REWIND: Touring the SS United States before it left Philadelphia

She's one of a kind, an American original. It's an engineering marvel. Many say really the greatest ship this country ever produced. Present, the SS United States. In 1951, at a cost of over $79 million, she left Newport News, Virginia to her port of registry, New York City. The ship's designer, William Francis Gibbs, a native of Philadelphia, grew up dreaming of designing the fastest ship in the world. A feat that was achieved on her maiden voyage to the United Kingdom. At 38 knots, or 44 miles per hour, breaking the transatlantic speed record in a time just under three and a half days. A record that is still held to this day by a passenger ship. She set the record using only two-thirds of her power. So we don't even know how fast she could have gone. William Gibbs' granddaughter wants the SS United States history preserved so generations from now people won't forget what an engineering marvel this vessel is. She just symbolized the nation's post-war strength, resilience, greatness. In 1969, with air travel becoming a faster and more efficient way to get across the Atlantic, the giant boat was withdrawn from service. After numerous ownership changes and being completely stripped of her Art Deco-themed interior over the years, she made her way up the Delaware River towards Philadelphia. The SS was so tall a portion of its mast had to be removed so it could fit under the Walt Whitman Bridge with only five feet of clearance. The SS United States has called South Philadelphia home since 1996 here on Pier 82. It's a whopping 175 feet tall and almost 1,000 feet in length. It's been dormant for 25 years. Can anything be done to bring this ship back to its glory? We think the S.S. United States is an amazing candidate for revitalization. There is 500,000 square feet of usable space, so she could be an amazing mixed-use museum and development complex. The massive ocean liner has shown its age over the years. Outside paint has been chipping away from the structure. Heavy corrosion of rust can be seen anywhere from the railings to parts of the deck where you can see right through. However, because it was built so well, the bones are there to make this an attraction. She's had a rough time since she was pulled from service. I'm nervous. She's been waiting a really long time. She's shown great grace and patience but But, yeah, I think we've got to get this job done. She's, it's her time. Currently, the ship is owned by the SS United States Conservancy, which is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992. It costs $60,000 a month to dock the ship here in Philadelphia. It's a group that was formed to save the SS United States for posterity. Frank DiGiulio, who is a mariner himself, is on the board of the conservancy and he's hopeful that they can have her preserved so that future generations can see what a technological and artistic achievement it is. We have a partner in New York, RXR Realty. They're in it, both feet in it. And they're doing everything they can to try to redevelop this ship. Many people wonder, why doesn't someone just turn it back into a cruise liner? Frank has a simple answer. The work that would be required to modernize the ship to comply with modern regulations to put it back to sea would be cost prohibitive. Thank you. Thank you. So what to do now with her as she sits waiting? As you walk through, the once grand ballroom is completely empty. But being inside, you can feel the energy. There is a presence in the room. Maybe it's of the dignitaries, the stars of stage and film that walked its stern. Or maybe just the thousands of former passengers that have stayed in the cabins that makes you feel she has something left to give. She was really the ship to cross the Atlantic on back in the 50s and 60s. The Conservancy is hopeful that someone will come along and save her. There's no question that it will require lots of money, but it will take the right vision for the SS to achieve a rebirth. We're taking it month by month, but I'm encouraged. The ship is famous worldwide. Especially among mariners like me. You can talk to a mariner in any country in the world and they know this ship because of how novel it was in terms of the speed and the design. And if you're thinking maybe it's just time to scrap this hulking keel and bring its time on the water to an end. Susan Gibbs has an answer for that. It would be like destroying part of our very important history as a nation. I absolutely hope it doesn't come to that, and I don't think it will. We don't know where it'll end up. It's hard to say. You know, it's a matter of economics, and that's out of our hands. As long as we're able to save it, that's all we really want. I see this ship... Illuminated, full of people who are in awe of what she was and what she is and what she'll become. And she will endure as this remarkable expression of American history, but also technological innovation. And she will just be alive.