The Gateway Clipper Fleet, founded by
John E. Connelly, is a
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
-based fleet of
riverboat
A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...
s. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh - the
Monongahela,
Allegheny, and
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. The fleet is named after the city of Pittsburgh, which in earlier times was known as the "Gateway to the West". The original riverboat was ''Gateway Clipper'', which set sail in 1958. By the mid-1960s, the fleet was composed of three craft, ''Gateway Clipper'', ''Party Liner'', and ''Good Ship Lollipop''. In 1999 it added its fifth ship. In 2008 the Gateway Clipper Fleet celebrated its 50th year of sailing on the Three Rivers. In 2013, the fleet added its sixth ship, the all-steel classic paddle wheel ''Three Rivers Queen''.
Today there are six ships in the fleet:
The Gateway Clipper Fleet offers many types of cruises, from sightseeing cruises and day trips for school groups to party and formal dinner cruises including wedding receptions. Shuttle service to
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, ...
and
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
is available on days of
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
,
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, and
Pitt Panthers
The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, facu ...
home games.
The fleet is believed to be the largest inland riverboat fleet in the United States.
The fleet was once moored at the
Monongahela Wharf
The Monongahela Wharf was the key wharf of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Monongahela River. It was in use from the late 19th century until the dam was built in the Ohio river, causing it to be underwater.
It was used by steam ...
, but since the 1980s
has been moored at
Station Square
Station Square is a indoor and outdoor shopping and entertainment complex located in the South Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States across the Monongahela River from the Golden Triangle of downtown Pittsburgh. Station S ...
, where the dock and loading bay are.
References
{{Pittsburgh
Transportation in Pittsburgh
Passenger ships of the United States
Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh
Monongahela River
Allegheny River
Ohio River