riverboat cruise louisville ky

Riverboat Cruises in Louisville, Kentucky

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In the riverside city of Louisville, the historic Belle of Louisville and the Spirit of Jefferson each offer a regular schedule of sightseeing river cruises. These are the only riverboat cruises in town. In addition to sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises, a variety of special themed cruises are available throughout the year.

• Belle of Louisville

The Belle of Louisville is the oldest operating steamboat in the nation and a National Historic Landmark. One of two sternwheel riverboats still running on steam, the circa-1914 Belle welcomes passengers for sightseeing cruises with a genuine sense of nostalgia. The boat features a dance floor, outdoor observation decks, a bar and concession stand and accommodates about 650 passengers. It offers buffet lunch and dinner cruises Thursday through Sundays between May and October, although cruise-only tickets are also available. In addition to sightseeing along the Ohio River, the cruises feature live entertainment, a DJ, and informative narration.

Spirit of Jefferson

The Spirit of Jefferson takes its inspiration from old-time steamboats with the addition of modern conveniences, such as air conditioning, heating and a full sound system. The circa-1963 boat offers cruises year-round. Passengers are able to take in the sights of the Ohio River from two climate-controlled indoor decks or outdoor seating areas. During the peak summer season, the Spirit of Jefferson operates Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner cruises. The ship has a capacity of up to 150 passengers and features a dance floor, concession stand and bar.

Seasonal Cruises

Both the Belle of Louisville and the Spirit of Jefferson offer special seasonal cruises throughout the year. These include Fourth of July cruises with fireworks, a Father's Day Bluegrass Cruise, Easter brunch and Thanksgiving lunch cruises, a Halloween cruise and a special fall foliage sightseeing trip. The riverboats also play a role in local events, offering special cruises for the Kentucky Derby, Oaks Day and the Wharf Fun Fest. An annual race between two riverboats called the Battle of the Belles is a tradition of the Kentucky Derby Festival that sees the Belle of Louisville pitted against the Belle of Cincinnati in a race for the "golden antlers" prize.

Cruise Planning

Cruises on the Belle of Louisville and the Spirit of Jefferson depart from the 4th Street Wharf in downtown Louisville. Passengers should plan to board about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Cruise-only tickets are available in advance over the phone or at the ticket office on the day of departure. Dinner and lunch cruises require reservations at least 48 hours in advance. The dress code is casual, and meals are served buffet-style. Ticket prices are reduced for seniors (60 and older) and children aged 3 to 12; children 2 and under may cruise for free.

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A writer of diverse interests, Joanne Thomas has penned pieces about road trips for Hyundai, children's craft projects for Disney and wine cocktails for Robert Mondavi. She has lived on three continents and currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is co-owner and editor of a weekly newspaper. Thomas holds a BSc in politics from the University of Bristol, England.

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Belle of Louisville Riverboats

401 W. River Rd. Louisville, KY 40202

Phone: (502) 574-2992 Fax: (502) 574-3030

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Meeting spaces, belle of louisville, mary m. miller, related deals.

$2.00 off Adult Sightseeing Ticket

Show your badge to receive $2.00 off one adult sightseeing ticket. Not valid on special events.

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Thunder Over Louisville Dockside Event 401 W. River Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40202 Details   Open in Google Maps

Thunder Over Louisville Dockside Event

All aboard the Belle for dockside front-row seat viewing of the air show and fireworks display with Official Thunder Sound! Your come-and-go access ticket...

301 South 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202

1.888.LOUISVILLE (1.888.568.4784)

• LEGAL DISCLAIMER
• CANCELLATION POLICY
• HOMELAND SECURITY

Mary M. Miller

The Belle’s sister vessel is named for America’s first woman who earned her master captain’s license.

Proud Mary for a reason!

Louisville’s other passenger vessel is named for America’s first female licensed steamboat captain– who was from right here in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood. With as much sassiness and spirit as her namesake, the Mary M. Miller is a propeller-driven riverboat with old-fashioned charm and modern amenities.

About Mary M. Miller

Mary Millicent Miller made history in 1884 when she became the first woman in the United States to earn her steamboat master’s license!

