SS United States

Design SS United States was designed by William Gibbs. When Gibbs was eight years old in 1894, he watched the launching of SS St. Louis and became enamored with ships and dreamed of a massive, grand American ship to surpass all others. As an adult, Gibbs' first project was to lead the redesign and reconstruction of the ocean liner Leviathan, the largest ship in the world and an American war prize following World War I. Once complete, his skill was appreciated by the government, media, and other architects; groups such as the Pacific Marine Review referred to him as "America's foremost naval architect". The first ship purely of Gibb's design was SS Malolo, a luxury liner for the Pacific Ocean. During her sea trials, the ship was struck amidship by a freighter, ripping a massive hole into Malolo engine room. The damage was so severe the former Chief of US Navy Construction and Gibb's mentor David Taylor thought the ship would immediately sink, much like the RMS Empress of Ireland did in similar circumstances. The ship stayed afloat with little damage and few casualties; this success was credited to Gibb's meticulous designs, further increasing his fame. allowing her keel to be laid on 8 February 1950. The circumstance saw United States become the first ocean liner to be built in a dry dock, accelerating her construction because parts of the ship could be prefabricated. Her construction was a joint effort by the United States Navy and United States Lines (USL), and was broken into two parts. The cost of construction was split; USL contributed $25 million and the US government $20 million. The government also paid another $25 million for the incorporation of "national defense features" into her design, which brought her cost to $71.08 million, even though the ship itself cost only $44.4 million. ==Features==

Propulsion The ship's power plant was developed in unusual cooperation with the Navy, leading to a militarized design. The ship never used US Navy equipment; the designers opted for civilian variants of military models. The engine room arrangement was similar to that of large warships such as the Forrestal-class aircraft carriers, with isolated engineering spaces, and redundancies and backups in onboard systems. and complicated by the alleged leak of a top speed of the ship attained after her first speed trial. The New York Times reported in 1968 the ship could make at a maximum power output of . Other sources, including a paper by John J. McMullen & Associates, placed the ship's highest-possible sustained speed at . The liner's top achieved speed was later revealed to be , which she achieved during a full-power trial run on June 10, 1952. ==Interior design==

, whose loss influenced strict fire safety on United States'' Dorothy Marckwald and Anne Urquhart, who also designed the interiors for America, designed the interiors for United States. Their goal was to "create a modern fresh contemporary look that emphasized simplicity over palatial, [with] restrained elegance over glitz and glitter". Marckwald and Urquhart also wanted to replicate the smooth lines seen on the exterior and to visualize the ship's speed. who was also tasked with creating interiors that were completely fireproof. This caused an exceptional difficulty when selecting materials, such as those for usually flammable items such as drapes or carpet. To minimize the risk of flames, the designers of United States proscribed the use of wood in the ship, aside from the galley's wooden butcher's block. Fittings, including furniture and fabrics, were custom made in glass, metal, and fiberglass to ensure compliance with the US Navy's fireproofing guidelines. Asbestos-laden paneling was extensively used in interior structures and many small items were made of aluminum. The ballroom's grand piano was originally designed to be aluminum but was made from mahogany and accepted only after a demonstration in which gasoline was poured upon the wood and ignited, without the wood catching fire. Additionally, instead of traditional teak decking, the exterior decks were covered with a green latex composition called "Neotex." Art To create the onboard art, the artists Hildreth Meière and Austin Purves consulted Marckwald. The artists' goals were to give the ship a unique character that was detached from any single art style. Because the ship was going to serve as a floating icon of the US, it was decided her character would reflect the country. This was achieved by theming spaces around an aspect of the United States, such as the Mississippi River, Native Americans, or American fauna. The liner was decorated with hundreds of unique art pieces, including sculptures, relief murals, and paintings. Aluminum was commonly incorporated into the artworks, allowing pieces to be light and fireproof, and to match the black-and-silver theme. For instance, nearly 200 aluminum sculptures were used in the first-class stairway, with a large eagle and each state's bird and flower emblems on the landing of each deck. == Accommodations ==

