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The Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau is Accepting Applications for the Role of Executive Director.

Paducah to welcome river boats this spring.

Paducah is pleased to announce American Queen Voyages (AQV) and American Cruise Lines will make an historic amount of stops in Paducah this spring, beginning the final week of April.

“Paducah is delighted to see a steamboat season with more scheduled stops than ever before.  There are 63 planned visits by six ships,” said Mary Hammond, executive director of Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Each cruise line’s proven safety protocols led to successful voyages in 2021 and paved the way for expanded itineraries in 2022. Passengers from around the globe visit Paducah via America’s inland waterways, where they are free to immerse themselves in Paducah’s unique creative culture and unmatched hospitality.”

American Queen Voyages, whose American Duchess , American Countess and American Queen ships make stops in Paducah, will be following SafeCruise health and safety protocols. Guests will be required to comply with health and safety protocols that AQV has set forth; all guests and crew must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

American Cruise Lines, whose American Jazz , American Splendor and American Heritage ships make stops in Paducah, will be sailing through the spring. American Cruise Lines will require a negative COVID-19 test result for all guests and crew members boarding its ships .  Rapid testing will be conducted on the day of embarkation or at check-in at a pre-cruise hotel. A certified Medical Officer will be aboard each ship.

While in Paducah, passengers will learn about Paducah’s origin and prosperity that are attributed to the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Guests will experience Paducah’s creative culture at the River Discovery Center and the National Quilt Museum, as well as be given the opportunity to visit downtown art galleries, shops and restaurants.

For more information about visiting Paducah, visit https://www.paducah.travel/ .

  • NKY COMMUNITY CALENDAR

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

The flood was particularly difficult for the City of Cincinnati where the river stayed above flood stage (52 feet) from January 18 until February 5 and reached its crest of 79.99 feet on Tuesday, January 26.  Communities along the Ohio River in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois also faced severe problems.  As the flood waters rose, gas tanks exploded, and oil fires erupted on the river. Parts of Cincinnati remained under water for nineteen days, and electricity and fresh water were in short supply.   On Jan. 24, after one million gallons of gasoline dumped into the Ohio River from ruptured storage tanks and the water caught on fire in Camp Washington. On the very same day, the city water’s supply ran dry. That day was so terrible, it is still remembered as “Black Sunday.”

On Jan. 26, 1937, the Ohio River crested at 34.5 feet in Pittsburgh, nearly 10 feet above flood stage but still less than the historic St. Patrick’s Day flood the year before when the river crested at a record 46 feet in the city. Waters reached significantly higher levels downstream; setting numerous records in other cities.

Many people lost their homes as a result of the flood. The 19-day flood drove 100,000 people out of their homes covered 15 percent of Cincinnati and 40 percent of Covington in water, killed eight, and caused more than $25 million in damage – roughly $435 million in 2017 dollars.

Lawrenceburg, Indiana was especially devastated. Water reached to the second floor of the three-story, Greek Revival Style, Dearborn County Courthouse and entire sections of the city were completely annihilated. After the waters receded, houses were found that had been rolled along like giant balls by the force of the flow. Much of Lawrenceburg remains today, devoid of pre-1937 houses and structures.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

The flood was particularly difficult for the City of Cincinnati where the river stayed above flood stage (52 feet) from January 18 until February 5 and reached its crest of 79.99 feet on Tuesday, January 26.

Back in the 1937 flood, in the hamlet of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky across from Rising Sun, Indiana, only the Rabbit Hash General Store stayed put as the Ohio River swelled, thanks in part to a hook system that keeps it grounded. In 1997, the water reached the windowsills, which is about waist height if you’re standing in the store. As long as the Ohio River stays below 60 feet, the store will stay dry. Or as the late Don Claire explained:

“So, why is the General Store still there? The ’37 flood was not Rabbit Hash’s first encounter with Mother Nature. Significant Ohio River floods occurred in 1849, 1883, 1884, 1913, and 1937 – each sequentially reaching a higher depth. The people of Rabbit Hash could take a hint. The local blacksmith in the 1880’s devised a solution for the ever-threatening problem.  He designed and installed a series of threaded rods bolted on all four corners of the General Store between the bottom sill logs and top plate logs. Underneath the store, these rods have a hook. Another rod and hook system is anchored by concrete into the ground just below these rods. When flood waters rise and begin to float the store, these hooks engage and secure the building in place until the water subsides. There is still 1937 river mud in the attic of the General Store which attests to the efficiency of the protective system. It works so well that similar systems have been incorporated into the barn and museum buildings which are also prone to flooding.”

