N.S. Savannah

The Savannah is a historic combination cargo-passenger ship that has been docked in Baltimore Harbor as a museum ship since 2008. The first nuclear-powered merchant ship, it entered service in 1962 to test the technical feasibility of nuclear propulsion for civilian shipping. Commissioned by the U.S. government as part of the Atoms for Peace initiative, the ship was equipped with a pressurized water reactor that supplied steam to the turbines. Although it was designed to carry both freight and passengers, scientific testing took priority, which made profitable operation impossible. After being decommissioned in 1972 and sitting idle for a long time, the ship was restored and established as a museum ship in 1981. You can tour the historic vessel, though the reactor was removed in the 1990s. The Savannah is designated a National Historic Landmark and documents the pioneering achievement of nuclear shipping; before settling here, it had called at ports including Bremerhaven and New York.