Gibbs' design incorporated a conventional, three-tiered class system for passengers, replicating those found on other classical ocean liners. Each class was segregated, having its own dining rooms, bars, public spaces, services, and recreation areas. Gibbs envisioned having passengers enforce the separation, only intermingling in the gymnasium, swimming pool, and theater. The stark and physical class separations, an idea associated with the Old World, contrasted with the overall American theme of the ocean liner; the United States was often seen as a nation that was removed from the old money and class segregation of the Old World. First class First-class passengers were entitled to the best services and locations the ship had to offer, including the grand ballroom, the smoking room, first-class dining room and restaurants, observation lounge, main foyer, grand staircase, and promenades. Most of these facilities were located midship, distant from the vibrations and distractions of the engines and the outside. Tourist class Tourist class was aimed at those who were unable or unwilling to spend much on a ticket; it was often booked by migrants and students. Cheapest of all tickets, tourist-class cabins were located at the peripheries of the ship, where rocking and noise were most pronounced. These small cabins were shared among passengers, each room containing two bunk beds and simply furnished with little detail. Communal bathrooms were shared with all tourist-class passengers in the same passage. Service from the crew was lacking compared to the other classes, as tourist-class passengers received the lowest priority. While equivalent to the steerage or third-class on other vessels, these poorest conditions on United States were noticeably better than what was offered on other vessels. == Commercial service (1952–1957) ==

Maiden voyage during her return maiden voyage to New York, summer 1952 United States made her maiden voyage from July 3 to 7, 1952, and broke the eastbound-transatlantic speed record that had been held by for the previous 14 years by more than 10 hours, making the crossing from the Ambrose lightship at New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK, in three days, ten hours, and 40 minutes at an average speed of , winning the coveted Blue Riband. On her return voyage United States also broke the westbound-transatlantic speed record, which was also held by Queen Mary, by returning to America in three days, twelve hours, and twelve minutes at an average speed of . In New York City, her owners were awarded the Hales Trophy, the tangible expression of the Blue Riband competition. The ship's return to the United States was marked with celebration as she was escorted into New York City by bands, helicopters, and small boats, and was met by a crowd of thousands. As a public symbol of the Blue Riband, a long, blue flag was flown from her radar mast as she approached. Many people noticed her fresh hull paint had worn off, apparently due to the high speeds at which she traveled. Her crew was officially welcomed to the city several days later with a Ticker-tape parade, escorted by more than 2,000 people and greeted by a crowd of 150,000. The centerpiece of the event was the liner's captain, Commodore Harry Manning, who is one of the few people to receive a Ticker-tape parade twice after his 1929 rescue of crewmembers from the cargo ship Florida. The record was not a reflection of the ship's actual operational speed. Prior to her voyage, many expected a race between United States and the British vessel Queen Elizabeth for national pride over the Blue Riband. In 1951, Gibbs instructed the crew to "[not] beat the record by very much. Beat it by a reasonable amount, such as 32 knots." He hoped Cunard Line, which operated Queen Elizabeth, would then develop a slightly faster ship and United States would then break the intentionally low record, sailing at a much higher speed. United States record-breaking speed was also held back by safety concerns. The line understood the crew was still inexperienced with the new ship, and ordered them to not take unnecessary risks with extravagant speeds. The memory of the sinking of RMS Titanic influenced USL's caution, an issue personal to several of its leaders. CEO John Franklin was son of White Star Line's office manager Philip Franklin during the Titanic disaster, and the company director Vincent Astor lost his father John Jacob Astor on that ship. Franklin was so concerned about a potential accident he had written and sealed a message that was only to be made public if there was a disaster during United States maiden voyage. She attracted frequent, repeat, celebrity passengers such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Salvador Dalí, Duke Ellington, and Walt Disney, who featured the ship in the 1962 film Bon Voyage!. An unrecognized celebrity on the ship was