October 27, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
The SS United States will be sunk Nov. 12 about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County officials say.
The SS United States, the historic ocean liner that spent decades docked in South Philadelphia, is scheduled to be sunk Nov. 12 in the Gulf of Mexico.
The sinking will take place at 10 a.m. about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County, Florida. Earlier this month, county officials announced the ship would be sunk in mid-November, but they had not yet finalized a specific date.
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The ship is destined to become the world's largest artificial reef. Okaloosa County officials hope it will become a destination for divers.
"This will be a historic day for Destin-Fort Walton Beach and for a ship with such a historic story," Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin said. "Her story will continue to be told by thousands of people who visit her in tandem with the SS United States Conservancy's land-based museum."
The SS United States was docked at Pier 82 in South Philly from 1996 until February 2025, when it was towed to Mobile, Alabama, for cleaning after Okaloosa County purchased the ship for $10 million. The sale came after its former owner, the SS United States Conservancy, underwent a lengthy legal battle with Penn Warehousing, which owns the pier where the ship was docked.
Okaloosa County officials said the boat will be moved from Alabama to the Florida site a few days before it is sunk. The county also is building a museum to tell the ship's history.
The SS United States set the transatlantic speed record during its maiden voyage in 1952. During its time as an ocean liner, it transported presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. Other famous passengers included Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne.
