Howard Steamboat Museum image

Howard Steamboat Museum

Tourist attraction Museum

One of the Best Places To Visits in Jeffersonville


Address

1101 E Market St, Jeffersonville, IN 47130

Website

www.howardsteamboatmuseum.org

Contact

(812) 283-3728

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (246 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Saturday: 10 AM to 3 PM
  • Sunday: 12 to 3 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 3 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 3 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 3 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 3 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: history (22) tour (21) museum (20) home (16) Howard (13) family (13) knowledgeable (12) steamboat (10) built (8) beautiful (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Jessica C. 2 months ago on Google • 158 reviews New
    The Howard steamboat museum tour is exceptionally well interpreted very inspiring 👏 🙌 thank you 😊
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ilyas D. 6 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    Great museum with Victorian era vibe and a lot of history of the town
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 JoLynn8 1 year ago on Google • 80 reviews
    This is the mansion the Steamboat company founder and family built and lived it. The entire home was constructed by the boat builders with intricately hand carved wood. The entire place was built without power tools. The museum gives you all the history of the steamboats but the architecture of the home was the highlight for me. It doesn’t take long, it’s affordable, and well worth it.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 South 9 months ago on Google
    A beautiful mansion with great history. Don’t miss it.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 marilyn m. 5 months ago on Google • 148 reviews
    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.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bruce J. 2 months ago on Google • 179 reviews New
    Beautiful & very educational piece of history. Step back into the Victorian era. Beverly was the best curator ever

  • 5/5 Collin M. 4 months ago on Google • 72 reviews
    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!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Laura L. 2 years ago on Google
    This is one of the best museums I have visited. The woodwork was exquisite.. Learned so many things. The tour guides were awesome and obviously loved this house and the history.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Selina G. 2 years ago on Google
    Great, knowledgeable staff. Tons of family history (last living family member turned home into museum so EVERYTHING IS ORIGINAL, not "period correct") as well as river boats built by the family as well as WWII ships. We learned a day late that if you tour the museum after a Belle of Louisville/Mary Miller (part of the Belle cruises) cruise and bring your ticket you get $ off ticket price. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 SL B. 1 year ago on Google
    Great tour. Interesting building and story
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kim K. 2 years ago on Google
    My husband chose to visit this inspiring museum for his birthday. We were welcomed by Christian who was very helpful at giving us the 'run down' of how our visit would work. The adult charge for admission was $10/per person and very reasonable for a museum of this caliber. Parking is free, masks are required/requested while you tour. We sat for a short, ten minute introduction movie that gave a great overview of the Howard family and their steamboat business on the Ohio River. When the film was done, Christian asked if we had any questions and then our tour began with Jason. I should mention, you don't have to have a tour guide, there is a brochure that will help you on your own self-guided tour if you wish. But because the museum had no other visitors at the time, Jason spent over an hour with us on a tour of this stunning home. He was extremely knowledgeable about the home, the Victorian Era, the steamboats and the Howard family in an interesting, non putting-off way. After exploring the first two floors of the home with their mouth-dropping woodwork, creaking floors and fancy chandeliers, he invited us to tour the third floor on our own. If you are a homeschooling family with older children (maybe 8 and up), they would enjoy the history, the steamboat replicas, views of the Ohio River, toilets (!) and the grounds. Mrs. Howard was a very forward-thinking woman who knew what she wanted and Mr. Howard seemed glad to give it to her. Such beautiful preservation should be seen and enjoyed by all. Thank you Christian, Seth and Jason for the way your hearts for the Howards come through in the way you make guests feel so welcomed. This home is treasure trove of history and should not be missed. Average time to walk through 1 1/2-2 hours. Small gift shop.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Madge A. 1 year ago on Google • 68 reviews
    What an amazing house! The craftsmanship is absolutely amazing! The house is more than 150 years old, and the floors don't even squeak! Beautiful stained glass, original furniture, and friendly volunteers!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tracey M. 1 month ago on Google • 111 reviews New
    This is an amazing tour! Very knowledgeable volunteers and the home is very well taken care of.