Claude Jones, a trombonist who had performed with Ellington; he worked as part of the waitstaff and died on board in 1962. United States proved exceedingly successful and was the most-popular liner in the North Atlantic, and her fame provided her with a reliable clientele. United States Lines (USL) began drafting plans to create a "running mate" for the ship. Similar to Cunard Line's Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the idea was to operate two liners in tandem with each other. In 1958, this idea evolved into a plan to build the SS President Washington, a superliner with a very similar design to United States. President Washington was planned to replace the aging USL liner America, and was to operate on the American West Coast and sail the Pacific. The idea was never realized because the US Congress did not allocate any funds to the project. == Decline (1957–1969) ==

In 1957, for the first time ever, piston-powered aircraft carried more passengers across the Atlantic than did ocean liners. This trend escalated as the advent of jet-propelled airliners provided trans-Atlantic routes that were only hours long, compared to days on the fastest ocean liners. The competition threatened to redirect the customers of USL and other shipping companies, although the economic threat of aircraft was initially dismissed as a fad. Due to strike-related costs, increasing union dues, decreasing government subsidies, a rise in alleged corporate mismanagement, and general passenger disinterest, United States was due for retirement. On 25 October 1969, United States returned from her 400th voyage and was ordered to start a scheduled yearly overhaul in Newport News early. This move canceled a planned 21-day cruise, although bookings for future voyages were still being made. == Layup in Virginia (1969–1996) ==

While at Newport News for a scheduled annual overhaul, USL announced United States was being withdrawn from service on November 11. That month, the Navy sealed and dehumidified the ship to minimize decay. When the ship was sealed, all furniture, fittings, and crew uniforms were left in place. Her funnels were left half-painted when work suddenly halted, which can still be seen today. By 1978, the Maritime Administration deemed United States worthless to the government and allowed her to be sold. At first, "The S.S. United States was offered for sale to United States citizens for operation under the American Flag," according to the GOA document. Auctions were conducted with opening bids of $12.1 million and later $7.5 million. Although some parties apparently expressed interest during these early auctions, all bids were disqualified for failing to be accompanied by a 10% deposit. After three unsuccessful auctions to sell the ship between 1973 and 1975, the rule regarding potential buyer's use of the ship was expanded in 1976 "... to allow the sale of the S.S. United States for use as a floating hotel in or on the navigable waters of the United States." Two more auctions (in 1976 and 1978) were conducted under the new terms and with a new, lower opening bid of $5 million. As with previous auctions, no bids were accompanied by a 10% deposit, so there was no sale. On March 4, 1989, United States was towed across Hampton Roads to the CSX coal pier in Newport News. Hadley's plan of a time-share-style cruise ship failed financially and the ship was seized by the United States Marshals Service and put up for auction by the US Maritime Administration on April 27, 1992. Marmara Marine Inc. (1992–1996) Kahraman Sadıkoğlu, a Turkish businessman who was a partner of Marmara Marine Inc, was interested in buying the vessel. He first saw her when a friend of his told him that she was to be auctioned off. But after the first auction was cancelled, he left empty-handed. He went for a second auction 2 months later, and he lost interest after it was also cancelled. While in New York, he was notified that a third auction took place and that his previous offer of $2.6 million was accepted. The Turkish president, Turgut Özal, invited Sadıkoğlu to a business meeting at the Hotel Plaza Athénée after hearing the news. During the meeting, he described the situation as: "There's a Turkish businessman amongst us tonight. First he bought the Savarona that was destined for scrapping and got it functioning again; and now he has bought the SS United States. This legendary ocean liner will be in the seas once again." On the morning of 5 June 1992, the ship was eased out of Newport News and departed under tow across the Atlantic for Turkey, arriving 35 days later. Sadıkoğlu and Özal welcomed the ship from the MV Savarona as the liner passed through the Dardanelles Strait for refurbishment at a shipyard in Tuzla, İstanbul. Upon her arrival, members of Greenpeace and the media protested the ship due to her asbestos interior lining, due to the material's nature as a carcinogen. After debate, it was agreed that the ship would first undergo asbestos removal in Ukraine. On 22 October 1993, she was towed to Sevastopol, Ukraine, and arrived on 1 November. Protests from Greenpeace and their flagship Rainbow Warrior continued. While in Sevastopol, a 200-person team worked to gut down the ship's interiors to the bulkheads. Hundreds of tons of materials were offloaded onto the docks and scrapped. She was towed back to Turkey after the asbestos removal was completed. By now, Marmara Marine Inc. had invested so much money in her asbestos problems that parts of the ship, such as the lifeboats, were sold off to pay the shipyard. When work was completed in 1996, the company was out of money. ==Layup in Philadelphia (1996–2025)==

