Take a Ride on One of These Five Awesome Iowa Riverboats in 2025

This summer, you may want to consider taking a cruise on one of the cool riverboats that reside here in the state of Iowa! Here are five of the best, courtesy of the website Travel Iowa:

Riverboat Twilight

Designed and built in 1987 by Captain Dennis Trone, the Riverboat Twilight is a replica of classic Victorian steamboats that travels the Mississippi River. The website reads, "fast, elegant and quiet as she slips through the water, there are three decks with comfortable dining salons and sundecks with lounge chairs to sightsee or snooze in the sun." In addition to 90-minute sightseeing cruises, Riverboat Twilight also offers one-day and two-day river cruises that depart from LeClaire, Iowa. Cruises are available on select dates from May 24th, 2025 to October 27th, 2025.

Celebration River Cruises

With Celebration River Cruises, you can take a trip on the Mississippi River on the Celebration Belle, a 750 passenger paddlewheel boat. There are a variety of different trip options, including lunch cruises, dinner & dancing cruises, sightseeing cruises, themed cruises, fireworks cruises, all-day cruises, and overnight cruises. Cruises on the Celebration Belle start in the Quad Cities, LeClaire, Dubuque, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The schedule says that the 2025 season begins April 17th and runs through the fall.

Queen II

Arnolds Park, Iowa is home to the Queen II, a steamboat built in 1986 that travels around West Lake Okoboji. The boat can hold up to 200 people and features an open-air upper deck and enclosed lower deck. Trips last one hour and run May 17th, 2025 through September 1st, 2025. The Queen II can also be rented for events like weddings, class reunions, anniversaries, birthdays, and more.

Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake is an authentic paddle wheel excursion boat on Clear Lake, "a natural, spring-fed lake located in Clear Lake, Iowa, just minutes off I-35 and I-90." The boat is open for both private and public cruises beginning Memorial Day weekend. Public cruises last around 90 minutes and the captain gives details on the boat's history, the lake, and sites located around the lake. They also host 4th of July fireworks cruises and Pirate Party cruises.

Empress Riverboat

Referred to as "the crown jewel of the Iowa River," the Scenic City Empress Riverboat is docked over in Iowa Falls. The 50-passenger boat has two decks and gives passengers a chance to see some beautiful Iowa scenery, like bluffs, a waterfall, and a historic swinging bridge. Public cruises are offered on ​Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., but you can also book private chartered cruises and private catered cruises. The 2025 season has yet to be posted, but cruises are typically available from
June through mid-October.