be featured on special commemorative t-shirts that will be sold this year.

Share your design celebrating America’s Flagship with us through Monday, October 12th. To learn more about how to participate, click here.