SS Jeremiah O'Brien

About Us

Preserving History For Future Generations
The mission of the National Liberty Ship Memorial is to restore, promote and operate the Liberty Ship, SS Jeremiah O'Brien, as a living museum. The goal of this mission is to preserve, for present and future generations, the story of the patriotic and brave men and women who built, sailed and defended the 2,751 American-built World War II ships known as Liberties. In 1979, after hundreds of hours labor by volunteer crew members to remove thick layers of preservatives, the O'Brien headed for San Francisco to be restored. No other ship ever has steamed out of the mothball fleet under her own power. In 1994 the O'Brien, in what was to be an epic eighth voyage, steamed through the Golden Gate, down the west coast, through the Panama Canal, and across the Atlantic to England and France, where the O'Brien and her crew (a remarkable collection of old salts whose average age was 70 and a few cadets from the California Maritime Academy), participated in the 50th Anniversary of Operation Overlord -- the Allied invasion at Normandy that turned the tide of World War II in Europe. Of the more than 5,000 ships that formed the original D-Day armada, the O'Brien was the only ship to return 50 years later. Operated as the National Liberty Ship Memorial, she is moored at Pier 35, The Embarcadero and open to the public most days. Virtually the entire ship from engine room to flying bridge can be seen by visitors. Ship's hours, cruise schedules, and other information are available at https://www.ssjeremiahobrien.org/