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Boat and Lighthouse
Sarasota, FL |
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The Boat and Lighthouse were built by Art Rowe who was the former boat captain for John Ringling of circus fame. The boat was built in 1934 as Rowe's house and is still used as a residence today. The lighthouse was built a few years after the boat to create more space. It is octagonal in shape and 100' tall. For more, see this website.
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Palace Showboat [closed]
Stockton, CA |
Far West Casino & Restaurant
Hardin, MT |
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The Palace Showboat was part of the Pollardville complex which opened in 1957 and closed in 2007. The ghost town/Western-themed complex was built around the Chicken Kitchen restaurant to draw in passing motorists. The Showboat was used for entertainment (theatre, music, and dancing). It was originally constucted in 1965 but I'm not sure if it had it's riverboat look then. Pollardville will soon be replaced with houses and a strip mall. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The Far West Casino & Restaurant features a ship-shaped building.
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Ripley's Believe It or Not
Panama City Beach, FL |
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This Ripley's Believe It or Not museum is contained in a replica of the sinking Titanic ocean liner. It was built in 2006. For more, see this website.
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Hurricane Camille Gift Shop [gone]
Gulfport, MS |
Sinking Ship
Seattle, WA |
Restaurant Miami Deli
Montréal, QC |
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While I don't normally include real boats in this section (only buildings constructed to look like them), I will bend the rules for the Hurricane Camille Gift Shop since it was such an icon. This 72' long tugboat was blown ashore by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and turned into a tourist attraction. While the boat itself survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the gift shop addition was destroyed. Then in 2008, the ship itself was demolished. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
This parking garage is nicknamed the Sinking Ship. It was built in 1962. There are plans to demolish it for a monorail station. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Restaurant Miami Deli has this giant boat installed in their parking lot. It appears to be purely sculptural rather than functional. Does anyone know its history?
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Riverboat Saloon
Shartlesville, PA |
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The Riverboat Saloon is an example of a "real" ship placed far from the water. Built in 1980 in MN, the "Suwannee Belle" was used off the coast of NJ and NY before being decommissioned in 1991. There was a failed attempt to turn it into a restaurant and it was later moved to Tuckahoe, NJ. It then sat in storage until 2003 when it was bought and brought to this spot. The owner of the Towne Crier Cafe next door wanted to put it in a pond with a beach and use the boat as a tiki bar. Apparently, those plans never materialized and the adjacent restaurant is now known simply as the "Riverboat Saloon". For more, see their website.
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Ship Ashore
Smith River, CA |
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The Ship Ashore gift shop is a real ship adapted for use on land. This 156' long ship was built in 1925 as a private yacht. In 1941, it served in the Navy as the USS Garnet. There is also a small museum inside the ship with WWII artifacts, items relating to local history, etc. For more, see their website.
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