Travel The Mississippi River On Authentic Paddlewheeler

ALTON - Travel the Mississippi River on an authentic paddlewheel riverboat when the Spirit of Peoria returns to southwest Illinois for summer and fall cruises.

Tickets are now available for sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises aboard the replica paddlewheel riverboat. Visit: riversandroutes.com to purchase tickets for cruises from July 14 through Oct. 6.

The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has partnered with the Spirit of Peoria to offer the popular Mississippi River cruises once again this year.

Returning this year is the interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise featuring the cast of Alton Little Theater which will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Join the cast of Alton Little Theater for a delightful interactive night of mystery while enjoying a full buffet dinner. The cruise will depart and return to The Loading Dock in Grafton. Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. and the cruise is from 7 to 9 p.m. Ticket prices are $60.50 inclusive.

Looking for something more tranquil? Then sit back and relax on either a morning or afternoon sightseeing cruise. As one of the few remaining paddlewheel boats on the Mississippi River, the Spirit of Peoria will transport you back to simpler times. Unwind with deck side seating in the open air or relax inside with a full view of the passing landscape. Sightseeing cruises are 90-minutes in length. Sightseeing cruise tickets are $27.50 for adults; $25.30 for seniors and $15.40 for children ages 4 to 12. Morning Sightseeing cruises depart at 9:30 a.m. and afternoon sightseeing cruises depart at 4 p.m.

Or let the chefs do the cooking during a lunch cruise. The two-hour lunch cruises are $49.50 per person inclusive. The cruises run from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Spirit of Peoria cruise schedule for 2021:

Sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises will depart from The Loading Dock, 400 Front St., Grafton. Boarding begins half an hour before the listed departure time. Free parking is available at The Loading Dock.

The Spirit of Peoria also offers full-day cruises on the Mississippi or Illinois River. The cruises include all-inclusive ticket pricing, all-you-can-eat meals, professional storytelling, unlimited complimentary soft drinks, historic information, wildlife sightings, indoor comforts, outdoor relaxation, live entertainment, ragtime piano, round-trip transportation, tax and gratuity. Full-day cruises boarding begins at 8:30 a.m. with cruising on the river from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cruise from St. Louis to Grafton with shuttle transportation back to St. Louis. The cost is $152 per person.

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