Local Spotlight: Belle of Louisville

Photo: gotolouisville.com

Every week, I would like to spotlight something in our great city that people may or may not know about. Maybe it’s a park, a museum, a restaurant, or another attraction. For this one, I chose to highlight the Belle of Louisville. I assume everyone has heard of it or seen it, but maybe you don’t know everything that can be done on the steamboat or what the schedules for cruises are. Hopefully this will shine some light on those things.

The Belle of Louisville was built in 1914 and is the oldest operating Mississippi River style steamboat in the world. It can hold 650 passengers. It is fully heated and air conditioned. It has a concession stand and a bar, as well as a dance floor. You can sit indoor or outdoor, and there is no smoking anywhere on the boat.

There are several different types of cruises that you can take on the Belle. You can go during the day or at night. They offer stargazing, musical, and historical based cruises. You will want to check the schedule on belleoflouisville.org to plan your perfect cruise. Advanced reservations are needed if you would like to have lunch or dinner on the boat, and this does guarantee inside seating.

Want to have a special event on the Belle of Louisville? That is certainly an option. You can actually reserve the entire boat for you and your guests. What do you want to celebrate? You can have a birthday party, anniversary celebration, graduation party, class reunion, and even a wedding! Personal note: I was the ring bearer in a wedding on the Belle of Louisville when I was a little kid. So I know for sure that you can have weddings on board.

There is actually a featured cruise coming up on August 18. It is called the Craft Beer Moonlight. Here is how it is described on the Belle’s website:

If you’re ready for a late night party on the river, this is the cruise for you! The historic steamboat Belle of Louisville is just the place to be for this moonlight trip on the Ohio River. Get ready for a craft beer tasting during the cruise! A cash bar, concessions, and a DJ are available. It’s all open seating on a first come, first served basis. Because of the nature of this cruise, all members of your reservation must come into the ticket office to show their photo ID’s before tickets are dispensed. Please ask your group to gather on the wharf first, so they can come into the ticket office together. Tickets: $21 per person – must be at least 21 years old to participate in this cruise.

This is a Special Event therefore the special event cancellation policy applies.

Hopefully this helped answer some questions or gave you a new idea of something to do around town. Head downtown to the waterfront and enjoy a lunch or dinner cruise on the Belle of Louisville!