Fifteen miles downstream from the Rabbit Hash General store, on the Indiana shore, the thriving community of Patriot was ravaged by the raging waters that demolished most of the handsome brick and wooden buildings. Patriot, the birthplace of Engineer Elwood Mead for whom Lake Mead is named, never recovered from the ‘37 Flood.

In Louisville, the Ohio stayed above flood stage for twenty-three days. On January 27, the river crested at 85.4 feet, over thirty feet above flood stage (55 feet). More than 60 percent of the city was underwater and about 230,000 of Louisville’s 350,000 residents had to evacuate their homes. Rainfall in Louisville was a record 19.17 inches for the month. Property damage exceeded $250 million.  ($3.3 billion, today.)

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Many people lost their homes as a result of the flood. The 19-day flood drove 100,000 people out of their homes, covered 15 percent of Cincinnati and 40 percent of Covington in water, killed eight, and caused more than $25 million in damage – roughly $435 million in 2017 dollars.

From Pittsburgh to Cairo, every town, city, farm, and facility along the flooded course of the Ohio River had similar tales of misery and suffering to tell and remember. The only bridge crossing the entire length of the Ohio River that remained open was the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge between Covington and Cincinnati.

The Ohio River Great Flood of January 1937 surpassed all prior floods during the previous 175 years of modern occupancy of the Ohio River Valley.  The overall scope of the flood surpassed the major floods of 1884 and 1773, and geological evidence suggests the 1937 flood outdid any previous flood.

The Evansville, Indiana Courier newspaper carried a brief page one story saying the Ohio River might reach flood stage (back then, 35 feet; but now, 42 feet) on January 10. Nothing too alarming, certainly not of biblical proportions like a river outside its banks for 40 days and nights. Evansville news in 1937 focused on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s impending second inaugural and a General Motors strike in Detroit. But the river and its tributaries kept rising. By January 17th, there were fears of backwater flooding “east side” basements and furnaces. Then came the downpours (16 inches in 11 days in the Ohio Valley), even an ice storm and snow for a slushy mess.

On January 22, with 51 Red Cross nurses arriving from Chicago, the Courier warned 120,000 residents the record flood of 1913 (48.4 feet) might be surpassed. Several thousand people evacuated as one-by-one, railroads and highways were closed by high water. People took refuge in local schools, churches, businesses or with families outside the flooding. Thousands got typhoid shots. The U.S. Army distributed clean water. Martial law was declared on the 24th.  By the last day of January, when the Ohio crested at 53.74 feet, almost 19 feet above flood stage — water was a foot deep at 8th and Main downtown. Five-hundred Evansville city blocks were a lake. About 7,500 structures were damaged to the tune of what today would be $300 million. The Ohio River didn’t recede inside its banks until February 19.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Lawrenceburg, Indiana was especially devastated. Water reached to the second floor of the three-story, Greek Revival Style, Dearborn County Courthouse and entire sections of the city were completely annihilated.

January 1937 opened with a two-week period of rain in Paducah, Kentucky on the lower end of the river, followed by a sleet storm. As residents were accustomed to rising waters, few were initially concerned. By January 19, however, it became clear that the water was reaching an ominous level, prompting the chairman of the Red Cross to appoint emergency committees. Emergency responses were complicated by downed lines of communication.   Telephones, telegraphs, and radio stations were rendered silent, leaving people to worry about the safety of their family and neighbors in Paducah and beyond. By January 30, water levels reached approximately fifty-nine feet, and the complete evacuation of the town came under military supervision.   The flood reached its highest point on February 2. Nearly ninety-five percent of Paducah was submerged as water levels swelled to 60.8 feet. When the water subsided, the displaced citizens of Paducah returned to unsafe buildings, utilities that required renovations, and millions of dollars in property damage.   After the disaster, talk of constructing a flood wall began circulating the city. On February 22, a petition was sent to the U.S. Congress to build a levee to protect Paducah. Work on it began soon after. A worst-case scenario test, conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1968, determined that the flood control available from dams on the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers, along with the Paducah floodwall, would prevent an occurrence like 1937 from happening again. Only time will tell.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Back in the 1937 flood, in the hamlet of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky across from Rising Sun, Indiana, only the Rabbit Hash General Store stayed put as the Ohio River swelled, thanks in part to a hook system that keeps it grounded.

