SS United States, long docked in Philly, goes under the waves
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One of the last looks at the SS United States before the vessel slipped into the wine-dark sea to return no more. Photo: Courtesy of Destin-Fort Walton Beach
The formerly Philadelphia-docked SS United States now rests at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
Why it matters: So ends the vessel's strange odyssey from the United States' largest ocean liner to Philly landmark to world's largest artificial reef.
Driving the news: The controlled sinking began Wednesday afternoon roughly 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in the Florida Panhandle.
- The sinking was slow going and stretched on for hours, but it was all over around 10pm when the ship fully disappeared into the water.
Zoom in: The SS United States now joins a smorgasbord of other sunken vessels and artificial reefs for divers to explore off the beach.
Plus: The ship's iconic red-white-and-blue smokestacks, as well as radar mast and a massive five-blade propeller were removed before the sinking — all of which will be incorporated into a land-based museum for the ship nearby.
👷 How it works: No explosives were used to sink the ship.
- Instead, crews strategically placed openings in the ship's hull and underwent a controlled flooding, which allowed it to rest in an upright position on the Gulf floor.
- Several compartments and lower deck areas that were deemed unsafe were also sealed off so divers can't access them in the future.
🧮 By the numbers:
- ⬇️ 180 feet: Depth the water where the ship was sunk.
- ⏱️ 5+ hours: Time it took for the waves to fully submerge the vessel.
- 💰 Cost: At least $13.6 million to sink the ocean liner, plus another $130,000 on security and watch boats for the sinking.
🤿 1 cool thing: Because the ship is so massive, the upper portions are 57 feet below sea level.
- That will allow less experienced divers to access the structure.
Flashback: Launched in 1952 and retired in 1969, the roughly 1,000-foot vessel was moored on the Delaware River in Philly in 1996.
- Over the decades here, the rusting hulk became a dumping ground for failed ideas — casino, restaurant and hotel to name a few — all of which were torpedoed by colossal costs.
- But in 2024, the ocean liner was evicted from Pier 82 over back rent and scooped up by Okaloosa County for $1 million to become an artificial reef.
- In 2025, the ship finally left Philly.
🏆 Fun facts: The ship holds the transatlantic speed record for crossing between NYC and Europe — three days.
- Over the span of its working life, the ship's decks carried four U.S. presidents and the Mona Lisa.
- The SS United States is longer than the Titanic.
Go deeper: Explore a 3D model of what the ship will look like under water.