Louisville to Pittsburgh

Enjoy your complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening is yours to become acquainted with the city. Our Hospitality Desk will be located in the hotel, and our friendly staff can assist with everything from general questions about your upcoming voyage to reserving premium experiences. Both American Queen Steamboat Company and local representatives will be readily available to provide you with dining, entertainment and sightseeing options to maximize your time here.

This authentically quirky port is a muse to artisans of mixed mediums – from sidewalk chalk to street fare – and home to the cultural diversity that quickly captivates the heart of its visitors. The local tradition that lives within images of Derby hats, Old-Fashioned cocktails, and the 120-foot Louisville Slugger that towers over the friendly city is better lived than seen. Explore the red penguin-peppered Main Street. Embrace oddity. Experience Louisville. 

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Museum Row  
Louisville's Museum Row is housed in America's second-largest collection of cast-iron facades. 
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes - 1.5 hours    

The Frazier History Museum  
With three floors of exhibit space, the Frazier History Museum is a world-class museum that provides an unforgettable journey through more than 1,000 years of history with ever-changing and interactive exhibits, daily performances by costumed interpreters, and engaging special events and programs.
Suggested Visit: 1 - 2 hours 

Mark Payton Glass Center  
Visit this glass-blowing studio and tour the amazing techniques and artwork created by professionals. 
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes

Cathedral of the Assumption  
Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, this magnificent cathedral was designed in Neo-Gothic style by William Keeley and Isaiah Rogers, two of America's finest 19th-century architects.
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes    

4th Street Live!
Restaurants and entertainment venues in the complex include Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Hard Rock Cafe, T.G.I. Friday's, Sully's Irish Pub,  The Sports & Social Club (bowling alley and restaurant), tavern on 4th street, The Fudgery, and the first-ever Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge.  
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes - 1 hour    

Louisville Visitor Center  
The Louisville Visitor Center is a one-stop shop for brochures, maps, experience itineraries, dining suggestions, coupons, and shopping for Louisville and Bourbon Country-themed items.
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes

Louisville Museum Row Shuttle
Louisville's West Main Street, with its extraordinary collection of Victorian cast-iron historic facades combined with striking contemporary architecture, has experienced a dramatic renaissance over the past decade and has become one of the most creative arts-inspired cultural districts in the nation.





 

Tucked away between Cincinnati and Louisville is Madison, a quaint river town rich in character. This charismatic port flaunts its personality throughout the streets, where a 130-block historic district showcases its collection of classic architectural artistry. Admire the antique machinery at the Schroeder House, or an example of fine craftsmanship at the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site. The downtown shopping district is a unique showcase of unbeatable hospitality, with each shop locally owned and operated. Madison’s heritage is woven into every stop, ensuring a glimpse of beauty and history. Join us to discover all the hidden treasures of Madison.

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Schroeder Saddletree Factory  
This factory is America's very last 19th century saddletree factory. For 94 years, workers at the Ben Schroeder Saddletree Company crafted tens of thousands of wooden frames for saddle makers throughout the United States and Latin America. It was the nation's longest lasting, continually operated, family-owned saddletree company. After his death, Ben's family kept his dream alive by adding stirrups, hames for horse collars, clothespins, lawn furniture and even work gloves to their line of saddletrees. The factory closed in 1972 and was left completely intact.
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes - 1 hour      

Broadway Fountain  
One of Madison's landmarks, the original Broadway Fountain stood in the middle of Broadway for almost 100 years before it was dismantled and recast in bronze in 1976. The original Janes, Kirtland, and Company cast iron fountain was displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.

Take a stroll through Cincinnati – the birthplace of baseball and its own distinctive chili recipe. The city is filled with downtown destinations that flaunt shops and amenities. Bound by the many parks, each district has its own personality, and you can meet them all – because the city’s compact downtown is anchored to the river, where our guests meet the shore. New hotspots and long-lasting classics give this oasis of commerce its colorful character. Seize the day in this old-fashioned urban jewel in Ohio. 

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Oak Bluffs
This seaside resort from the Victorian era was constructed on historic campgrounds. Today, it features over 300 “gingerbread” cottages and other buildings from the 19th century. The Oak Bluffs is also home to one of the oldest platform carousels, the Flying Horse Carousel.

Edgartown
Enjoy this storybook setting along the waterfront. Gaze upon the elegant Greek revival structures that housed the whaling captains in their heyday. Edgartown is home to many historic structures from the Old Whaling Church to the Harbor Lighthouse.

Maysville’s heightened passion for diversity of art and live entertainment proves that as long there is a story to be told, it will flourish. A flick of fate’s baton sprung an ensemble of award-winning theaters, visual arts and historic landmarks that play harmony for the pace of life here. Its long-standing romance with opera – embodied in the 1889 Washington Opera House – serves as a heightened, multisensory means of introducing visitors to beautiful yet complicated truths about humanity. Join us as Maysville sets the stage for the traditional overtures and eccentric interludes of life. 