Cairo is the southernmost city in the State of Illinois and located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers; some 981 miles downstream from the “Point” in Pittsburgh. Cairo at the time of the 1937 Flood was the only community on the Ohio River completely surrounded by levees due to its low elevation between the rivers.   These levees were strengthened by the Army Corps of Engineers after the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. As part of this project, the Engineers established the Bird’s Point-New Madrid Floodway. The Ohio River Flood of 1937 brought a record water level to Cairo that crested at 59.5 feet. To protect Cairo, the Corps of Engineers closed the floodgate and blew a breach in the Bird’s Point levee for the first time to relieve pressure on the Cairo flood wall.   The Cairo seawall levee reached a height of sixty feet. A newspaper account noted, “ “Water laps at emergency barrier atop sixty-foot seawall. Women, children ordered to flee as workers, handicapped by freezing weather, struggle to bolster defenses.”   Over a year before the flood, Mr. Cullen Cleary Franklin, a native of Franklin, Tennessee, a town outside Nashville named for a family ancestor, had a profitable small business which helped provide additional cash for his large family during the Great Depression. Mr. Franklin, better known as “C. C.” made and sold moonshine whiskey which he dispensed wherever men congregated around pool halls, card, and crap games and such. At a quarter-dollar a Mason Jar lid-full of his quality product, Mr. Franklin quietly supplemented his family’s income in those tough economically-challenged times.

One day as Franklin was readying a batch of “fixins” for his distillery, he was short the sugar needed for the fermentation; so he went “across the holler” to where a friend ran his own distilling enterprise to borrow from his friend’s sugar sack. Suddenly, Mr. Franklin was surrounded by a swarm of Federal Law Enforcement agents, the “revenuers” who had been staking out the friend’s still.  The government agents knew that the distillery wasn’t the property of C. C. Franklin, but they wanted him to “rat-out” the real owner or else become their guest at the “iron door hotel.” When Franklin refused to divulge the name of the rightful owner, he was sentenced to, and served, a year and a day in solitary confinement.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

In Louisville, the Ohio stayed above flood stage for twenty-three days. On January 27, the river crested at 85.4 feet, over thirty feet above flood stage (55 feet).

When released from prison, C. C. realized that the next time he and the Feds would tangle, he would likely be killed. So he bid his wife and family adieu and set off north for Illinois to seek work and find a new home before sending for them. The former moonshiner arrived in Cairo, Illinois just as the torrential rains began to swell the Ohio River.

As the newspaper noted, the women and children were evacuated from the city of Cairo, but what the paper didn’t say was that all able-bodied men were, with the threat of a gun, involuntarily pressed into labor gangs to remain within the walled town to reinforce the levee as the water rose to the top of the concrete and earthen protection. Over 4,000 men fought the rising waters; among them was Mr. Cullen Cleary Franklin.

Another account read: “The brimming Ohio River, sloshing near the rim of the levee system here, advanced today on Cairo’s last line of flood defense – an eighteen-inch-thick wall of boards and earth. The wall, three feet high, is a hurriedly built superstructure crowning the sixty-foot barrier that saved the city from past floods. A wooden framework, reinforced with braces, was filled with sacks tamped full of dirt.”

Such was the work the Tennessee native was sharing with a small army of other men. As the deluge crested, the levee held. Cairo was saved and was the only city on the Ohio River that did not get its feet wet.

The industrious Mr. Franklin’s selfless labor was soon singled out for praise by both his fellow workers and those who oversaw the reinforcement of the seawall. While he worked along the riverbank, Franklin noticed that a large flotilla of shantyboats bobbed merrily along outside the levee. He saw that the simple floating homes were relatively unaffected by the flood and its aftermath. Simply put, the shantyboats went up with the rising water and came down with the tide as it fell.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

The only bridge crossing the entire length of the Ohio River that remained open was the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge between Covington and Cincinnati.

Also of interest, were the plots of riverbank allocated to each floating houseboat where the occupants could grow most of their food. The Ohio and nearby Mississippi River were mined for their fishes that provides nourishment to the boatmen and their families as well as a source of cash and for barter from fish-hungry city folks as far away as Paducah and even St. Louis.

After the walled city was safe for the women and children to return, Mr. Franklin arranged for the purchase of a much-used shantyboat with a garden plot above it. Soon the Franklin family joined their father, and over the ensuing years, they prospered as shantyboaters and fishermen. As Mr. C. C. became more successful and was able to afford it, he purchased a farm outside of town. But still maintaining their connections with the river, he and his sons also became professional boatmen. His daughters succeeded and married well. Mr. Franklin’s youngest child, David became a licensed Captain and Pilot on the river, and on several occasions, Captain Dave L. Franklin was the Relief Captain of this very boat, the BELLE of CINCINNATI, we are cruising on now.   It is nearly 82 years since the Great Flood of 1937 when the Ohio River crested at 79.99 feet on the Cincinnati gauge; some 28 feet above flood stage, a historical height history never seen before. You know what happened: It had rained and snowed and sleeted that January. It was, and still is, our wettest month on record at four times more than the average precipitation. At one point in the 10-day deluge of 1937, the river rose four feet in 24 hours. At another point, the flood traveled at 894,000 cubic feet of water per second. That’s 55,696,200 pounds or 27,848 tons per second! Yipes!! A lotta weight.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

The flood reached its highest point on February 2. Nearly ninety-five percent of Paducah was submerged as water levels swelled to 60.8 feet.