, late 90s United States was seized by the US Marshals, as the owners of the previous company were unable to pay debtors. She was towed to the United States in 1996 and put up for auction. Two years later, the SS United States Foundation and the SS United States Preservation Society, Inc. (which would later become the SS United States Conservancy) succeeded in having the ship placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In late 2003, NCL began an extensive technical review that found the ship was in sound condition, and cataloged over 100 boxes of the ship's blueprints. In August 2004, NCL commenced feasibility studies for retrofitting the vessel, and in 2006, company owner Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay stated United States would be retrofitted. By 2009, NCL changed its plans for United States, which was costing the company about $800,000 yearly to keep afloat and was made redundant once , , and started operating for NCL America. The company began taking bids for the scrapping of United States. SS United States Conservancy (2011–2024) In 2009, the SS United States Conservancy was formed to save the ship by raising funds to purchase her. Current members of the SS United States Conservancy Advisory Council include Jerry Hultin (former Under Secretary of the U.S. Navy), Keith Harper (Vice President of Design, Gibbs & Cox - the original firm that designed the SS United States), Bill Miller (maritime historian), Billie Jean King (tennis player), and Kalman Sporn (political strategist and philanthropist). On July 30, 2009, H. F. Lenfest, a Philadelphia media entrepreneur and philanthropist, pledged a matching grant of $300,000 to help the Conservancy purchase the vessel from NCL's parent company. While Lenfest, a former US Navy captain, did not see the project as economically feasible, he was sympathetic to the ship because his father was one of the naval architects who helped build her. In November 2010, the Conservancy announced a plan to develop a "multi-purpose waterfront complex" with hotels, restaurants, and a casino along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia at the proposed location of the stalled Foxwoods Casino project. In December that year, a detailed study of the site was revealed in tandem with a plan for Harrah's Entertainment to take over the project. The deal collapsed later that month when the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted to revoke the casino's license. , Philadelphia, on July 16, 2017 The Conservancy bought United States from NCL in February 2011 for a reported $3 million with Lenfest's assistance. The group had funds to last 20 months that went to de-toxification and plans to make the ship financially independent, possibly as a hotel or other development project. Conservancy executive director Dan McSweeney stated that possible locations for the ship included Philadelphia, New York City, and Miami. On February 1, 2011, The Conservancy assumed ownership of United States. Talks about a location for the ship lasted months. In New York City, negotiations with a developer for the ship to become part of Vision 2020, a $3.3 billion waterfront development, were underway. In Miami, Florida, Ocean Group International was interested in putting the ship in a slip on the north side of American Airlines Arena. With an additional $5.8 million donation from Lenfest, the Conservancy had about 18 months from March 2011 to convert United States into a public attraction. On February 7, 2012, preliminary restoration work to prepare the ship for a complete reconstruction began, although a contract had not yet been signed. In July 2012, the Conservancy launched a new online campaign called "Save the United States"; it used social networking and micro-fundraising that allowed donors to sponsor square inches of a virtual ship for redevelopment while allowing them to upload photographs and stories about their experience with the ship. The Conservancy announced donors to the virtual ship would be featured in an interactive "Wall of Honor" aboard the future SS United States museum. A developer that would put United States in a selected city by 2013 was to be chosen by the end of 2012. In November 2012, the ship underwent a months-long "below-the-deck" makeover to make her