Local
After 41 years, General Jackson’s Cumberland River cruises will end
Opry Entertainment Group says it will retire the Nashville showboat after maintenance problems disrupted its schedule. Cruises already listed on the public calendar are expected to go ahead, but the company has not announced a final sailing date.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The General Jackson Showboat, a fixture on the Cumberland River since 1985, is being retired after ongoing maintenance challenges affected its operating schedule, its owner announced Monday, Oct. 19.
Opry Entertainment Group said it decided to retire the vessel after an extensive evaluation. The company did not specify when the boat’s final cruise will take place. Dates currently listed on its public cruising calendar are expected to sail.
“For many years, the General Jackson has offered visitors a unique way to connect with Nashville,” the company said in a statement, thanking the teams who operated the attraction. It said it would continue offering entertainment and attractions centered on Nashville’s music culture.
The four-deck paddle-wheel boat was built by Jeffboat in Jeffersonville, Indiana, as part of the Opryland project. It launched on the Ohio River on April 20, 1985, and was christened in Nashville that July. Its name recalls an earlier steamboat that began operating on the Cumberland in 1817.
The modern General Jackson combined river cruises, dining and live performances, including productions in a two-story Victorian theater. It remained in operation after the nearby Opryland theme park closed, continuing as part of the area’s entertainment offerings.
The company has not said what will happen to the vessel after its retirement.