Kimmswick, Missouri, becomes a river stopover on the Mississippi

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Missouri – Tourists are not new to the town of Kimmswick, Jefferson County, but these tourists normally arrive via Interstate 55 or Missouri Highway 67.

About 225 tourists arrive by boat on Sunday, where the flag is hoisted and Kimmswick harbor is open for business.

Their first customer will be the American Duchess riverboat with around 145 passengers and 80 crew.

Mayor Phil Stang said passengers will be able to exit the luxury steamboat and shop and visit Kimmswick.

The new port was an investment of $ 1.3 million.

Neal Breitweiser is Executive Director of the Jefferson County Port Authority.

“It was built with the idea that the largest river vessel in existence today, the American Queen, should be able to dock here,” said Breitweiser. “And we can go down from there as ships of different sizes come in, but we wanted to be able to accommodate the bigger ones. “

The arrival of a steamboat on a Sunday in July is a date for traders that is not already on the tourist calendar.

Cindy Huckstep is the owner of The Dough Depot restaurant.

“Well we’re all very excited,” Huckstep said. “We had planned this for a long time. I have the impression that this will bring in a lot of additional income.

This is not a one-time deal. Stang and others hope to make the city a regular stopover again, along the Mississippi River cruise circuit.

“This will be the first in a long series and the first in a long series from the American Queen Steamboat Company,” Stang said. “We look forward to the arrival of our historic Delta Queen at Kimmswick around 2023. has expressed interest in coming to Kimmswick.

Everyone associated with the project is hoping Kimmswick can avoid the inclement weather this weekend. This is because flood waters have recently covered the road between the new port and the city.