# Travel >> Transportation >> Cruises

Mississippi River Cruises in St. Louis

People have been traveling up and down the mighty Mississippi for over a hundred years. The river has more than 25,000 miles of interconnecting waterways and remains one of the country's most important waterways. Daily cruises depart St. Louis for sightseeing and enjoying the city's skyline. Mississippi paddle-wheel boats still cruise up and down the river carrying passengers on excursions, but overnight cruises ended in February 2010.

Blues Cruise
- The Blues Cruise departs daily from June through August out of St. Louis. Enjoy traditional blues on a replica of a steam paddle boat. The boats depart at 8:30 p.m. from the Gateway Arch Riverfront, which is right on the river at the Gateway Arch attraction on Memorial Drive. The three-hour cruise on the Mississippi lets you listen to the music as you enjoy the St. Louis skyline and the sights and sounds on the river. Check the calendar for specific blues bands that will be playing during the summer. There is a bar on board. Rates are $18 per person as of February 2010.
  
  Gateway Arch Riverfront
  707 N. First St.
  St. Louis, MO 63102
  877-982-1410
  gatewayarch.com/arch/
Dinner Cruise
- Dinner cruises depart from the Gateway Arch Waterfront in the summer.
  
  A dinner on the river cruise on a replica of a steamboat departs daily from the Gateway Arch Riverfront. You can listen to jazz as you enjoy a prime rib meal. The cruise leaves the waterfront at 7:30 p.m. and returns two hours later. Children's tickets are $20, and adult rates start at $40, depending on the meal. Children under 3 are free, and a children's menu is available. The cruises are seasonal, and it is necessary to check with the Gateway Arch Riverfront for a list of dates.
  
  Gateway Arch Riverfront
  707 N. First St.
  St. Louis, MO 63102
  877-982-1410
  gatewayarch.com/arch/
Overnight Cruises
- Overnight cruises on a paddle-wheel boat are no longer available out of St. Louis, but there are cruises on a paddle-wheel boat that travels from Illinois to St. Louis. The Spirit of Peoria is 100 feet long and 35 feet wide and carries 150 passengers. Her paddle wheel is powered by a Caterpillar 3412 diesel engine instead of steam power. Passengers board in Peoria, Illinois, for the three-day overnight cruise to St. Louis.
  
  There are no cabins on board, so the boat makes stops each night, and passengers get lodging on the shore. There is a complimentary soda fountain, a ragtime piano player on the second deck and a storyteller who tells river tales. Meals are served on board buffet-style. Rates start at $485 per person as of February 2010.
  
  Spirit of Peoria
  100 Water St.
  Peoria, Il 61602
  800-676-8988
  spiritof peoria.com