The La Crosse Queen is the name of seven different sightseeing and excursion boats that have operated out of La Crosse, Wisconsin's Riverside Park. The current vessel, La Crosse Queen VII was built in 2008 at Skipperliner Marine on French Island, Wisconsin. [1] The La Crosse Queen VII offers both public and private cruises from its port in Riverside Park. The vessel is U.S. Coast Guard inspected for safety and is licensed to carry up to 149 passengers. [2]
The La Crosse Queen is a modern-day replica of the grand river boats that plied the Mississippi River in the late 19th century. She is one of the few authentic Mississippi River paddlewheel river boats still in operation in the country today. In keeping with early traditions, she was built with split sternwheels that are her only means of propulsion. The La Crosse Queen has a split sternwheel and each is run by a twin diesel engine that powers hydraulic motors which turn the paddles. This is in contrast to most Mississippi River paddlewheelers in operation today that have a "free wheeling" paddlewheel at the stern of the boat for visual effect, but have traditional screw-type engines hidden for their real means of propulsion. [2] The boat is divided into two levels, the upper deck and the lower deck. The upper deck is covered by a canopy and is open at the sides so that guest can enjoy the scenic view and feel of the breeze. The lower deck consists of a galley, dining room, bar area and heads. There is also a large picture window at the stern of the boat on the lower deck where guests can watch the authentic paddlewheels in action. The La Crosse docks alongside a barge designed to look like and old sidewheel style showboat. This serves an office and gift shop.
Sometime in the night of April 14–15, 2010, the La Crosse Queen's office sank into the Mississippi river leaving most of the barge underwater. [3] The office sank due to both high water, and flood debris. As the water started to decline, debris from flooding, presumably trees, propped one end of the barge up causing the other side to go below the water line and take on water until it eventually sank. [4] The barge was temporarily replaced with a yacht for summer 2010 where the staff was able to continue office functions, however there was no gift shop during this time.
The La Crosse Queen offers a variety of cruises available to the public including Daily Sightseeing Cruises, Sunday Brunch Cruises, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Night Dinner Cruises, Three Hour Meal Cruises, Cocktail Cruises, and Moonlight Cruises. The boat also offers private charters for special occasions, conventions, class reunions, receptions, weddings, business parties, and family get-togethers. [2]
The La Crosse Queen participated in the 2004 Grand Excursion. While in La Crosse, the true paddlewheeler La Crosse Queen raced the double propeller powered Harriett Bishop from the confluence of the Black and La Crosse Rivers to the Mississippi River Bridge and back. The La Crosse Queen was handily defeated. [5]
A steamboat is a boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S or PS ; however, these designations are most often used for steamships.
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans.
The Grand Excursion was a promotional voyage by train and steamboat into the Upper Mississippi River valley, USA that first took place in June 1854. It marked the first railroad connection between the East Coast and the Mississippi River, and it included dignitaries such as former president Millard Fillmore. In 2004, 150 years later, the Grand Excursion route was retraced by both riverboats and a steam locomotive.
Spirit of Peoria is a riverboat that ran in the Peoria, Illinois area from 1988 to 2022. The boat participated in the 2004 Grand Excursion. Spirit of Peoria is a true paddleboat, actually using its paddlewheel for propulsion, unlike some modern riverboats with purely cosmetic wheels.
A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such as lake or harbour tour boats. As larger water craft, virtually all riverboats are especially designed and constructed, or alternatively, constructed with special-purpose features that optimize them as riverine or lake service craft, for instance, dredgers, survey boats, fisheries management craft, fireboats and law enforcement patrol craft.
The Julia Belle Swain is a steam-powered sternwheeler currently under restoration in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States.
Belle of Louisville is a steamboat owned and operated by the city of Louisville, Kentucky, and moored at its downtown wharf next to the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere during its annual operational period. The steamboat claims itself the "most widely traveled river steamboat in American history." Belle of Louisville's offices are aboard Mayor Andrew Broaddus, and also appears on the list of National Historic Landmarks.
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat. She is known for cruising the major rivers that constitute the tributaries of the Mississippi River, particularly in the American South, although she began service in California on the Sacramento River delta for which she gets her name. She was docked in Chattanooga, Tennessee and served as a floating hotel until purchased by the newly formed Delta Queen Steamboat Company. She was towed to Houma, Louisiana, in March 2015 for refurbishing to her original condition.
American Cruise Lines is the largest river and small-ship cruise line in the United States with its headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut. The line operates nineteen small U.S.-flagged cruise ships along the Eastern Seaboard and Western Seaboard as well as the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers and the Columbia-Snake river system in the United States.
American Queen is a Louisiana-built river steamship said to be the largest river steamboat ever built. Although the American Queen's stern paddlewheel is indeed powered by a steam engine, her secondary propulsion, in case of an emergency and for maneuverability around tight areas where the paddle wheel can not navigate, comes from a set of diesel-electric propellers known as Z-drives on either side of the sternwheel. She has 222 state rooms for a capacity of 436 guests and a crew of 160. She is 418 feet (127 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide.
Susquehanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 20 acres (8.1 ha) in Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on the West Branch Susquehanna River in the western part of Williamsport, and is operated by the Williamsport / Lycoming Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Bureau of State Parks of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Susquehanna State Park offers cruises on a paddlewheeler, boating, fishing, and picnicking.
Lone Star is a wooden hull, steam-powered stern-wheeled towboat in LeClaire, Iowa, United States. She is dry docked and on display at the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire. Built in 1868, she is the oldest of three surviving steam-powered towboats, and the only one with a wooden hull. She was declared a National Historic Landmark on 20 December 1989.
The Rossland was a sternwheel steamboat that ran on the Arrow Lakes in British Columbia. It was named after Rossland, British Columbia, once a prosperous mining town in the region.
Selkirk was a small sternwheel steamboat that operated on the Thompson and Columbia rivers in British Columbia from 1895 to 1917. This vessel should not be confused with the much larger Yukon River sternwheeler Selkirk.
Marion was a small sternwheel steamboat that operated in several waterways in inland British Columbia from 1888 to 1901.
The steamer Chautauqua Belle is an authentic Mississippi River-style sternwheel steamboat owned and operated by U.S. Steam Lines Ltd, operating on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York.
Riverside Park is a public park located on the riverfront of downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. It hosts events such as Riverfest, Fourth of July fireworks, Oktoberfest, Moon Tunes, and the Rotary Lights. The steamboats American Queen, La Crosse Queen, and Julia Belle Swain make stops along the river in the park. The park has walking/running trails.
Streckfus Steamers was a company started in 1910 by John Streckfus Sr. (1856–1925) born in Edgington, Illinois. He started a steam packet business in the 1880s, but transitioned his fleet to the river excursion business around the turn of the century. In 1907, he incorporated Streckfus Steamers to raise capital and expand his riverboat excursion business. A few years later, the firm acquired the Diamond Jo Line, a steamboat packet company.
Padelford Riverboats, established in 1969, is the sole provider of river boat cruises within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in the Twin Cities of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Padelford boats cruise on the Mississippi River and celebrate the history of the region.
Kuskanook was a wooden, stern-wheel driven steamboat that operated on Kootenay Lake, in British Columbia from 1906 to 1931. After being taken out of service, Kuskanook was sold for use as a floating hotel, finally sinking in 1936. The vessel name is also seen spelled Kooskanook.