After the floodwaters receded, governments on all levels sought to tame this ancient, wild thing of a river. New walls were built.  There’s the Serpentine Wall guarding Yeatman’s Cove now. On the other side of the river, the flood walls in Covington and Newport face Cincinnati were built to a height of 80-feet. Eighty-feet sound familiar? Portsmouth, upstream from Cincy, had built walls in front of the river since 1908. But those didn’t stop the river in 1937. So more walls were built on top of the old ones.  New levees and reservoirs were constructed, and so were flood gates and pumping stations.

In 1938, Congress passed the Flood Control Act. That funded 75 flood-control projects along the Ohio River and its tributaries. It built lakes and reservoirs. There are some half dozen agencies, from our backyard and beyond, that are now monitoring every gallon of water in the Ohio River, for speed and temperature. For quality and quantity. For changes and constants.   Will there be another flood as awesome, or exceeding the Great 1937 Flood? Will there be an earthquake worse that the one that devastated San Francisco in 1906? Scientists say that both scenarios are possible, and quite probably, given that conditions are right.

Again, only time will tell…   Historic Ohio River Crests:

• (1) 80.00 ft on 01/26/1937 • (2) 71.10 ft on 02/14/1884 • (3) 69.90 ft on 04/01/1913 – Capt. Jesse Hughes told of this one. • (4) 69.20 ft on 03/07/1945 • (5) 66.30 ft on 02/15/1883 • (6) 66.20 ft on 03/11/1964 – I witnessed this flood at Kennedy Park. • (7) 65.20 ft on 01/21/1907 • (8) 64.80 ft on 04/18/1948 –  My dad and I observed this one. • (9) 64.70 ft on 03/05/1997 – I was at Metropolis, IL. • (10) 63.60 ft on 03/21/1933 • (11) 62.20 ft on 01/14/1913 • (12) 62.10 ft on 03/18/1907 • (13) 61.80 ft on 02/12/1918 • (14) 61.40 ft on 03/29/1898 • (15) 61.32 ft on 03/03/1962 • (16) 61.27 ft on 03/01/1962 • (17) 61.20 ft on 02/01/1918 • (18) 61.20 ft on 02/26/1897 • (19) 61.00 ft on 03/10/1955 – I was on flood at Walt’s boat Harbor. • (20) 60.80 ft on 01/04/1943 • (21) 60.60 ft on 03/28/1936 • (22) 60.04 ft on 04/24/1940

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Cairo at the time of the 1937 Flood was the only community on the Ohio River completely surrounded by levees due to its low elevation between the rivers.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Men piling sandbags along the levee during flood of the Ohio River in Cairo, Illinois. Photograph by Russell Lee, February 1937.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Franklin noticed that a large flotilla of shantyboats bobbed merrily along outside the levee. He saw that the simple floating homes were relatively unaffected by the flood and its aftermath. Simply put, the shantyboats went up with the rising water and came down with the tide as it fell.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Mr. Franklin’s youngest child, David became a licensed Captain and Pilot on the river, and on several occasions, Captain Dave L. Franklin was the Relief Captain of this very boat, the BELLE of CINCINNATI, we are cruising on now.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Will there be another flood as awesome, or exceeding the Great 1937 Flood? Again, only time will tell…

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

   

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Enjoy Captain Don Sanders’ stories of the river — in the book.

ORDER YOUR RIVER BOOK HERE

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Capt. Don Sanders The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding ‘magic river spell’ to 65-year adventure is now available for $29.95 plus handling and applicable taxes. This beautiful, hardback is 264-pages of riveting storytellings, replete with hundreds of pictures from Capt. Don’s collection — and reflects his meticulous journaling, unmatched storytelling, and his appreciation for detail. This historically significant book is available just in time for Christmas gifting — and for the collections of every devotee of the river.

You may purchase your books by mail from the Northern Kentucky Tribune — or you may find the book for sale at all Roebling Books locations and at the Behringer Crawford Museum and the St. Elizabeth Healthcare gift shops.

Order your Captain Don Sanders’ ‘The River’ book here .    

