Ohio River Museum – Marietta, Ohio - Atlas Obscura
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Ohio River Museum

Marietta, Ohio

One of the few places where you can explore a 1918 paddlewheel steamboat from stem to stern. 

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The recently restored W. P. Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The recently restored W. P. Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The recently repainted boiler room of the Snyder towboat. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The nameplate for the boiler. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
One of the steam engines of the WP Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The boat’s electric generator. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
One of the shafts that powered the paddlewheel. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The hallway in the crew’s quarters. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The wheelhouse of the Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Directions for pilots to follow were place on the wheel itself. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The engine room instrument panel of the Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Crew’s bunk room. Note the life jackets stored above the top bunk. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The W.P. Snyder was heated and powered by coal. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Last tour was at 3:30. I guess we missed the boat. dsinisterminister (Atlas Obscura User)
One of the two smokestacks, which could be folded down to clear bridges. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Another view of the wheelhouse. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The wheelhouse of the Tell City. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
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There are several interesting exhibits at the Ohio River Museum in Marietta, but the crown jewel is the W.P. Snyder, a restored 1918 paddlewheel steamboat that is one of the last remaining boats of its kind in the United States. Visitors are welcome to tour this historic vessel from bow to stern. The century-old steam-powered towboat is docked by the bank of the Muskingum River, along with a shanty boat and the wheelhouse of the wrecked Tell City.

Update: It is currently closed for construction and expected to reopen in 2025. You can still walk around and see the outdoor items.

Know Before You Go

Ohio State Route 7 runs through Marietta, where the Ohio River Museum is located. The Campus Martius Museum is in the same neighborhood. Interstate 77 passes through Marietta as well. The museum resumed normal operating hours the first week of April. An experienced guide will be conducting tours of the W.P. Snyder.

boats rivers transportation museums history
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Published
April 22, 2019
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Nearby
Campus Martius Museum
0.13 miles
Cawley & Peoples Mortuary Museum
0.27 miles
Washington County Courthouse Motifs
0.53 miles
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