Dear Supporter of the SS United States:

The Conservancy is leading the charge to transform the incredible legacy of the SS United States into something awe-inspiring and unforgettable for generations to come. Situated on the Gulf coast, the future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience will incorporate original signature elements from the ship and celebrate her role as a design masterpiece and technological marvel. We invite you to join us in bringing this singular tribute to the SS United States to life.

Guided by Thinc Design, one of the country’s premier museum and exhibit design firms, the museum will explore the sweep of American history, style, technical prowess, culture, and vision embodied by the SS United States. Your support of our work to preserve the SS United States’ legacy is crucial.

Please consider becoming a founding museum supporter by making your year-end tax deductible contribution. Conservancy gift and tribute memberships are also available this holiday season.

To donate securely online, please click below:

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For information on how to make your gift via check, please click below:

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The Conservancy’s curatorial collection includes thousands of treasured furnishings, fixtures, and artwork from America’s Flagship. For the first time ever, these legendary artifacts will come together under one roof to feature:

  • Funnels and other large artifacts. Towering six stories over the museum, the iconic funnels will be restored to their original gleaming red, white, and blue. Other oversize items will include her massive bow anchor, a five-bladed propeller, and innovative radar mast that combined a traditional crow’s nest with state-of-the-art navigational equipment.

  • A fully restored maneuvering board from an engine room. Bristling with lit panels, gauges, throttle control wheels and gleaming alarm bells, these boards were the control centers of the ship’s two massive engine rooms.

  • Wheelhouse instruments from the bridge. These manual and automatic controls guided and tracked the ship on her transatlantic voyages. Exhibits will illustrate their position and purpose on the ship that was renowned for safety as well as speed.

  • Galley equipment. Serving up to 9,000 meals per day on voyages, the ship boasted sizable and innovative galleys. The exhibit will feature the legendary butcher block, a rare exception to the “no wood on board” decree from the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs.

These artifacts and exhibits from the Conservancy’s extraordinary collection will capture the spirit, scale, and innovation of the SS United States as she has never been seen before!

The Conservancy is also producing a new feature length documentary film, “Superliner: The Enduring Legacy of the SS United States.” Produced by board member Mark Perry and filmmaker Robert Radler, the film will tell the complete story of the ship for the first time, including coverage of her next chapter as an artificial reef. Dedicated Conservancy supporter Jim Pollin is the executive producer. Robby Krieger, guitarist and founding member of the rock band, The Doors, and his composing partner, Arthur Barrow, who played bass and keyboards for Frank Zappa, are scoring this exciting new film.

Over the course of this year, so many generous supporters entrusted the Conservancy with SS United States artifacts, oral histories, and artwork to add to our curatorial collections. One such donation is the 1962 album "Around The World... With Santo & Johnny," featuring songs inspired by far off locales. Fittingly, the album art was photographed on board the SS United States, including the gangway and upper decks. This album is a great addition to our archives showcasing the ship's broad cultural impact.

Many treasured items from our collections were showcased in the Conservancy’s exciting new digital exhibition, “Food Tastes Better at Sea: Dining Aboard the SS United States.” The exhibit features never-before-seen artifacts and objects from the Conservancy's collections and explores all aspects of the ship's dining experience. To explore this fascinating history, click below.

"Food Tastes Better at Sea"

Early this year, the SS United States captured global attention as she traveled from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama in preparation to become the "World’s Largest Artificial Reef." The Conservancy has been featured by major media outlets, including NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, USA Today, National Geographic, and others as they prepare standalone stories and longer-form, multi-segment pieces to air in the coming months. We will keep our supporters informed as the reefing process advances, and we will provide opportunities to gather online and in person to pay tribute to our beloved ship.

Thanks to you, we are able to tell the extraordinary story of the SS United States. Your generous contributions have enabled us to embark on this new era – preserving the ship's legacy through our future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience. We invite you to donate today to help us celebrate and commemorate the immortal legacy of America’s Flagship.

On behalf of the Conservancy's entire Board of Directors, thank you so much for your generous support.

To make your tax-deductible gift today, please click HERE.