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Thanks for republishing this fascinating article. So interesting, as always

Thanks, Capt. Don and NKYTribune, for this interesting and well chronicled reminder of the power of a river over its subjects in the realm of its plain when at flood. The experts say that if the same amount of rain were to fall again over the same area as in January 1937, it will result in lower flood crests with the aid of all the retention reservoirs up the many tributaries. That gives a great comfort, but knowing the river and its atmospheric feeder, I sometimes wonder about the if and when of the next rain apocalypse that far surpasses anything before.

Thanks, Capt. Don for bringing these flood details to life.and Thanks NKyTribune for running it again as we experience another rain soaked Winter. My Dad told me of the floods of 1913 & 1937 . But somehow I forgot his tellng was just a piece of those great floods & others & effects areas outside of Cincy.

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Paducah KY (Kentucky)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Paducah KY cruise port

Region Canada and USA Rivers

Local Time 2024-03-22 20:37

Port Paducah KY cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Paducah KY, Kentucky. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Paducah is an Ohio-Tennessee river cruise port and city in Kentucky USA (McCracken County) with population around 25,000. The town is located at the confluence of two rivers (Ohio and Tennessee), and approx halfway between St Louis Missouri (northwest) and Nashville Tennessee (southeast).

The initial settlement was founded in 1821. The town was named in 1827 (during the Lewis and Clark Expedition) after the Comanche Indians (back then known as Padoucas). The town was officially founded in 1830 and incorporated in 1838. Local economy was based on river shipping, with several large port facilities serving trade and passenger transportation, including drydocks for steamboats and buildings for headquarters of cargo barge companies. As a hub of the Illinois Central Railroad (aka Main Line of Mid-America), the town's economy also benefited from the rail industry - locally served by a brick factory, a locomotive workshop and a factory producing rail tracks and locomotive parts.

The city's current-day economy is also based mainly of river shipping, with 23 barge shipping companies headquartered in Paducah KY. In 2017 was inaugurated a 340-ft (104-m) long boat dock providing transient boaters with short or overnight berthing. Dock's amenities include fueling, fresh water supply, sewage pumpout. Paducah KY's top employers are Western Baptist Hospital, Lourdes Hospital, 3 Walmart, Paducah Public Schools, WKCTC (West Kentucky Community and Technical College), Computer Services Inc, Parkview Convalescent Center, Paxton Media Group.

As cruise port, Paducah KY is included in the schedules of USA's largest river cruise companies - ACL ( American Cruise Lines ) and AQSC ( American Queen Voyages/Steamboat Company ). The port is regularly visited by the riverboats Queen of the West/American West , American Duchess , American Harmony , America/American Splendor .

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Paducah KY - user reviews and comments

Explore Paducah

Stuart Nelson Park

Plan Your Paducah Holiday: Best of Paducah

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Find flight deals to Paducah

Essential paducah.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Paducah Is Great For

Eat & drink.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Shopaholics

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Art & history

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Explore Paducah

Stuart Nelson Park

Plan Your Trip to Paducah: Best of Paducah Tourism

Essential paducah.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Paducah Is Great For

Eat & drink.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Shopaholics

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Art & history

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  • Auburn Place Hotels and Suites
  • Drury Inn & Suites Paducah
  • Drury Inn Paducah
  • Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront, an IHG Hotel
  • La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Paducah
  • freight house
  • Strickland's Seafood Restaurant
  • Flamingo Row
  • Doe's Eat Place
  • Gold Rush Cafe
  • Paducah Riverwalk
  • The National Quilt Museum
  • Misty Pond Alpaca Farm & Store
  • Purple Toad Winery
  • Floodwall Murals

Built in 1981, by Janoush Marine Incorporated of Rosedale, Mississippi (hull #11) as the Dixie Patriot for Dixie Marine Incorporated of Houston, Texas. In 1993, the tug was acquired by the Ole Man River Transportation Company of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Where she was renamed as the Magnolia State. In 1998, she was acquired by the Kirby Corporation of Channelview, Texas. Where the tug retained her name. In 2000, the tug was acquired by Excell Marine Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. Where the tug was renamed as the River Princess. In 2004, she was acquired by the Crounse Corporation of Paducah, Kentucky. Where she was renamed as the Diane B. Siegel. Repowered in 1983, the tug is driven by two GM 12-645E2 diesel engines. With Reintjes reduction gears. She is a twin screw, towboat, rated at 3,200 horsepower.

