After her launch on 3 November 1945, Hawaii began fitting out, but post-war budget cutbacks necessitated the cancellation of the ship on 17 February 1947. For a time it was planned that she would be converted to be the U.S.' first guided missile cruiser, but this did not come to fruition. A conversion to a large command ship was later contemplated; planning went far enough that money was allocated in the 1952 budget for this purpose, but with one (Northampton) complete and a second (Wright) already chosen, no work was started upon Hawaii. Having been laid up for twelve years, the ship was towed to the breakers to be scrapped on 20 June 1959.