USS Albacore, a 1837-ton auxiliary submarine, was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Intended to test a radical new "teardrop" hull form in high-speed underwater operations, she was commissioned in December 1953. Over the next two years, she conducted underwater performance and tactical tests in the western Atlantic area. These were so successful that nearly all U.S. Navy submarines designed after the mid-1950s had hull shapes based on that introduced by Alabacore.

Albacore's stern was reconfigured in 1955-56, placing her propeller aft of her control planes, and she continued her experimental work, with an increasing emphasis on sound reduction. She was regularly modified to test new hull features, sonar systems, propulsion equipment and control configurations. More powerful machinery, with contra-rotating propellers, were installed in the mid-1960s, giving her a greater underwater speed.

During the early 1970s, Albacore was again modified to participate in the research and development Project SURPASS. However, ongoing problems with her diesel engines prevented this employment. The submarine was decommissioned in the latter part of 1972 and thereafter was kept in the Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. USS Albacore was towed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in April 1984 and turned over to a private organization. In her new role as a museum, she was opened for public visits in 1985 and remains on display to the present day.