more appealing to developers as an attraction. The Conservancy was warned the ship may be scrapped if its plans were not quickly realized. In January 2014, obsolete pieces of the ship were sold to pay the $80,000-a-month maintenance costs. Enough money to fund the ship for another six months was raised with the hope of finding someone committed to the project, with New York City remaining the likeliest location. In August, the ship was still moored in Philadelphia and rent costs were $60,000 a month. It was estimated $1 billion would be needed to return United States to service, although a 2016 estimate for restoration as a luxury cruise ship placed the maximum cost at $700 million. On September 4, 2014, a final effort to have the ship sail to New York City was made. A developer interested in re-purposing the ship as a major waterfront destination made an announcement about the move. The Conservancy had weeks to decide whether to sell the ship for scrap. On December 15, 2014, preliminary agreements in support of the redevelopment of United States were announced. The agreements included the provision of three months of carrying costs, with a timeline and more details to be released in 2015. In February 2015, the Conservancy received another $250,000 toward planning an onboard museum from an anonymous donor. In October 2015, as the group began to exhaust funds, the Conservancy explored potential bids to scrap United States. Attempts to re-purpose the ship continued; ideas for reuse included hotels, restaurants, and office space. One idea was to install computer servers in the lower decks and link them to software development businesses in office space on the upper decks. No firm plans were announced. The Conservancy said if no progress was made by October 31, 2015, they would be forced to sell the ship to a "responsible recycler". As the deadline passed, it was announced $100,000 had been raised in October 2015, sparing the ship from immediate danger. By November 23, 2015, it was reported over $600,000 in donations had been received for care and upkeep, providing funding well into 2016 for the Conservancy to continue with its plan to redevelop the vessel. Crystal Cruises (2016–2018) On February 4, 2016, Crystal Cruises announced it had signed a purchase option for redevelopment of the United States. The company paid the ship's docking costs for nine months while it conducted a feasibility study on returning the ship to service as a cruise ship based in New York City. On April 9, 2016, it was announced 600 artifacts from United States would be returned to the ship from the Mariners' Museum and other donors. On August 5, 2016, the plan was abandoned; Crystal Cruises cited the project's technical and commercial challenges, and donated $350,000 to help preservation effort until the end of the year. The Conservancy continued to receive donations, including one for $150,000 from cruise-industry executive Jim Pollin. In January 2018, the Conservancy made an appeal to the US President Donald Trump to take action. In the event it ran out of money, the group made alternative plans for the ship, including sinking her as an artificial reef rather than scrapping her. RXR Realty (2018–2024) On December 10, 2018, the Conservancy announced an agreement with the commercial real estate firm RXR Realty to explore options for restoring and redeveloping United States. The Conservancy required any redevelopment plan to preserve the ship's profile and exterior design, and include approximately for an onboard museum. In March 2020, RXR Realty announced its plans to repurpose the ship as a permanently moored, "hospitality and cultural space", and requested expressions of interest from major US waterfront cities, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In 2023, RXR Realty and MCR Hotels released a more-detailed plan for the ship's redevelopment into a 1,000-room hotel, museum, event venue, public park, and restaurant. New York City was chosen as the best location for the ship due to existing infrastructure and the nearby Javits Convention Center, and the ship would ideally be moored to a specially built pier along the Hudson River. The 2023 plan document also included several rendered images of the redesigned United States depicting the ship docked along Manhattan's West Side at a public pier in Hudson River Park. One of the ship's funnels, with the top removed and exposed to the sky, would be a key element of the hotel. The funnel would act as a skylight, illuminating the hotel and event spaces. The plan also included hotel rooms held in the lifeboat davits, a swimming pool between the funnels, and an aft-mix interior-exterior ballroom. The Conservancy responded by stating the rent hike violated an agreement made in 2011 and refused to pay. They said Penn Warehousing illegally wanted to evict the ship so the pier could be used for more-profitable activities. This led to the Conservancy and Penn Warehousing suing each