president riverboat casino

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Riverboat Casino

This riverboat has been converted into a casino. In the early to mid-19th century riverboats were used for transportation on Iowa's rivers. But in the 21st century riverboats house some of Iowa's gambling establishments.

Photo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Transportation

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Krasnodar Krai and Adygea

• 2 Other destinations
• 3.1 Krasnodar Krai
• 5.1 Krasnodar Krai
• 6 Get around
• 10.1 Krasnodar Krai
• 10.2 Adygea
• 11 Stay safe

<a href=\"https://tools.wmflabs.org/wikivoyage/w/poi2gpx.php?print=gpx&amp;lang=en&amp;name=Krasnodar_Krai_and_Adygea\" title=\"Download GPX file for this article\" data-parsoid=\"{}\"><img alt=\"Download GPX file for this article\" resource=\"./File:GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\" src=\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\" decoding=\"async\" data-file-width=\"20\" data-file-height=\"20\" data-file-type=\"bitmap\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" class=\"mw-file-element\" data-parsoid='{\"a\":{\"resource\":\"./File:GPX_Document_rev3-20x20.png\",\"height\":\"20\",\"width\":\"20\"},\"sa\":{\"resource\":\"File:GPX Document rev3-20x20.png\"}}'/></a></span>"}'/> Krasnodar Krai is a region in Southern Russia , bordering Crimea to the west (across the narrow Strait of Kerch), Rostov Oblast to the north, Stavropol Krai to the east, and Georgia and Karachay-Cherkessia to the south.

Adygea , officially the Republic of Adygea , is an autonomous region in Southern Russia completely enclaved within Krasnodar Krai. Adygea is ethnically distinct, as Circassians are about 25% of the population while ethnic Russians represent 60% of it. However, for geographic reasons, we cover this republic along with Krasnodar Krai. Krasnodar Krai offers travelers Russia's premiere beach resorts as well as some of Europe's tallest mountains in its Caucasian south.

• 45.033333 38.983333 1 Krasnodar — capital and principal city of Krasnodar Krai
• 44.6 40.083333 2 Maykop - the capital of Adygea and its biggest city
• 43.428889 39.923889 3 Adler
• 44.894444 37.316667 4 Anapa — an ancient Pontic Greek port, now a small, family-friendly Russian beach resort town
• 44.560833 38.076667 5 Gelendzhik — small beach town east of Novorossiysk
• 44.716667 37.766667 6 Novorossiysk — Russia's main Black Sea port, a must for World War II buffs, but it also has some nice sandy beaches
• 43.585278 39.720278 7 Sochi — a big resort city located in a simply beautiful area, where Russians come for fun in the sun (and in the nightclubs!)
• 44.1 39.083333 8 Tuapse

Other destinations

• 43.678611 40.205278 2 Krasnaya Polyana — a Western Caucasus ski resort and personal favourite destination of President Putin
• Sochinsky National Park

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President (riverboat).

NPS Photo / Gateway Riverboat Cruises

St. Elmo, IL

Designated an nhl: december 20, 1989 designation withdrawn: july 13, 2011.

The President (Riverboat) was built in 1924 as a sidewheel river excursion boat for travel on the Upper Mississippi River. The riverboat was originally christened the Cincinnati . At the time, it was one of the last overnight packet boats in operation, travelling between Cincinnati and Louisville with occasional excursions to New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Riverboats were also used for day excursions and provided onboard entertainment. In 1929, the riverboat was sold to the Streckfus Steamer Company and was briefly used as a packet boat. Shortly after, it was temporarily removed from service to undergo renovation work for conversion into an excursion boat. More stringent safety requirements encouraged the new owner to rebuild the entire superstructure of steel. As a result, the boat was stripped and rebuilt from the hull up. The new superstructure took the same general form as the old but replaced two decks of cabins with a two-deck-high Grand Salon (ballroom), and Art Moderne ornamentation and styling replaced the Victorian Steamboat Gothic of Cincinnati . By 1933, renovation work converted her into the largest excursion boat in America. Streckfus Steamers renamed the boat President and advertised it as “the New 5 Deck Luxury Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi.”

