Hellas Liberty Floating Museum, Piraeus

Hellas Liberty Floating Maritime Museum in the port of Piraeus offers interesting insights into seafaring and the naval history of Greece. Aboard one of the world's last three remaining Liberty ships, you can explore the ship's various cabins and rooms, as well as view a naval exhibit.

As you stroll through the streets of Piraeus, don't miss the Floating Museum "Hellas Liberty" in the port area. This maritime museum offers a fascinating look into Greece's naval history aboard one of the world's last three remaining Liberty ships. Despite being somewhat hidden behind a grain loading gantry and lacking clear signage, this unique attraction allows visitors to explore various cabins and rooms while also viewing a naval exhibit.

Apart from the important role played during World War II and the services rendered to the global economy for nearly 25 years, Liberty ships are strongly linked to the post-war reconstruction and evolution of Greek shipping. The United States, the country which built a huge number of Liberty-type vessels in record time during the War, has preserved two units in their original, wartime appearance, turning them into floating museums. The JEREMIAH O'BRIEN and the JOHN W. BROWN are docked in San Francisco and Baltimore, respectively. On the other hand, since 2010, Piraeus is the home port of the HELLAS LIBERTY, the only surviving Liberty ship appearing in its commercial form.

A special museum experience is offered to you at Hellas Liberty Floating Museum. The Maritime Museum is docked in the port of the Greek city of Piraeus, only 13 kilometers from downtown Athens. The historic ship SS Hellas Liberty is an American freighter used by the Allies to transport pipelines during World War II and is now a museum. It is one of the world's last three remaining Liberty ships to serve with the Greek Merchant Navy after World War II. You can learn interesting facts about the history of the Second World War and the naval history of the country, and also about seafaring in general. During a tour of the ship's rooms, you can see the command station, the engine room, the officers' quarters and cabins, and other things. Various lounges, salons, holds and the ship's kitchen await you on the lower decks. There is also a naval exhibition with equipment and objects that were in the Liberty ships of the time and which provide information about the development of the Greek shipping industry and the history of the ship type in general. As a floating museum, Hellas Liberty Floating Museum clearly stands out among the museums around Athens.

SS Arthur M. Huddel, is a Liberty ship built by St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company with keel laid 25 October 1943 and the yard workers working overtime to launch on 7 December 1943 and complete outfitting nine days later. She has been transferred to Greece and serves as the museum ship Hellas Liberty. Arthur M. Huddell carried explosives and general cargo first being loaded in Jacksonville, Florida for London after joining a convoy out of New York, then after return to Norfolk, Virginia and carrying coastal cargo departed Charleston, South Carolina, for Oran, Algeria with a cargo of high explosives. ***PH***