Born into the steamboat life, Mary M. Miller grew up in Louisville, KY and married George Miller in 1865. Together they ran the packet boat, the Saline, on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

Attempting to drive them out of business, George’s competitors reported George to the Steamboat Inspection Service in Washington, DC, claiming that George was illegally serving as both pilot and master (captain) on the Saline. At this, George stated that he was serving as Pilot while Mary was serving as Captain, intending to apply for her license; this was something no other woman in the United States had done in the nearly 100 years that steamboats had been operating in the United States.

This caused quite the controversy, but the U.S. Treasury Department intervened and declared that anyone able to pass the tests and prove their ability should be able to achieve licensing regardless of their gender. In November 1883, Mary M. Miller applied for her license, underwent rigorous testing, and passed with flying colors. On February 16, 1884, she took her oath and received her scroll just two days later, officially becoming the first America’s first female licensed steamboat captain.

5 facts about mary m. mller

Able to cruise year-round, pending navigation conditions.

The Mary M. Miller is named for Mary Millicent Miller, born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1846. She married George Miller, a steamboat captain and builder, in 1865 and began a life of steamboat operation.

Mary Miller made history in 1884 when, thanks to a controversial federal government decision, she became the first licensed female steamboat captain in America!

Mary M. Miller (the boat) was built in 1985, just upriver from Louisville, in Utica, Indiana.

The Mary has one and a half fully enclosed, climate-controlled decks and one and a half open air decks.

Able to cruise year-round, pending navigation conditions

The Mary M. Miller is named for Mary Millicent Miller, born in Louisville, KY in 1846. She married George Miller, a steamboat captain and builder, in 1865 and began a life of steamboat operation

Mary M. Miller (the boat) was built in 1985, just upriver from Louisville, in Utica, Indiana

The Mary has one and a half fully enclosed, climate-controlled decks and one and a half open air decks

Explore The Ohio River Aboard Kentucky's Favorite Historic Riverboat

Andrea Limke

A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.

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The Ohio River makes up a portion of our state’s border and it has always been a significant part of Kentucky’s history and purpose. Along the riverfront, there are many small towns, as well as smaller cities and even a few big cities that are home to a large section of our population. The largest of the Kentucky cities on the river is Louisville and this vibrant town is filled with things to do. One of the most favorite activities for all ages, locals, and visitors is a ride on the historic riverboat in Kentucky, the Belle of Louisville or its fleet companion, the Mary M. Miller. There are a variety of trips available on both boats and these outings are some of the most memorable in the state.

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If you have yet to take a ride on this historic riverboat in Kentucky, keep it in mind for the next special occasion. Whether you’re looking for a romantic sunset cruise, a fun-filled family outing, or a place to celebrate a big event on the water, the Belle of Louisville and the Mary M. Miller are two favorite destinations in the Bluegrass. Have you been aboard a historic riverboat in Kentucky? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

For more information on the Belle of Louisville and everything that is currently offered, visit its website and also follow along on Facebook .

And for another boat tour in Kentucky that’s totally different and very unique, check out this excursion that takes you right up to a waterfall.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Featured Addresses

Spirit of Jefferson Riverboat

401 West River Road , Louisville , Kentucky

Vested Interest Publications, Inc. | P.O. Box 559, Frankfort KY 40601 | 888.329.0053

The CQ Princess

The best events are on the water.

Welcome aboard the CQ Princess for your own custom Private Charter Cruise!  

Impress your guests when you invite them aboard our 100 foot, 2 level luxury yacht for your next corporate gathering, wedding event or special occasion such as a Birthday or Anniversary.  Relax inside the climate-controlled comfort of our interior salons or outside on the fresh air decks.  Inside or outside, the CQ Princess is sure to provide the absolute best view of the Ohio River and our beautiful City of Louisville.   The CQ Princess not only offers the perfect setting to host your celebration, but our first-class service and first-class food will be certain to WOW your guest from the moment they step aboard until the moment they disembark. 

Call us today to check availability for your upcoming event and to talk over all the options aboard the CQ Princess!

Call 502-228-1651 or email [email protected] .

Cruise Rates - (Subject To Change)

Monday - Thursday: $2,000 rental fee

Friday - Sunday $2,500 rental fee

Plus food, beverage, gratuity and Ky. Sales Tax.

All charter rates are for a 3-hour minimum cruise and include 30 minutes boarding and 30 minutes disembarking time.

$650 Per Additional Hour

$350 Per Additional Hour Dockside

$100 Fee For Use Of Brides Room

All Cruises Must Return To Port By 10pm Weekdays / 11pm Weekends

Due to unpredictable water levels, we no longer offer downtown Wharf pick up.

