Back in 1952, the SS United States wasn’t just another ocean liner—it was a marvel of engineering, a symbol of American innovation, and the fastest passenger ship ever built. On its maiden voyage, it shattered the transatlantic speed record, racing from New York to France at an average speed of 41 mph—a feat that has never been beaten by another ocean liner.
But now, more than 70 years later, the ship is taking a very different kind of journey—its final one.
On February 19, the 990-foot-long vessel left Philadelphia, where it had been docked for nearly three decades, to begin a two-week trek down the Atlantic. Unlike its record-breaking past, this trip isn’t about speed—the once-mighty liner is being towed by tugboats to its final destination: Mobile, Alabama.
There, it will be prepared for a second life beneath the waves—as the world’s largest artificial reef. Instead of carrying presidents, celebrities, and priceless art, the ship will soon become a thriving underwater ecosystem, providing a home for marine life along the ocean floor.
At its peak, the SS United States wasn’t just fast—it was the place to be. It transported four American presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton), as well as Hollywood royalty like Grace Kelly and Duke Ellington. It even carried the Mona Lisa across the Atlantic under heavy security in 1962, ensuring the priceless masterpiece arrived safely for an exhibition in Washington, D.C.
As the ship left the city it had called home for nearly 30 years, residents gathered to say their farewells. Many had hoped for a different future—maybe a restoration, a museum, or even a floating hotel. But for some, the idea of the ship becoming a reef was a better fate than being sold for scrap.
“It’s a shame to see it go,” one local told NBC10 Philadelphia, “but better it be a reef than a scrap of metal.”
Though its days of record-breaking crossings are long behind it, the SS United States is still making history.
