Howard Steamboat Museum

"This is an amazing tour! Very knowledgeable volunteers and the home is very well taken care of."

"Not just a tour, but an experience! From the moment we walked in we were welcomed and warmly greeted by Christian and Beverly who provided an abundance of knowledge about the home and its rich history; truly a blessing! Although the museum is heavy on steamboat history on the second and third floors we received plenty of Howard family history through Beverly’s warm demeanor and both Christian and Beverly’s wealth of knowledge, and for a meager AAA-discounted $8 per person at that! The home felt warm and cozy with plenty of beautiful woodwork and unique architectural elements to please the eye. 90% of the home is original in furnishings and design, which is quite the accomplishment given the Noah’s Ark-esque flood of 1937 and the massive basement boiler explosion of ‘71. The experience was memory-making and life-enriching; HIGHLY recommended!"

"Incredibly comprehensive museum on steamboating. I was especially interested to know that the Howard ship yard built LST'S for WWII. The replica and painting of steamboats were a nice addition. The museum is located in the Howard's former home. Structurally, it is a site to behold. Inside, the woodworking and carved details are amazing. Their home was built by shipyard workers and master carpenters."

"We came across a car show at this location by pure accident. We were out on one of our drives and happened to come across it. Absolutely stunning grounds. Very impressed. We only caught the very end of the car show but we will be back to see the museum during Christmas!"

"Excellent tour and museum with highly knowledgeable staff. We took this tour as a one-off and we're so happy that we did - I think it may be oftentimes overlooked because it is across the river - make time to go see it. It is very affordable and highly informative. If I recall correctly 90% of the actual contents of the museum which covers three levels of the original home are all from the Howard family directly. Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and Travis not only was personable but also did a lot of the historic research on the home and pretty much knows everything about the steamboat industry. After the fact I actually found out that he plays the musical instrument call the calliope which is played on the Louisville Bell steamship found in the harbor. We highly recommend"