North Little Rock’s Mark Twain Riverboat is one of the few authentic paddle wheel boats in existence, a stern wheeler offering dining, charters, and cruises on the Arkansas River.
Many people don’t realize that the name “Mark Twain” is actually a Mississippi riverboat term meaning “mark number two” or two fathoms = twelve feet: the safe depth for a steamboat’s passage. The writer, Samuel Clemens, once a “cub” steamboat pilot himself, first started using this phrase as a pen name in 1863 and, with his success, forever cemented the phrase as a name.
Now the Mark Twain riverboat awaits only your stepping aboard her to whisk you out onto the river and into a time now long-since passed. An authentic stern wheeler docked on the North Shore bank of the Arkansas River, the Mark Twain is a classic – both captivating and comfortable – with formal and casual dining for lunch and dinner as well as a bar with large unobstructed panoramic windows.
The second deck of the Mark Twain riverboat allows you to step out on into the open-air and those beautiful views of the central Arkansas skyline from the ever-rolling river’s perspective.
The Mark Twain riverboat offers the opportunity for charters and cruises, including numerous holiday and special event cruises. See the lighted bridges along the Arkansas River and the “Little Rock” on the river bank that gave the city its name. A favorite cruise for many is the Arkansas River Lock and Dam Cruise.
The Lock and Dam Cruise is a fascinating trip through a lock as well as the perfect cruise for any birder, nature photographer, or nature lover. A “lock” is a device that helps raise and lower water levels around a boat when said vessel is traveling from one body of water to another and they differ in elevation or depth. If you’ve never seen one in action it is a fascinating thing – and to be on-board when a ship passes through a lock? A very unique experience you’ll remember for years to come!
Along with the Mark Twain riverboat is the Sandbar on the Riverfront, a wonderful place to enjoy both indoor and outdoor top deck seating with a wide selection of snack and drinks – or bring your own meal and enjoy those delicious, Southern flavors in the fresh, river breezes!
The Mark Twain Riverboat and Sandbar on the Riverfront
100 E. Riverfront Park Drive
North Little Rock, AR
damriverboat.com
Mark Twain Riverboat Lodging
No matter where you are during your Arkansas adventures, a member, Arkansas bed & breakfast inn is nearby with comfortable accommodations and a warm breakfast with your name on it – not to mention an insider’s knowledge about what to see and do in the area. Choose a B&B for your Arkansas getaway and see what all the fuss is about – you’ll never go back to a simple hotel or motel again.
What year did riverboat go back to Mississippi?
The Mark Twain Riverboat in Mississippi is a different riverboat than the one detailed here.