other. Brody dismissed Penn Warehousing's financial demands but found because the 2011 berthing agreement was of indefinite duration, it was terminable at will by either party upon reasonable notice. Brody ordered the removal of United States within 90 days (by September 12). Six days later, the Conservancy began a new donation drive and requested $500,000 to help relocate the ship. In August 2024, the Conservancy stated that in addition to necessary surveys, tugboats, insurance, and other preparations, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season complicated efforts to relocate the ship before the deadline, the main difficulty being finding a port willing to host the ship. On September 12, 2024, the date on which United States was ordered to be evicted, the Conservancy accused the landlord, Penn Warehousing, of illegally planning to sell the ship. The Conservancy alleged the company had blocked an initial agreement, then planned to seize the ship and sell her for profit, thus extorting the non-profit and buyer out of millions of dollars. The Conservancy took the issue back to court and demanded an extension to the eviction notice. In court, the eviction deadline was temporarily suspended. The company defended itself, saying it added $3 million to the sale of United States because she had not vacated her berth before the deadline. Blame was placed on the buyers for not responding to the company, with the ship's sale now under the judge's supervision. The company stated it wanted to remove the ship, so that the pier could be used to support the local economy. 2024 images File:SS United States Pool 2024.jpg|The drained ship's swimming pool File:SS United State's 1st Class Dining Room from Minstrels' Gallery, 2024.jpg|The Minstrel's Gallery, looking down onto the first-class dining room one deck below. File:SS United States Enclosed Promenade 2024.jpg|The 1st-class enclosed promenade, which runs for most of the ship's length. File:SS United States 1st Class Cabins, 2024.jpg|A passageway with the footprint of first-class staterooms on the left. File:SS United States Bow 2024.jpg|The rusting ship's name and bow. File:SS United States stripped interior cropped.jpg|The ship's first-class restaurant, stripped of asbestos and furnishings. The entire ship is in a similar state. ==Conversion to artificial reef (2024–present)==

Okaloosa County, Florida On August 30, 2024, Florida's Okaloosa County announced its plan to buy United States and sink her as the world's largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton beach at a cost of $1 million. The county identified several inshore locations, hoping tourism and diving expeditions would bring in revenue to pay for the project. Escambia County had sunk the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany as part of a similar plan. The same day, the Conservancy said the agreement with Okaloosa County was a contingent contract and would only proceed if the Conservancy had no other options to keep the ship afloat. It would be enacted in the event no alternatives be found before the eviction deadline. In October 2024, Okaloosa County purchased the ship for $1 million. The county estimated that the project would take about 18 months and $10 million after judge approval. To prepare the ship to be sunk as an artificial reef, she would first be relocated to Mobile, Alabama, to be prepared for scuttling, before finally arriving in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Alongside the artificial reef, the SS United States Conservancy also plans to open a land-based museum. The museum will include ship artifacts, fixtures, furnishings, vintage audio-visual material, and archival documentation collected over the years. Salvaged items from the ship will include her radar mast and both funnels. In response to Okaloosa County's plans to sink the ship, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States, a nonprofit organization, was formed in an attempt to try and save the ship. On March 2, 2025, the Coalition filed a federal complaint against Okaloosa County, which was dismissed by the judge on August 6. , the Coalition had a petition with over 15,500 signatures. In addition, on December 18, 2025, the New York City Council unanimously passed Resolution 0649, sponsored by council member Gale Brewer, calling on the federal government to prevent the sinking of United States. Relocation to Mobile, Alabama 's Pier 80February 19, 2025 The US Coast Guard refused to allow the liner to be moved until it could verify her structural integrity and ensure the ship would not sink during transit or pose a risk to wildlife. A move announced for February 8, 2025 was subsequently cancelled, due to this request by the Coast Guard. The liner was successfully shifted between the Piers 82 and 80 on February 14, 2025. The ship could only be moved out of its berth at high tide due to an accumulation of silt. Another move scheduled for February 17, 2025 was also