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Russell Theatre
Constructed in 1929, the Russell Theatre is one of only two atmospheric theatres in Kentucky. The dream of Colonel J. Barbour Russell, a well-known businessman in the wholesale grocery business next door to the theatre, The Russell opened its doors in 1930. Russell’s favorite byline was “What the roxy is to New York, the Russell will be to Maysville.” In 1953, Rosemary Clooney premiered her film, The Stars Are Singing, and today, the lobby is filled with memorabilia that is sure to intrigue any Clooney fans. Admire opulent Spanish Colonial décor that permeates the building from the moment you enter. The Russell has undergone extensive preservation and restoration efforts since 1995, when local townspeople formed The Russell Theatre Corporation (TRTC), saving the historic theatre from demolition with grassroots fundraising.  

Learn of river life, great floods, boat construction, sternwheel steamers, river disasters and the local river industry’s contribution to World War II at the Point Pleasant River Museum. Widely recognized for the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge, this sleepy river town became a focal point of paranormal enthusiasts in search of Mothman, a creature said to inhabit an abandoned TNT factory from World War II.  

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Tu-Endie-Wei State Park  
Tu-Endie-Wei State Park means "point between two rivers" in the Wyandotte language. Inside the park is an 84-foot granite monument that commemorates the frontiersmen who lost their lives in the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant. 
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes

Marietta vaunts a stout mix of museums, walking tours and historic sites to broaden the landscape of the mind. Take part in a farmers’ market and ghost stories alike as you wander the town. Shaded, hand-laid brick streets pervade its charm, and fringing them are dollhouse homes featuring stained glass, intricate woodwork, lofty towers and ornate turrets. All that and more plays a vital role in the visual and spiritual pleasantries of this place. The past fuels the present, keeping pace and pushing forward with the same gusto as the paddlewheel.  

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Mound Cemetery  
Established in 1801, Mound Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries of the original Northwest Territory. The cemetery holds founders and settlers of Marietta and veterans of almost every American war are also buried here. Mound Cemetery is home to the largest number of Revolutionary War officers buried in a single location. In the middle of the cemetery, the earthwork structure known as Conus Mound prominently stands 30 feet high. Conus is thought to be an actual burial mound, probably containing the remains of hundreds of Native Americans. Visitors can take the steps to the top, where there are benches to sit and admire the view. Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes

Watch small river towns and lush landscapes slowly become lost in the horizon as sunlight plays upon the deck. Take hold of a literary classic, curl up on a plush chair in a cozy corner and relish in the moment of tranquility. Experience the fulfillment that river cruising offers.

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Wheeling Artisan Center  
A stunning historic preservation project, the Wheeling Artisan Center is a renovated 1860s industrial building in the heart of downtown. With construction dating to before the Civil War, two adjacent foundry plaques at the base of the pilasters clearly illustrate the statehood of West Virginia. One is marked "VA." while the other is inscribed "W.VA." The three-story atrium welcomes guests inside, where there is a restaurant, regional artisan shop, "Made in Wheeling" exhibits, an event space, and the Wheeling Heritage headquarters.  
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes    

Centre Market/Shopping  
Built in 1853, the Centre Wheeling Market is a historic public market located along Market Street between 22nd and 23rd Streets. The market is older than the state itself. The Upper Market House is the eldest market house in the country. Local business owners in and around the Centre Market square strive to bring back the comfort of home. The Centre Market has a wide arrange of shops and restaurants, including hand-crafted jewlery and pottery and a fish market. There is something here for everyone! 
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes    

West Virginia Independence Hall  
Nearly six years before President Lincoln signed the proclamation making West Virginia the 35th State in the Union, construction had begun on the Wheeling Custom House, headquarters for federal officers for the Western District of Virginia. Its completion, coinciding with the Civil War, provided a facility for political discussions and constitutional conventions. The grand architecture of the building's interiors has been restored to be authentic to the time period in which it portrays. Guests can view an interpretive video and take a self-guided tour of the building.  
Suggested Visit: 30 minutes    

Eckhart House  
Built-in 1892 by wealthy banker George W. Eckhart Jr., the Eckhart House was considered to be one of the residential building achievements of the year by the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer on October 29, 1892. With most of its original architectural features well preserved, it has earned the title of Victorian Wheeling's 'Crown Jewel'. The three-story Queen Anne townhome is nestled in the heart of Victorian Old Town and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides tours, the Eckhart House has a tea room and a gift shop.  
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes    

Capitol Theatre  
The Capitol Theatre is the largest theatre in West Virginia and a landmark building in the national historic district of downtown Wheeling. For many years, it has served as the home of Jamboree USA and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. The Capitol Theatre opened its doors for the first time on November 29th, 1928 for four different shows with each seat costing sixty cents. The building originally had a copper marquee with a large electric neon sign at the entrance and was composed of a color scheme of mulberry, delicate green tones, ivory, and various shades of golden russet.  
Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes

As the journey concludes, there are other opportunities for you to take in the town. Enjoy the city at your leisure, or consider an airport transfer.