  • Vessel Name : MAGNOLIA STATE
  • USCG Doc. No. : 643366
  • Vessel Service : TOWING VESSEL
  • Trade Indicator : Coastwise Unrestricted
  • Call Sign : WDE8188
  • Hull Material : STEEL
  • Hull Number : 11
  • Ship Builder : Janoush Marine, Inc.
  • Year Built : 1981
  • Length : 103.7
  • Hailing Port : PADUCAH, KY.
  • Hull Depth : 9.5
  • Hull Breadth : 34
  • Gross Tonnage : 394
  • Net Tonnage : 255
  • Owner : CROUNSE CORPORATION 400 MARINE WAY PO BOX 360 PADUCAH, KY 42002
  • Previous Vessel Names : DIXIE PATRIOT, MAGNOLIA STATE, RIVER PRINCESS
  • Previous Vessel Owners : Dixie Carriers, Inc., Ole Man River Transportation Co., Kirby Inland Marine Inc., EXCELL MARINE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION, CROUNSE CORPORATION

The Riverboat Cruise In Kentucky You Never Knew Existed

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

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.

More by this Author

There’s something magical about a riverboat, quietly waiting on the shores of a river, ready to come back to life. Within the popular destination of Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, the Dixie Belle has come back to life and it’s carrying passengers down the Kentucky River. There may be other more popular cruises available in Kentucky, but this one that you may not have heard of is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

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magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

Have you been aboard the Dixie Belle? Did you learn something new about Kentucky’s fascinating history? Share your experience with us in the comments! And for more information on this riverboat cruise, including location, pricing and cruise dates, check out their website here .

And for more exciting day trip ideas, check out our recent article here .

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

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  • Silver Bell Awards Dinner
  • Volunteer and In-Kind Giving

Our 2026 River Bell Awards Luncheon Date is set. Join us on December 5, 2024.

Further details for this event will be available later. For information about attendance or sponsorship opportunities, contact the Development Office at 212-349-9090 .

Thank you to our generous sponsors, supporters, and everyone who joined us at the 2023 River Bell Awards Luncheon! This record-breaking event welcomed nearly 600 attendees, and raised over $500,000 to support SCI’s vital services and programs. We congratulate this year’s award recipients, applauding their outstanding contributions and unwavering dedication to the inland maritime community. Your support makes a significant impact, and we are truly grateful.

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters

2023 Honorees

River Bell Award Darin Adrian President, River Division Marquette Transportation Company, LLC

River Legend Award Gerald E. “Jerry” Clower President Harbor Towing and Fleeting, LLC

Distinguished Service Award Rear Admiral Richard Timme U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)

Lifesaving Award The Crew of the M/V Mike Sanders American Commercial Barge Line

The Crew of the M/V Mary Ellen Jones Amherst Madison, Inc.

The Crew of the M/V San D Parker Towing

View the 2023 Lifesaving Award recipient videos here:

2023 Award Winners

View the photo album from the 2023 River Bell Awards Luncheon HERE .

007 - 2023 SCI Riverbell Awards - 37445 - BRS

Magnolia Village, Paducah Townhouses

Magnolia Village is a community of townhomes in Paducah Kentucky offering an assortment of beautiful styles, varying sizes and affordable prices to choose from. Magnolia Village townhouses for sale range in price from approximately $235,000 to $305,900. Listed is all Magnolia Village real estate for sale in Paducah by BEX Realty as well as all other real estate Brokers who participate in the local MLS. No matter what your wants or needs, we are confident that you will find your dream townhouse in Magnolia Village or one of many other great Paducah communities. Please reach out to one of our market experts if you have any questions or would like assistance seeing any Magnolia Village townhouses for sale.

Magnolia Village Townhouses For Sale

120 Long Dr, Paducah, KY 42003 - Townhouse in Magnolia Village

$300,000

122 Long Dr, Paducah, KY 42003 - Townhouse in Magnolia Village

$305,900

114 Long Dr, Paducah, KY 42003 - Townhouse in Magnolia Village

$302,000

105 Long Dr, Paducah, KY 42003 - Townhouse in Magnolia Village

$235,000

More Communities in Paducah

The listing data on this website comes in part from a cooperative data exchange program of the multiple listing service (MLS) or additional real estate data sources in which this real estate Broker participates. The listings displayed may not be all of the listings in the MLS's database, or all of the properties listed with Brokers participating in the cooperative data exchange program and properties that are listed by Brokers other than this Broker are marked with either the listing Broker's name or the MLS name or a logo provided by the MLS. The detailed listing page about such properties includes the name of the listing Brokers. Information provided is thought to be reliable but is not guaranteed to be accurate, so you are advised to verify facts that are important to you and no warranties, expressed or implied, are provided for the data herein, or for their use or interpretation by the user. The Kentucky Association of Realtors and its cooperating MLSs do not create, control or review the property data displayed herein and take no responsibility for the content of such records. Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin in the sale, rental or financing of housing. BEX Realty is an equal housing opportunity real estate broker. Please contact us if you cannot properly experience this site. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all activity in the market. BEX Realty is not a mortgage lender or insurance provider. Participating partners may compensate BEX Realty for any consumer information provided on this site.

