ST. LOUIS, MO – August 26, 2026 (STL.News) A familiar name has returned to the Mississippi River as a new Becky Thatcher riverboat arrived on the St. Louis riverfront, marking the first new vessel to join the city’s riverboat fleet in nearly 40 years.
The replica 19th-century paddlewheel riverboat arrived at its new home near the Gateway Arch on Tuesday, August 25, following an approximately 10-day journey from the Gulf Coast.
The Becky Thatcher will join the Tom Sawyer as part of the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch fleet, which is owned and operated by Bi-State Development. Once the vessel completes the remaining certification and training requirements, it is expected to begin carrying passengers on Mississippi River cruises.
Bi-State Development said the arrival represents the first new riverboat added in St. Louis since 1987.
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Becky Thatcher brings historic name back to St. Louis
Although the vessel is new to St. Louis, the Becky Thatcher name has a long history on the city’s riverfront.
The newly arrived boat was previously known as the Capt. JP and operated out of Fort Myers, Florida. Built in 1987, the vessel was acquired by Bi-State Development following what the agency described as a nationwide search for a suitable replacement riverboat.
Bi-State Development purchased the vessel for $549,500.
The new Becky Thatcher replaces the previous 1963-built riverboat that carried the same name. Bi-State retired that vessel from operations on January 1, 2024, before selling it to Memphis Riverboats in July 2024, where it was subsequently renamed the Belle of Memphis.
The replacement, Becky Thatcher, is about 31% larger than its predecessor, giving the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch operation a substantially larger vessel.
$3.2 million invested in riverboat renovations
Purchasing the vessel was only the first step.
After the acquisition, the project invested about $3.2 million in repairs and renovations at a shipyard near Mobile, Alabama. The U.S. Coast Guard oversaw the work.
According to Bi-State Development, the renovations were intended to improve passenger comfort, safety, vessel longevity and overall operations.
The work included extensive steel replacement in the hull to help ensure the vessel remained watertight and seaworthy. Crews also completed major work on the steering, mechanical and electrical systems.
Passenger areas also received improvements, including new interior décor and high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment.
Bi-State Development said the vessel’s purchase and improvements were funded through existing riverboat revenue.
The combined disclosed purchase and renovation costs total approximately $3.75 million.
Becky Thatcher makes 10-day journey to St. Louis
Getting a riverboat from the Gulf Coast to downtown St. Louis required a lengthy journey through the nation’s inland waterway system.
Following completion of the shipyard work near Mobile, the Becky Thatcher began an approximately 10-day voyage north.
The vessel traveled through Mobile Bay and the Mobile River before entering the Tombigbee River. It then navigated the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, including its 10-lock system.
From there, the riverboat continued through the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake before reaching the Ohio River.
The final leg brought the Becky Thatcher into the Mississippi River and north to its new home beneath the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis.
The journey itself illustrates the interconnected network of rivers and waterways that continues to connect St. Louis with the Gulf Coast.
Riverboat must complete final certifications
The arrival does not mean passengers will immediately begin boarding the Becky Thatcher.
Bi-State Development said the vessel must first complete remaining U.S. Coast Guard certifications, while employees will undergo safety training before passenger operations begin.
As of the August 25 announcement, an inaugural passenger cruise date had not been announced.
The agency said it will release additional information about the Becky Thatcher’s inaugural cruise as those final steps are completed.
Riverboats remain part of St. Louis tourism
Riverboats have been connected with the St. Louis riverfront for generations, reflecting the city’s historic relationship with the Mississippi River.
Long before interstate highways, railroads and commercial aviation transformed American transportation, the Mississippi served as a critical transportation corridor connecting St. Louis with communities and commercial centers throughout the country.
The excursion boats operating beneath the Gateway Arch preserve part of that river heritage for visitors.