The President traveled the majority of the year and went to New Orleans for the winter months when low water and cold weather made operations difficult. The ship travelled north as the winter ended, following the warm weather. President would stop at any port where it could take on passengers and hold performances. By August, the boat would travel upriver to St. Paul, Minnesota, and would gradually work its way back south again.

NPS Photo / Robert Yarnall Richie, Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library

The President (Riverboat) was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 20, 1989, as the only remaining Western Rivers sidewheel excursion boat. During the spring of 2009, the President was dismantled at its mooring location in Alton, Illinois, and moved by truck to a temporary holding area in St. Elmo, Illinois. It took over 100 semi-trailer loads to transport the 65-foot-high, 300-foot long, and 84-foot wide riverboat. The owner plans to reassemble the boat on a small lake in St. Elmo for use as a hotel and conference center. It will be placed upon concrete piers in a newly dug pit near the lake. The pit will be flooded after the reconstruction to give the appearance that the riverboat is on water. The President had already suffered from previous neglect and earlier alterations to accommodate gambling. Both the earlier gambling alterations and the present actions taken to relocate the ship have removed all aspects of integrity from this National Historic Landmark. The President had its NHL designation withdrawn on July 13, 2011. Its National Register of Historic Places listing has also been withdrawn.

Last updated: August 29, 2018

A Guide To The Most Iconic Riverboat Casinos In The US 

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Talk about casino destinations and you’ll most likely think of Las Vegas, Atlantic City or, if you are travelling outside the US, maybe Monaco or Macau.

Yet what are called “land based” or “bricks and mortar” casinos to differentiate them from the online versions are not necessarily on land or made of bricks and mortar.” To: “Yet what are called “land based” or “bricks and mortar” casinos to differentiate them from the online versions like 1xbet India online casino, are not necessarily on land or made of bricks and mortar.

We refer, of course, to riverboat casinos, a little slice of Americana that’s as American as Super Bowl Sunday or Thanksgiving turkey. Riverboat casinos conjure up images of the Mississippi and Mark Twain complete with white suit, top hat and cigar. There are more than 60 riverboat casinos operating in the USA and every single one of them has a story to tell. Here, we highlight a handful of the very best.

The Grand Victoria, Elgin

Our first stop is not on the Mississippi at all, but on the Fox River in Elgin, 50 miles north west of Chicago . Owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, the Grand Victoria really is a slice of Las Vegas on the Illinois waterfront.  With more than 1,000 slots and video poker terminals and 36 tables, there’s a great choice of games.

If all that gambling whets your appetite, there are four dining options on board, including the highly rated Buckingham’s Steakhouse and Lounge.

Casino Queen, Marquette  

The Casino Queen would look like a lifeboat if it was moored alongside the Grand Victoria, but that is all part of its charm. It offers a more intimate and personalized experience, and although there are only eight tables, they host an intriguing variety of games that are not commonly found in land (or water) based casinos. If you know how to gamble online in the US , you’ve probably seen fusion blackjack and 21+3 at US online casinos. The Casino Queen gives you an opportunity to play them in real casino surroundings.

When you step ashore, there is an adjacent 31-acre entertainment complex with a variety of attractions and a huge choice of dining options.

The Amelia Belle, Amelia  

At last, we arrive in Louisiana, where the Amelia Belle lies nestled in the Avoca Island Cutoff waterway. This classic four-story riverboat looks like it has stepped straight out of a photograph from the turn of the 20 th century. When it is lit up at night, it takes your breath away.

At the tables, poker is the order of the day. The casino offers Mississippi stud, 3-card poker and Texas Holdem. There are also 800 slot games, while the Fanduel sportsbook has self-service betting kiosks, a wall full of television screens, and a huge video wall to show the biggest events.

Sam’s Town, Shreveport

On the opposite side of Louisiana, Sam’s Town could not be more different to the Amelia Belle. This floating leisure complex houses a hotel, health spa, sauna and live entertainment venue.

