Dan Rounds and Elizabeth Fowle maintain a daily routine of walking to the East End of Dauphin Island to watch the sunrise.

Their routine had a lot more company on Monday, as a large group flocked for an early morning viewing of the historic, 1,000-foot ocean-liner SS United States as it made its way into Alabama.

“It’s kind of cool,” said Rounds. “This is excitement.”

A chilly morning wind greeted the photographers and residents who gathered at the East End to catch a glimpse of history as the SS United States, following its journey from Philadelphia, was towed into Mobile. It is expected to arrive this afternoon to the Modern American Recycling & Repair Services facility at 601 S. Royal St., south of downtown.

Related: Mardi Gras to meet maritime history? SS United States to dock soon in Mobile

The ship will be at the MARRS facility for approximately six months and will be temporarily visible as part of downtown Mobile’s skyline. While the ship is in Mobile, it will be cleaned and prepared for eventual sinking off the Florida Gulf Coast from Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

Okaloosa County, Fla., purchased the ship and paid $10.1 million to have it moved and prepared for sinking. The ship will be turned into the world’s largest artificial reef, and Florida officials hope it’s turned into a tourism destination. The Florida coastal county is also planning to build a land-based museum and immersive exhibit detailing the ship’s rich history.

Priscella Teal of Grand Bay was accompanied by her 16-year-old son, Zayden, to witness their own piece of history as the ship was towed into the Mobile ship channel. Zayden Teal, a student at Faith Academy, was skipping school to witness the historic ship move its way into the state.

“It’s the flagship of America,” said Zayden Teal. “It’s a beautiful ship,”

Saundra Maurin of Dauphin Island said she wished her grandchildren were with her to experience the “once in a lifetime” moment.

Maurin said she supports the future plans for the ship.

“I think it’s great,” Maurin said. “People can fish around it and divers can go down and see it. It gives it new life.”

Rounds agreed. He said the ship’s repurposing will be beneficial to sea life.

“I think they are putting it to good use,” he said. “It gives life to the creature who will be using it when it’s turned into a reef.”

Preservation groups continue to look for ways to prevent the SS United States from being sunk. But thus far, their efforts have been fleeting. Since the late 1970s, the vessel has changed hands multiple times, with various owners hoping to transform it into a museum.

Last month, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States Inc. called on President Donald Trump to issue an executive order preventing the ship’s sinking. A representative with the organization says they are continuing to build support for their efforts through political, legal, and financial means, and have “no interest to call it quits until the ship is rightfully saved or at the bottom of the Gulf.”

The ship’s journey from Philadelphia south around the Florida Keys has garnered widespread media interest due to its rich history. Some of the onlookers in Dauphin Island had limited knowledge about the ocean-liner’s past, other than what they’ve learned in recent days as news spread that it was arriving to Alabama.

Built in the early 1950s, the SS United States is the largest ocean liner to be entirely constructed in the U.S. and is the fastest of its kind to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction.

The ship transported celebrities and immigrants between 1952 and 1969. Four U.S. presidents and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have sailed aboard the SS United States. During its prime, the SS United States hosted luminaries such as Walt Disney, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Walter Cronkite, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, and John Wayne.

Ari Henderson and Katie Nguyen, students at McGill-Toolen High School, had no idea what the ship’s story is about. They came to Dauphin Island to take some selfies along the shores of the East End beach to commemorate Henderson’s 17th birthday. The two girls were off school for the Mardi Gras holiday.

“I love it down here and come down here a lot and I just figured a lot of people do, too,” said Henderson, adding that she will have to go home and look up the history of the SS United States.