  • Recent Posts

MAGNOLIA BELLE sighting

Keith, who is computerless on weekends, spotted the MAGNOLIA BELLE tonight at Louisville's Waterfront Park.

She is here in Louisville, has been since Tuesday, and will be here till Monday. Capt. Joe Baer's deckhand got sick and had to leave so he has made arrangements to have a deckhand to move her Monday.

They have decided to winter that beautiful Dubuque-built sternwheeler here in the Louisville area and take advantage of the facilities in this area to address some repairs to the vessel.

The original plan was to drop down river for this. I think rates here were the reasoning for this last minue change of plan.

Travis, Capt. Baer must have had a change in plans(?). They told me on the radio that they were wintering the MAGNOLIA BELLE at Paducah...

As a boat owner, you well know things change on the river. Gotta go where the best deal is nowdays to keep your head above water!

I'm glad that they are staying closer to this area for the winter. Would be interesting if they tramped between Louisville and Cincinnati next summer. I don't think the local Madison excursion market has been tapped much since the BONNIE BELLE left.

magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

IMAGES

  1. Paducah: Magnolia Belle Riverboat

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  2. Magnolia Belle

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  3. riverboat Magnolia Belle

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  4. Paducah: Magnolia Belle Riverboat

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  5. Queen of the Mississippi, Downtown Paducah, KY

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

  6. Magnolia Belle

    magnolia belle riverboat paducah kentucky

COMMENTS

  1. Paducah: Magnolia Belle Riverboat

    Inside Paducah: Magnolia Belle Riverboat - Before you visit Paducah, visit Tripadvisor for the latest info and advice, written for travellers by travellers.

  2. Paducah Welcomes River Boats in Spring 2022

    Paducah is pleased to announce American Queen Voyages (AQV) and American Cruise Lines will make an historic amount of stops in Paducah this spring, beginning the final week of April. "Paducah is delighted to see a steamboat season with more scheduled stops than ever before. There are 63 planned visits by six ships," said Mary Hammond, executive director of Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau.

  3. Riverboats returning to Port of Paducah

    The current 2021 riverboat schedule begins April 9 and runs through Oct. 10. Sun files. Facebook; Twitter; ... Paducah, KY 42003 Phone: 270-575-8600 (Customer Service: 270-575-8800)

  4. Magnolia Belle

    Magnolia Belle. Plans are to move her back to the Ohio River, where she will offer cruises out of Paducah, KY. Video. The video shows the paddlewheel riverboat Magnolia Belle on the Ohio River in 2006. The video was taken from aboard the Belle of Louisville when taking over on the way to Cincinnati, Ohio, for the Tall Stacks 2006 festival.

  5. Paducah riverboat schedule released

    The 2022 riverboat schedule for the Port of Paducah has been released, and the first riverboat, ... Paducah, KY 42003 Phone: 270-575-8600 (Customer Service: 270-575-8800)

  6. New Magnolia Belle Paducah website

    River Talk & Cruise... New Magnolia Belle ... New Magnolia Belle Paducah website JLee Baer. Joined: 17 years ago. Posts: 49. Topic starter 26/02/2008 8:39 pm Our new website for Paducah is up and running. Please visit and share your thoughts. www.magnoliabelle.com. Capt. Joe ...

  7. The River: The Great Flood of 1937 as told aboard the BB Riverboat

    January 1937 opened with a two-week period of rain in Paducah, Kentucky on the lower end of the river, followed by a sleet storm. As residents were accustomed to rising waters, few were initially ...

  8. Rollin' on the River

    Rollin' on the River. Robin Roenker. June 30, 2017. 7 min read. Worth The Trip. The American Queen cruises the Ohio River near Henderson, where passengers may enjoy a shore excursion to the John James Audubon Museum. Photo: American Queen Steamboat Company. The Belle of Cincinnati leaves dock between Cincinnati and Covington.

  9. Magnolia Belle

    Does anyone know the status of the Magnolia Belle? The last I heard was that it was to operate tours out of Paducah, but I saw no sign of it when I was there recently.

