The SS Admiral was a famous excursion steamboat operating on the Mississippi River from the Port of St. Louis, Missouri until 1978. From 1938 to 1940 Steamers Service Company rebuilt the metal hulled SS Albatross into five decks, two of which were air-conditioned---an unheard-of luxury at the time. The exterior and its interior furnishings and decorations were designed in the Art Deco style. The futuristic outward "casing" hid the side paddles and "gingerbread" details of traditional steamers under sleek steel designed and fabricated by Banner Iron Works. The largest passenger vessel on US inland waterways at the time, the 374' Admiral departed on her first excursion cruise from the St. Louis waterfront in June 1940. The steamer could carry as many as 4,400 passengers. Among the ship's many amenities included food service, a large ballroom, and a lido deck. Steam power gave way to diesel power by the early Seventies. The ship was briefly re-purposed as an amusement center in 1987, then converted to a casino in 1990. The boat was dismantled for scrap metal in 2011.
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