The casino offers more than 1,000 slots and 30 table games that include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Let it Ride and Craps No More.

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The Steamer President

Taken 80 years ago, this week’s image for the Old Boat Column features the sidewheeler President.

Originally built in 1924 for the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Company as the Cincinnati, the steel hull, measuring 291 feet long by 84 feet wide, was constructed at Midland, Pa., with completion at Cincinnati. An identical hull was built concurrently as a sister vessel to be named Louisville. However, due to a change in plans, the hull was sold to the Coney Island Company at Cincinnati to become the second excursion steamer Island Queen.

The problems caused by the Great Depression in the early 1930s brought about the sale of the Cincinnati to Streckfus Steamers in 1933. The new owners rebuilt the vessel with a new superstructure for use as an excursion boat. The work was carried out at the St. Louis levee while curious citizens watched as the big steamboat took shape. In its February 4, 1933 issue, The Waterways Journal carried an article that proclaimed: “The Democrats will soon present us with a new president (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and, not to be outdone, Streckfus Steamers will soon do the very same thing.”

The six oil-burning boilers which provided steam to the compound non-condensing Barnes engines (9-foot stroke) were relocated to the hull. Touted by the media as a “Super Steamer,” the President made its trial trip on July 1, 1934, with more than 1,000 dignitaries aboard, including St. Louis Mayor Bernard Dickmann and representatives from The Waterways Journal. The riverboat was in command of Capt. John Streckfus, with Capt. Jim Brasher as pilot. Capt. Cornelius McGee was mate and Frank Moore presided as chief engineer.

Making its debut to the public on July 4, the President replaced the Streckfus sidewheelers J.S. and Saint Paul (later renamed Senator) which began tramping the Ohio River.

The five-deck President was certified to carry 3,100 passengers and was notable for its “special refinements,” such as rainbow shadow-box lighting effects in the main salon and the ladies’ powder rooms, which were reportedly the epitome of elegance and modernity. With a nod to the past, a steam calliope (formerly used on the sidewheeler J.S.) was installed just forward of the port smokestack.

During the winter months, the President was taken to New Orleans; in 1944, the decks were enclosed with glass. When Streckfus brought out the steamer Admiral at St. Louis in 1940, the President remained at New Orleans with occasional journeys to the Upper Mississippi River.

In 1978, the steam propulsion of the President was replaced by three Murray-Tregurtha diesel units rated at 2,000 hp. The boat was sold in early 1981 to the New Orleans Steamboat Company, operators of the sternwheel excursion steamboat Natchez (designed by Capt. Alan Bates) which began operating in 1975.

The President was sold a decade later to St. Louis River Cruises Inc., and returned to its original home port to run public and charter cruises. The riverboat made a special foray to the Ohio River in 1988 to participate in the first Tall Stacks festival at Cincinnati.

Following a career as a casino at Davenport, Iowa, the President was retired in 1999. During the winter of 2009, the vessel was disassembled and 300+ large pieces moved to a site at St. Elmo, Ill. Plans to rebuild the riverboat into a land-based tourist attraction and shopping center never came to fruition.

Caption for photo: The steamer President, seen from the Eads Bridge at St. Louis, in 1939. (Keith Norrington collection)

Editor’s note: For questions or suggestions regarding the Old Boat Column, Keith Norrington may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or by mail through the Howard Steamboat Museum at P.O. Box 606, Jeffersonville, Ind. 47131-0606.

• Cornelius McGee
• Frank Moore
• Jim Brasher
• John Streckfus
• sidewheeler
• Streckfus Steamers

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5 Top Mississippi Riverboat Casinos of Louisiana

• Bojan Lipovic
• March 12, 2021

The mighty Mississippi River is the jugular vein of the Unites States, connecting its northern and southern parts.  The river is also renowned for its legendary riverboat casinos that used to traverse its banks from Minnesota to Louisiana.

