To board the Belle of Louisville is to do more than to see Louisville and the Ohio River from a unique perspective — it’s also quite literally stepping into a piece of American history.

Belle of Louisville Riverboats presents history through a variety of engaging cruise and dockside events—entertaining and educating over 12 million passengers since 1963. A National Historic Landmark and an icon of the Louisville Waterfront, the Belle is the only remaining authentic steamboat from the great American packet boat era on America’s waterways. At 105 years old and counting, the Belle remains purely steam-powered and paddlewheel-propelled.

The Belle’s sister vessel and a newer addition to the Waterfront, the Mary M. Miller, was named after Louisvillian Mary Millicent Miller, who also happened to be the first woman ever to attain her steamboat captain’s license way back in 1884. With as much spirit as her namesake, the Mary M. Miller is a propeller-driven riverboat with old-fashioned charm and modern amenities.

Both vessels feature a full-service cash bar, concession stand, outdoor observation decks, indoor, climate-controlled decks and wheelchair accessibility to portions of the vessel.