LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Belle of Louisville is getting ready to set sail on some special fall cruises.
There will be several themes to the cruises.
The first will explore the Ohio River's connection to the Underground Railroad. From 4-5 p.m. on Oct. 8, guests will board the Mary M. Miller to learn about the role the river played in getting enslaved people to freedom. Tickets cost $10 for adults and seniors, $5 for children age 5-14, and free for kids age 4 and under.
The next cruise will explore the work of Edgar Allan Poe. From 8-10 p.m. on Oct. 13 and 14, guests will experience performances of Poe's work aboard the Belle of Louisville, including poet and author's "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Bells," "Alone," "The Raven," "Murders in the Rue Morgue," and a collection of poems. The cruise will include a cash bar and concessions. Tickets cost $39.99 for adults, $38.99 for seniors and $18.99 for kids age 5-14.
The Belle of Louisville will then celebrate its 108th birthday with a cruise from 12-2 p.m. on Oct. 16. The cruise will include cupcakes, special birthday narration and music. Boxed meal options are available when purchasing tickets. Tickets with boxed meals are $32.50 for adults, $31.50 for seniors, $21.50 for kids age 5-14, and free for kids age 4 and under. Sightseeing tickets without boxed meals cost $18.50 for adults, $17.50 for seniors, $10.50 for kids age 5-14 and free for kids age 4 and under.
On Oct. 22 from 1-3:30 p.m., guests can board the Belle for a fall foliage and geology cruise. The cruise will explore how the Ohio River and other natural structures were formed, as well as the history of the Ohio River, while viewing the fall foliage along the river. The cruise also has boxed meal ticket options available for $39.99 for adults, $38.99 for seniors, $23.99 for kids age 5-14 and free for kids age 4 and under. Sightseeing prices, without meals, cost $24.99 for adults, $23.99 for seniors, $12.99 for kids age 5-14 and free for kids age 4 and under.
The fall season will wrap up with two ghost cruises, one for the family and another for adults only, on Oct. 29. Guests will "step back in time" to Oct. 31, 1947, when sheriffs conducted a night raid on the boat, looking for illegal gambling machines installed by its captain at the time. Belle officials said the surprise raid shook the captain "so severely that he suffered a heart attack on the spot and died onboard." Aboard the Oct. 29 cruise, officials said "these tragic moments make up a time loop that guests now find themselves a part of."
Guests will explore the "haunted Belle," coming "face-to-face with ghosts and apparitions — real and imagined" and visit the cabin that the captain died in. There will also be card games, tarot card readings, trick-or-treating, crafts and concessions. A cash bar will also be open.
The first of the ghost cruises, the family version, will depart at 1 p.m. and return at 3 p.m. The adults-only cruise will depart at 8 p.m. and return at 10 p.m. Organizers are encouraging guests to dress in Halloween costumes or period apparel.
Tickets cost $39.99 for adults, $38.99 for seniors, $18.99 for kids age 5-14 and free for kids age 4 and under. Organizers said although kids under the age of 4 get in for free, they will still need a ticket for the cruise.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
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