  10. Magnolia Belle has a new home!

    I think Paducah will be a great market for the Magnolia Belle. The people in Paducah have been very helpful and encouraging. I enjoyed life in New Orleans and I will miss it. Capt. Joseph L. Baer Master, M/V Magnolia Belle ... The Loop is a round trip up the Tennessee River, through Kentucky Lock, into Kentucky Lake and overnight stop in Grand ...

  11. Paducah KY (Kentucky) cruise port schedule

    Paducah is an Ohio-Tennessee river cruise port and city in Kentucky USA (McCracken County) with population around 25,000. The town is located at the confluence of two rivers (Ohio and Tennessee), and approx halfway between St Louis Missouri (northwest) and Nashville Tennessee (southeast).. The initial settlement was founded in 1821.

  12. Paducah, KY 2024: All You Need to Know Before You Go

    Paducah Tourism: Tripadvisor has 23,579 reviews of Paducah Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Paducah resource. ... River Discovery Center. 111. Children's Museums, History Museums. William Clark Market House Museum. 64. ... Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Paducah, KY. 702. Eat. Can't-miss spots to dine, drink, and feast ...

  13. Riverboats return to Paducah

    Paducah, KY (42003) Today. A mix of clouds and sun. High around 40F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

  14. Paducah River Cruises

    Starting in Memphis TN; Cruising the Mississippi and Ohio River; with stops in Paducah, KY; Cruising Lake Barkley and the Cumberland River; Dover, TN; Clarksville, TN; Nashville, TN 2024 Sails: May 4, Aug 10, 2025 : Apr 23, Jul 16, Aug 13, Sep 10, More...

  15. Border Star/Bonnie Belle/Magnolia Belle, et al…

    Border Star/Bonnie Belle/Magnolia Belle, et al... Luke Moore. Joined: 18 years ago. Posts: 39. ... La, but after that I've lost track. Pondering in Paducah. Quote R. Dale Flick. Joined: 18 years ago. Posts: 1667. 18/01/2020 1:22 pm ... Times are when boats get 'sold down the river' history of them gets murky. Hope you get your information on here.

  16. Paducah, KY 2024: All You Need to Know Before You Go

    from $109/night. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Paducah. 1,104. from $81/night. Best Western Paducah Inn. 662. from $75/night. Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront, an IHG Hotel. 143.

  17. Tugboat Information

    Where she was renamed as the Magnolia State. In 1998, she was acquired by the Kirby Corporation of Channelview, Texas. Where the tug retained her name. In 2000, the tug was acquired by Excell Marine Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. Where the tug was renamed as the River Princess. In 2004, she was acquired by the Crounse Corporation of Paducah ...

  18. The Riverboat Cruise In Kentucky You Never Knew Existed

    The boat cruises May - October, everyday and departs at 2pm and 4pm for an hour long trip. You'll have plenty of opportunity to view the scenic Kentucky River Palisades, high limestone cliffs and untouched natural beauty along the banks of the river. You can relax in a seat and take in the views.

  19. Steamboats of the Fifty States

    The side wheeler was formerly known as the William S. Mitchell, and had a distinguished career dredging rivers for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1934 to 1986. Located in Newport, across the river from Cincinnati. Dixie Belle sternwheeler offers cruises along the Kentucky River palisades, a stretch of river with limestone cliffs. Associated ...

  20. River Bell Awards Luncheon

    2023 River Bell, Distinguished Service Award Pictured from left to right: Damon Judd - President and CEO Marquette Transportation Company (River Bell Committee Co-Chair) ... Center for Maritime Education/Ministry on the River 129 S. Water St. Paducah, KY 42001 main 270.575.1005 [email protected] SCI-Houston. Center for Maritime Education ...

  21. Where is the MAGNOLIA BELLE?

    Magnolia Belle riverboat. Trip Advisor has a site dated Nov 15 2014 placing her in Paduach you might check it out an has a real nice photo of the boat on it.Was built in 1969 Right?Carole M posting frm South Fla where it was about 60 today. We are freezing. excuse spelling

  22. Magnolia Village Homes For Sale

    Magnolia Village is a community of townhomes in Paducah Kentucky offering an assortment of beautiful styles, varying sizes and affordable prices to choose from. Magnolia Village townhouses for sale range in price from approximately $235,000 to $305,900. Listed is all Magnolia Village real estate for sale in Paducah by BEX Realty as well as all other real estate Brokers who participate in the ...

  23. MAGNOLIA BELLE sighting

    06/11/2006 5:18 pm. Judy, They have decided to winter that beautiful Dubuque-built sternwheeler here in the Louisville area and take advantage of the facilities in this area to address some repairs to the vessel. The original plan was to drop down river for this. I think rates here were the reasoning for this last minue change of plan.