LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The world’s oldest Mississippi River-style steamboat celebrated its 108th birthday Sunday with a two-hour cruise down the Ohio river. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Belle of Louisville was built in 1914

  • It is an iconic piece of the city’s waterfront

  • Sunday passengers celebrated the boat’s 108th birthday

  • The boat is still fully running on steam power

Aboard the Belle, passengers heard from Belle historian Kadie Engstrom, who served as their narrator for the cruise. 

“This is a special day,” Engstrom said. “She is the last of her kind. There are no others that can follow in her pathway, so without her, there is no example of the steamboat era when it was functioning as part of America’s everyday life.”

Engstrom will tell this group about the boat’s history and the work that has happened over the years to keep it in working order.

“Hopefully they’ll soak in this piece of American history that’s still with us,” Engstrom said. 

Don Cecconi and his wife experienced the Belle for the first time Sunday. 

“Well, we’ve lived in Louisville for a couple of years and have not been on the Belle and we thought coming on board during (its) birthday would be a great time to explore the Belle and learn about it’s history,” Cecconi said. 

Cecconi says it’s terrific to see a boat like this preserved for so long. 

“Oh, we’ve been told that she still has quite a bit of life left in her and we hope to make sure that continues to happen,” Engstrom said. 

If you would like to book a seat aboard one of the cruises on the Belle, you can see available dates here. 

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