Step back in time to the Great Steamboat Era with a tour of the Howard Steamboat Museum. This beautiful 1894 home--built by premier steamboat builders, the Howards of Jeffersonville, Indiana--features original furnishings, brass chandeliers, stained glass windows, and intricate carvings throughout--even a grand staircase!

Master craftsmen from the shipyard created much of the decor in the mansion. Howard built steamboats included the luxurious J.M. White, the speedy City of Louisville and the popular Indiana. Models, photographs, paintings, half-hull models and other artifacts from the Great Steamboat Era abound at this unique Jeffersonville Museum.

Among the many artifacts on display are items from the legendary Robert E. Lee, the Natchez and the Howard-built J. M. White. The largest single artifact is the shaft of the original paddlewheel of the Delta Queen. The museum also has a collection of 4-5,000 photographs, a large collection of shipbuilding tools and documents, and numerous paintings (including several works by Harlan Hubbard), full ship models and half breadth models from the steamboat era.

Visitors will admire the mansion's sumptuous late-Victorian interior, but if they are river and steamboat enthusiasts, they will get lost in the museum's collection.

The museum is open year round. Personal, informative tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  For directions and details, visit http://www.steamboatmuseum.org.