According to the Gateway Arch’s operational history, the excursion boat company traces its St. Louis home port to 1917. Riverboats came to the downtown riverfront in the 1960s as crowds gathered to watch the Gateway Arch’s construction.
Bi-State Development purchased the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch operation in 2001.
Today, the riverboats provide sightseeing, dining, specialty cruises and private events while giving passengers views of the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis from the Mississippi.
The Riverboats at the Gateway Arch generally operate cruises from March through November, while some specialty and private charter operations extend beyond the regular season.
Becky Thatcher joins Tom Sawyer
The Becky Thatcher will now operate alongside another name closely associated with Mark Twain’s stories: the Tom Sawyer.
The Tom Sawyer was built in 1966 by the Dubuque Boat & Boiler Company in Dubuque, Iowa. It initially operated in Tampa before eventually transferring to St. Louis.
The current riverboat operation offers one-hour St. Louis Riverfront Cruises along with longer specialty experiences.
Current offerings include Skyline Dinner Cruises featuring dining and live entertainment, Sunday Brunch Cruises, and other specialty excursions. The one-hour sightseeing cruises give passengers views of downtown St. Louis as they travel along the Mississippi River.
Adding a second vessel gives Bi-State Development additional capacity and flexibility for those operations.
A major investment in the St. Louis riverfront
The arrival of the Becky Thatcher is notable not simply because another vessel has reached the riverfront.
It represents a multimillion-dollar investment in an attraction closely connected to St. Louis’ identity as a Mississippi River city.
Taulby Roach, president and CEO of Bi-State Development, said riverboats have been part of the St. Louis story for generations and that adding the Becky Thatcher provides additional opportunities for visitors to experience the river.
The new vessel also continues a long-running St. Louis tradition of using names associated with Missouri author Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.
Becky Thatcher is one of the best-known characters from Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, making the pairing of Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer particularly fitting for vessels operating on the Mississippi.
The Becky Thatcher name has deep riverfront roots
The newest boat is far from the first vessel to carry the Becky Thatcher name in St. Louis.
Gateway Arch historical records trace several vessels associated with the name.
An earlier Becky Thatcher began life as the U.S. snagboat C.B. Reese, built in Carondelet in 1879. Another vessel, originally constructed as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspection boat, later became a Becky Thatcher in St. Louis.
The vessel most familiar to recent generations of St. Louis residents arrived in the city in 1987. Built in 1963, it began operating from the St. Louis riverfront that March and remained associated with the city’s excursion fleet for decades before its retirement and sale in 2024.
The latest Becky Thatcher therefore continues a name that has appeared repeatedly in St. Louis riverfront history rather than introducing an entirely new identity.
First new St. Louis riverboat in nearly four decades
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the arrival is its timing.
Nearly four decades have passed since St. Louis last welcomed a new riverboat into the downtown excursion fleet.
During that period, the riverfront itself has changed considerably. The Gateway Arch grounds underwent a major redevelopment, pedestrian and bicycle connections were improved, and the area surrounding Gateway Arch National Park became more integrated with downtown.
Yet the riverboats have remained one of the most visible reminders that St. Louis grew because of its position on the Mississippi River.
The Becky Thatcher’s arrival ensures that tradition will continue with a renovated vessel designed for modern passenger operations while retaining the appearance of a historic paddlewheel riverboat.
For St. Louis residents, the vessel adds another recognizable silhouette beneath the Gateway Arch.
For tourists, it will provide another way to experience the city from the water.
And for the downtown riverfront, the approximately $3.75 million acquisition and renovation project represents a significant reinvestment in an attraction with roots extending back more than a century.
The Becky Thatcher has completed the long trip to St. Louis. The next milestone will come when Coast Guard certification and crew training are complete, and passengers are able to board the city’s newest riverboat for its inaugural Mississippi River cruise.
Riverboats at the Gateway Arch expects to announce additional information about the inaugural cruise after those requirements are met.
Source: Bi-State Development and Riverboats at the Gateway Arch.