The Mississippi River represents one of the most important topographic features in North America.  In its entirety, it zigzags through ten states and covers an impressive distance of 2,320 miles.  The river birthed some significant settlements along its winding flow, including St Paul, St Louis, Baton Rouge, La Crosse and New Orleans, all of which were once directly connected by stately riverboats that traversed the Mississippi.

However, these riverboats were more than just modes of transport, with many of them housing plush apartments and glitzy casinos, since gambling on land was strictly forbidden at the time.  As a result, the legend of riverboat casinos was born, the allure of which lives on to this very day.

Back in the 19 th century, the slow-cruising riverboats attracted a colourful spectre of guests, as they lazily steamed down the river and the bayou waterways.  While the Louisiana riverboats no longer cruise along the Mississippi on gambling adventures, you can still relive the experience of floating casinos by embarking on one of Louisiana’s moored riverboat gambling houses.

Here are the top five riverboat casinos of Louisiana that you should not miss:

1. Isle of Capri Casino

The Isle of Capri Casino has been moored in Louisiana’s Lake Charles, where it still floats amidst its former grandeur.  The boat is decked with 11 poker tables, 34 tables with other games and an impressive 1,175 slots.

For those searching for gastronomical delights, restaurants like Otis Steakhouse, Lone Wolf Express, Farmer’s Pick Buffet and Henry’s Bar & Grill offer a sumptuous mixture of Cajun, creole and French colonial cuisines.  And, after a good dinner, what better way to end your evening than by listening to a performance of good old Louisiana swamp pop.

2. Treasure Chest Casino

To find the Treasure Chest Casino riverboat, head off to the pristine waters of Lake Pontchartrain.  The lake shares its shores with New Orleans itself, so you can enjoy the Big Easy while raiding your treasure chest on the lake.

The Treasure Chest Casino is a classic riverboat oozing old-world charm, with plush interiors, jazz bands and good chow. The gaming floor, which is open until 5 am each morning, houses 36 tables that include blackjack, roulette, craps and the ever-present Mississippi stud poker.

3 Sam’s Town

Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino riverboat is moored on the banks of the Red River in Shreveport.  The boat follows an Old West theme, complementing the Southern charm of its host city.  The riverboat itself forms part of a larger casino complex, so you can pick and choose your gambling flavours.

There’re craps, baccarat, roulette and poker tables, as well as progressive slots that are open 24 hours a day.  And, when it’s time to sink your teeth into some good grub, William B Steakhouse or Smokey Joe Café are there to cater to your craving.

4. Amelia Belle

Amelia Belle is a grand old lady of the river, exuding glitz and glamour across its four floors.  This classy ship is docked in the bayou town of Amelia and offers a good selection of Texas hold’em, Mississippi stud and 3-card pokers.  For food and drinks, pay a visit to the Bayou Café or the renowned all-you-can-eat Cajun Buffet.

5. Hollywood Casino

There’s no shortage of Hollywoods in the US, with the best-known ones located in California and Florida.  Not surprisingly, there’s a Hollywood in Louisiana, too, moored on the banks of the mighty Mississippi in Baton Rouge.  The boat is peppered with over a thousand slot machines, as well as dozens of table games such as roulette, craps, blackjack, 3-card-poker and Cajun stud poker.

The Hollywood Casino riverboat combines Hollywood’s allure with Las Vegas’s ostentatiousness, all mixed with a Southern flair. To tantalise your tastebuds, indulge at the Epic Buffet, grab a Cajun snack at the Take Two Deli, or hobnob at the Celebrity Grill. And there’s the champagne brunch each Sunday, or the monthly Jazz lunch, to celebrate the sights and sounds of the Big Easy and the birthplace of cool.

Bojan Lipovic - Digital Project Manager

Besides polishing his SEO skills, Bojan has a penchant for creative writing. With over half a decade of experience in the online gambling industry under his belt, his written take on the latest news from the Canadian and global gambling industries is an indispensable source of information for the CASINOenquirer team. Bojan’s primary goal is to ensure that players get a superior experience through the top-notch content that he shares.

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