  • 5/5 linda g. 10 months ago on Google • 106 reviews
    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

  • 5/5 Dan M. 2 years ago on Google
    Incredibly knowledgeable and friendly staff. Incredible architecture. They did a great job capturing history.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 William O. 2 years ago on Google
    One of the most beautiful interesting old houses I've ever been in. Not to mention the history of the steamboat. They have models of many up there steamboats they built and the history on each. This place mesmerised me! Great place!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Steve M. 2 years ago on Google
    This is one of those places that you will drive past a hundred times and never think to stop. That was me, until today. There are both self-guided and staff guided tours available, but since there were few people there, I took the guided tour and enjoyed the ability to ask questions and be more engaged in the experience. Learning a little bit more about the Howard Shipyard and the influence of steamboats in the development of our nation was a fun way to spend part of the afternoon. Jason was an extremely knowledgeable and professional tour guide. After you learn about the history of steamboats and the Howard Museum, head across the river for a cruise on the Belle of Louisville.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sherry A. 5 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    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!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Amber R. 2 years ago on Google
    I was hoping to see a real steamboat. But this house is designed so beautifully and I loved it anyway. The house has so much history and it was so fascinating to learn about it.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lauren 1 year ago on Google
    What made this so special was that most everything was original to the mansion! There is also more freedom in the tour than in other tours.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Stephen S. 1 year ago on Google
    I was amazed at how well the historic mansion and museum had been preserved, even in wake of the 1971 fire and ongoing restorations. It may be the habit of many young people to hold a grudge against history, but I think some things about the past were far better than today. People often had real class then.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Walter K. 1 year ago on Google
    A real look into the past at a residence which remains virtually unchanged from its hayday. The home's connection with the steamboat era is striking. The same techniques used to construct steamboats were used to build this residence. Our tour guide Kadie was extremely knowledgeable and able to provide us with an intimate understanding of the connection between the family, their steamboat business and their employees who built the boats. A hidden gem!

  • 5/5 Ethan V. 1 year ago on Google
    Awesome place to visit and not expensive at all. The ground floor is lead by a tour guide while the next floors are self guided. The staff is very knowledgeable, especially because I always end up asking obscure questions, which they knew the answers.

  • 5/5 Tim E. 6 months ago on Google
    Great experience, far better than I anticipated. The Rich history of riverboats is told here with a focus on the Howard Shipyards that later became Jeffboat. A beautiful home that had been maintained with knowledgeable staff that create a experience that takes you back in time

  • 5/5 GW M. 1 year ago on Google
    We very much enjoyed our recent visit to the Howard Steamboat Museum. Several things had been added to the museum since our last visit. There was an interesting video about the Howard family to see. Also, the museum has opened another floor of the house to visitors. The room where the children sometimes played was especially interesting, and the view from the tower room was very cool. The staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend visiting the museum again if you haven't been for a while. The new updates have added a lot.

  • 5/5 Anne B. 2 years ago on Google
    The house is beautiful with so much to see. Filled with history and beautiful architecture. The staff was so friendly and welcoming. Really a wonderful museum. Highly recommend seeing this place if you are in the area!

  • 5/5 Robert C. 5 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    The first part of the tour was guided and the rest was self guided. The craftsmanship in the mansion is amazing! If you take an interest in woodworking, this is a must see! Our guide, Kadie was amazing! Her passion for history of the area and the museum, along with her delivery is worth the trip alone to experience! Can't say enough good to do it justice...

  • 5/5 Michael S. 1 year ago on Google
    This place is great! The workers are all friendly and knowledgeable, the house is beautiful and so well preserved and full of history, and the price was very reasonable. My family will most likely be coming back again some time soon; bringing along relatives that also like this sort of history.

  • 5/5 Helen B. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a must see. The first floor is beautifully restored and tells the story of the family. Upstairs tells about their steamboat manufacturing just across the road on the river. The exhibits did not detract from the enjoyment of the architecture and use of rooms.they were still in business in the 1940s and built landing craft and other small craft for our military.


Call (812) 283-3728 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

Trends



Last updated:

Similar Tourist attractions nearby

Last updated:
()