From anchor to aweigh to land and field funnel.
As the historic SS US is ready to transform into the world’s largest artificial reef off the Florida coast, new plans for the accompanying museum are focused.
According to a release by the SS US Commission on Protection, the two six-storey height funnels will soon be removed from the American flagship and will be used as “dramatic centerpieces” for the SS US Museum and visitors’ experiences.
“By incorporating the iconic components of the historic Ocean Liner into an architecturally stunning athletic museum, SS America will continue to excite and inspire future generations.”
The SS US is an American maritime icon, about the same size as a Chrysler building, launched in 1951 and set a record of transatlantic speeds the following year.
However, after nearly 30 years of dormant in Philadelphia, the ship was sold to Okaloosa County, Florida, and sunk into an artificial reef.
While fans and supporters of “Big U” wanted a different outcome, SS US Reserve felt this was the best option to ensure that she wasn’t discarded.
And the final sinking was accompanied by the promise of a museum commemorating American legend.
Conservancy announced Monday that museum design company Thinc Design has agreed to take on the project.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the world,” said Tom Hennes, founder of THINC Design.
The conceptual rendering also holds “artwork, artifacts, vintage photographs and film footage” from the ship, as well as a concept museum that highlights the giant funnels and docks that stretch into the nearby bay, the announcement said.
The Ocean Liner is currently still in Mobile, Alabama, and is preparing to sink. Parental representatives told CNN that Okaloosa County estimates that the final sink could occur by the end of the year or early 2026.
The museum is located in Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, about 20 miles north of the boat rest area.
Longtime fans of the ship still lament the losses to the seabed of SS US, but some were pleased with the new museum’s design update.
“I like the idea that both funnels will be used,” one fan commented on the Conservancy’s Facebook page.
“The gutted hull is reduced to the seas that were once sailed, and much of the interior and top of the ship is preserved for history.”
