A deactivation ceremony occurred on 2 July 1994 at Norfolk Naval Station, and the ship was then towed over to Newport News Shipbuilding where her entire superstructure was removed and her reactors were defueled. After this work was completed in the winter of 1995 the hull was towed through the Panama Canal to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. "Long Beach" was stricken on 1 May 1995, more than 33 years after she had entered service. On 13 July 2012, "Long Beach" was sold at auction, for recycling, as prescribed for nuclear-powered vessels by Code 350, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash. As of May 2018, the inactivated ship's hull and reactor compartments largely remain in long-term storage there. (Satellite view - the most current image shows that the hull section is still present at PSNS)