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Moonlight cruise party - Belle of Louisville Riverboats

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We did the Christmas cookies and hot cocoa with captain Santa. It was a cute event that was geared... read more

We had a great time until we docked. We were lined up by the exit door for quite some time and... read more

Moonlight cruise party

We went on the party cruise, craft beer night. No meal for this one. The snack concession was open with popcorn, soft drinks, ect. And, of course the bar and gift areas were ready to serve. It was cool going under the bridges when they were lit up, but soon as you passed them, not much to see at night, so go party on! We each got 6 drink tickets for sample shots of different beers. The dance floor was hopping and the music loud.

The river is beautiful at night with the bridges all aglow and the downtown buildings . Our next moonlight cruise is moonshine in July.

We took a sightseeing trip on The Belle and it was so much fun! There was so much to see and employees on the Belle were very knowledgeable of the places we were going by and the history of them too. They would come by and chat about the Belle and tell her story. The captain was great! He came by to check on the paddles and said hello and talked with us for a quick minute. The deckhands were very polite and courteous. Steve in the engine room took his time explaining to a group of kids how the engines worked to power the boat and how they got the steam to power the engines. We learned a lot on Friday and will be back to ride the Belle again!

We are glad you enjoyed the cruise, and do hope you will come back again. Thank you

What a lovely river cruise at sunset! I had wanted to ride the historic Belle of Louisville steam boat however there’s only cruises on certain days and I visited the day before the American Mother’s Day so the Belle was getting prepped for afternoon tea the next day. Nevertheless, a ride on the Mary M Miller was still fantastic! There’s the sightseeing or dinner option - I went sightseeing with unlimited soft drinks for only $24 for a two hour cruise. It’s worth getting the soft drink package but you have to book it online in advance! The only downside to the journey was the large group of kids who were running wild at one point and the world’s cheesiest entertainer! It would have been good if he’d shared a bit more history with us as we moved down the river but he seemed to be having too much fun with the kids who took over the second deck – I was on third thank goodness! The view was spectacular, especially arriving back into Louisville; it was a lovely way to spend a warm summer’s evening!

thank you for riding with us on the Mary M Miller. We do ask people to supervise the children they bring with them on the cruises, however that does not always happen. We hope you will be able to come back and do a cruise on the Belle of Louisville.

My friend and I took a trip on the Mary M. Miller for a lunch cruise on the Ohio. It was drizzling that day so we were skeptical on how the trip would be. When we arrived and saw two school buses full of kids we became even more skeptical. Despite the weather and the kids we had a great time. The buffet was standard buffet food but tasty and the kids actually made the trip more fun! Because we only spent a short time outside due to the rain, the inside was hoping with a DJ and the kids having their own dance party. They were the most polite and well behaved kids and added to our enjoyment.

Thank you for your review. we are glad you enjoyed the trip. we are popular with the schools from out of the state of Kentucky mostly. we try and tell all the teachers to make sure the children are on there best behaver on these trips. So it was good to hear they were.

I booked this trip with my brothers for my Parents anniversary, and my birthday. What a great trip. We were on the Mary M Miller steamboat/paddwheeler leaving the dock at 7pm down the Ohio River. Lots of landmarks and history along the way that was explained to us. Coming back it was dark and got to see the city at night. The food was good and lots of it.

We are glad you enjoyed the cruise on the Mary M Miller, she is a beautiful vessel. we hope you will come back again.

Being a local I had never seen the locks. I paid for the cruise to the locks with out lunch, and when we showed up to pick up our tickets we were told there would be no trip through the locks due to a race going on. Although I understand that this is out of control of the Belle, there could have been some notification on the website, offer a discount, or offer a different cruise. We paid an expensive price for a cruise through the locks but instead got a boring ride looking at the ship yards, bridges, and restraunts of Louisville. BEWARE.... You may not get what you paid for. Sorry Belle you have lost a long time supporter! Not worth the money just to cruise.

we are very sorry that the boat was not able to go thru the locks we did not find out until 11:45am that morning that we would not be able to go thru the locks due to barge traffic from the river being shut down for a event. We try and make sure it is very clear on our website that locking thru is not a guarantee due to river traffic and weather conditions. It was something we had no control over.