SS United States

This place is on private property. Listing for informational purposes only. Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner. The SS United States is a historic ocean liner, widely known “America’s flagship.” She is the fastest passenger ship ever built and the largest ever constructed in her namesake nation. The United States still holds the trans-Atlantic speed record and is one of the last great 20th Century ocean liners remaining in the world. Since the vessel’s launch over 60 years ago, she has served as an enduring iconic symbol of American innovation and engineering might. Like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Washington Monument – there’s only one SS United States. The ship was an ambassador of America’s post-war industrial power and a technological marvel. As she sailed across the Atlantic more than 800 times, she touched the lives of over one million passengers, thousands of crew members, and countless others who were thrilled by her mere presence in New York or Europe flying the Stars and Stripes. Today, this ship remains one of the world’s last surviving examples from this bygone era of travel in grand style.  At nearly 1000 feet long, the SS United States is more than a hundred feet longer than the ill-fated Titanic, has five more decks, and — while in service — weighed in at nearly 10,000 tons heavier. The SS United States is so large if you stood her on end she'd be nearly as tall at the Chrysler Building in New York. As the fastest ocean liner ever constructed, the SS United States could move as fast in reverse as the Titanic could travel forward. The SS United States is docked at Pier 82 on Philadelphia’s Delaware River. Because the vessel is located at a working pier and is subject to Homeland Security regulations, access to the vessel’s pier is restricted. However, an excellent view of the vessel can be obtained from Columbus Boulevard or from the IKEA cafeteria in Columbus Commons across the street. To pinpoint directions to the vessel using GPS, the following address may be used: 2100 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia PA 19148. By February 7, 2012 preliminary work has begun on the restoration project to prepare the ship for her eventual rebuild, although a contract has not yet been signed In April 2012 a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released as the start of an aggressive search for a developer for the ship. A Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected to be issued in May. A developer will be chosen by the end of 2012 with the intent of putting the ship in a selected city by summer 2013.