Progress continues to be made on the World’s Largest Artificial Reef, the SS United States. Last month (August 2025), crews in Mobile, Alabama, removed the massive 65-foot forward smoke stack from the vessel. The stack will be preserved in a secure location for future use in the SS United States Conservancy’s land-based museum. The aft funnel is expected to be removed soon after the forward funnel.
The 990-foot SS United States was purchased by Okaloosa County in 2024 with the goal of creating expanded marine habitat in the northern Gulf while enhancing the fishing and diving industry. The SS United States will join more than a dozen large vessels that have already been deployed in the Gulf by the Natural Resources Team at Destin-Fort Walton Beach. It will magnify the already thriving tourism industry in Destin-Fort Walton Beach that contributes more than $2 billion to the local and regional economy.
“This is a massive next step toward an environmental effort that will benefit our local marine habitat and build upon our robust tourism industry in Destin-Fort Walton Beach,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon. “I applaud the efforts of our contractor, Coleen Marine and the Natural Resources Team at Destin-Fort Walton Beach for their work in preserving this ship’s history as the World’s Largest Artificial reef.”
The SS United States will be deployed in late 2025, about 20 nautical miles south of Destin-Fort Walton Beach at a depth of 180 feet to the bottom and about 55 feet to the upper deck. It will satisfy the diving aspirations of both beginners and technical divers. An exact location for the deployment has not been finalized.
• Learn more about the World’s Largest Artificial Reef at https://myokaloosa.com/SSUSFAQs
• View an interactive map of the existing artificial reefs in Destin-Fort Walton Beach at https://www.destinfwb.com/explore/eco-tourism/artificial-reefs/
• Learn more about the SS United States Conservancy and the ship’s history at https://www.ssusc.org/
Design Begins for New SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience
Soaring six stories high and sloping backward to convey the record-breaking speed of the ship, the towering funnels of the legendary SS United States will form a dramatic centerpiece of the future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience. The aft funnel is expected to be removed soon after the forward funnel. The ship is now being prepared for deployment as the “world’s largest artificial reef” off the coast of Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
The SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience will honor the enduring legacy of “America’s Flagship.” An example of superb American design, innovation and engineering prowess, the SS United States, launched 74 years ago, smashed the transatlantic speed records for both eastbound and westbound travel on her maiden voyage. These records remain unbroken to this day. The “Big U” carried over one million passengers during her service life, including four U.S. Presidents, celebrities, immigrants, artists, diplomats, and American servicemen and servicewomen and their families. The ship’s mid-century modern design and innovative technology made her a singular American achievement and marvel of the 20th century.
The SS United States Conservancy has engaged Thinc Design, one of the world’s premier museum and exhibit design firms, to initiate the museum planning and development process. Thinc is internationally recognized for creating powerful, story-driven environments that merge physical artifacts with immersive media and theatrical effects. Their acclaimed projects include the National September 11 Memorial Museum; the Empire State Building Observatory; Robert Ballard’s Challenge of the Deep, focusing on RMS Titanic exploration; and aquariums in Seattle, Miami, and San Francisco, including the new Ocean Pavilion on Seattle’s waterfront.
With deep expertise in interpretive storytelling, technical innovation, and community engagement, Thinc is partnering with LMN Architects and engineering firm Buro Happold to guide the initial planning of the SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience. Gibbs & Cox, the firm that designed the SS United States, and now a subsidiary of Leidos, is lending valuable technical input as well to bring the ship to life for new generations of visitors.
Susan Gibbs, Conservancy president and granddaughter of the SS United States’ designer, said, “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. 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.”
Tom Hennes, founder of Thinc Design, said, “From the moment we first set foot aboard the SS United States, we felt a passion for helping tell her remarkable story. In close collaboration with the Conservancy, we look forward to designing dynamic, interactive exhibits that create an unforgettable experience for all visitors.”
Over the decades, the Conservancy has acquired thousands of unique and historic items from the SS United States, including artwork, artifacts, vintage photographs and film footage, and more. Highlights from these collections will be featured in the future museum’s exhibitions and will be complemented by dynamic and immersive simulations of seagoing journeys aboard America’s Flagship.
The Conservancy recently mounted a new installation of its series of digital exhibitions about America’s Flagship. The current exhibition, “Food Tastes Better at Sea: Food and Dining Aboard the SS United States” can be viewed here.
Additional Highlights:
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The funnels are the largest ever installed on a ship — at 65 feet they are themselves as tall as a six-story building. The funnels were raked sharply backward to lend the impression of motion and a determination to race.
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Unlike other ships’ “false” funnels installed purely for aesthetics, both funnels on the SS United States were fully functional. The stacks served two independent engine rooms and boiler rooms several decks below.
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The funnels will join thousands of curatorial items, both large and small, that already have been saved, restored and preserved for display at the eagerly anticipated land-based museum. Other large artifacts will include one of the “Big U’s” massive, five-bladed propellers, as well as her revolutionary radar mast, which combined ground-breaking radar technology with a traditional crow’s nest. Even original cocktail bars that remained on the ship will be retrieved and restored.
About the SS United States Conservancy
A national nonprofit organization, the SS United States Conservancy leads the global effort to celebrate and commemorate America’s Flagship, the SS United States. The Conservancy is advancing its SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience that will explore the cultural importance of the ship’s mid-century modern design and the record-breaking engineering that made her a marvel of the 20th century. Through its extensive curatorial collections and educational programs, the Conservancy works to ensure that the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean remains an inspiration for generations to come. For more information visit ssusc.org or the Conservancy’s Facebook page.