cancelled, due to severe weather. On February 19, 2025, the ship began its journey to Mobile, Alabama. United States departed Pier 80 at approximately noon EST, propelled by tug boats. Local interest and its prominent location along the Philadelphia waterfront prompted officials to close traffic on major bridges while the ship passed below. The ship arrived in Mobile on March 3, 2025, two days ahead of schedule. While in Mobile, the ship will undergo an extensive remediation process. Items such as environmentally unsafe materials, non-metal items, wiring, command bridge components, engine room equipment, cables, loose items, flooring, furnishings, fuel, paint, and contaminants possibly including asbestos, will be removed from the vessel before it is taken to Florida. Preparation will also see passages opened to allow marine life to thrive in and around the ship, and strategically cut holes to ensure the ship lands upright when submerged. According to Okaloosa County, United States will be sunk in 2026. The ship's final resting place was announced in November. She will rest southwest of Destin, southeast of Pensacola, or about from USS Oriskany. On August 4, 2025, the forward funnel (which is 65 feet tall) and the ship's radar mast were removed from the ship in order for them to be restored for use as part of the SS United States Conservancy's land-based museum. The museum was originally planned to also make use of a large part of the bridge, but those plans were later scrapped. The aft funnel was removed on August 8. As of October 12, 2025, all fuel, portholes, and windows had been removed. 70% of the wiring had been removed and the top four decks were fully remediated and ready for inspection. In February, county officials announced plans to scuttle the ship in April 2026, although inspections and weather may delay plans. ==Artifacts==

Artwork The Mariners' Museum of Newport News holds many objects from United States, including Expressions of Freedom by Gwen Lux, a main-dining-room sculpture it purchased during the 1984 auction. Other onboard memorabilia, including original porcelain and a ship model, were moved to the entrance of the ship's casino in 2015. The museum also bought two murals by Hildreth Meière—Mississippi and Father of Waters—but these are not on display. A third five-bladed propeller was aboard the ship when she was moved to Mobile and will be preserved in the museum. The ship's bell, which is kept in a clock tower on the campus of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, is used to celebrate special events, and is rung by incoming freshmen and by outgoing graduates. One of the ship's horns that stood on display for decades above a hardware store in Revere, Massachusetts, was sold to a private collector in Texas for $8,000 in 2017. A large collection of dining-room furniture and other memorabilia from United States that had been purchased at the 1984 auction was incorporated at Windmill Point Restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina. Following the restaurant's closure, the items were donated to the Mariners' Museum and Christopher Newport University in 2007. ==Speed records==

, which won the Hales Trophy from United States''|257x257px With both the eastbound and westbound speed records, SS United States obtained the Blue Riband, which marked the first time a US-flagged ship had held the record since claimed the prize 100 years earlier. During her 17 years of service, United States maintained a crossing speed of in the North Atlantic, where she was unchallenged. Due to the decline of ocean liners during the 1960s, many regard the Blue Riband as having ended with United States. United States east-bound record was broken several times, first in 1986 by Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, and her west-bound record was broken in 1990 by Destriero, but these vessels were not passenger-carrying ocean liners. The Hales Trophy was lost in 1990 to Hoverspeed Great Britain, which set a new eastbound speed record for a commercial vessel. ==In film and literature==

Due to her association with luxury and fame, several movies have prominently featured United States during her time in and out of service. The ship is a major plot point in films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), and Bon Voyage! (1962). More recently, she was used as a set for and appeared in the thriller Dead Man Down (2013) while docked in Philadelphia. Numerous documentaries about the ship have been made, such as SS United States: Lady in Waiting, SS United States: Made in America, and The SS United States: From Dream to Reality. She also appears in the opening sequence of West Side Story (1961). The 2012 book ''A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the SS United States by Steven Ujifusa covered the design and construction of the ship. The Wall Street Journal''s books editors later named it one of their best non-fiction books of the year. ==See also==