Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

History

In 1985 a man that went by the name Captain Lump saw an opportunity in the City of Chattanooga. An opportunity for a riverboat on the TN River! That riverboat he had envisioned would become one of the top attractions in Chattanooga and one of the top things to do in Chattanooga! Thus in 1985 The Southern Belle was born and built not but 20 miles downriver from where she sits now by Serodino Shipyards, and the rest is history!

The Southern Belle Riverboat started out with a simple vision, give a great guest experience of Chattanooga, show everyone the beauty of the river, and give everyone a different perspective of the city of Chattanooga. That message is still the same, the boat crew at The Southern Belle Riverboat still strives to give our very valued guest a great cruise, great service, and a great experience.

The Southern Belle Riverboat was sold some years later to a gentleman named John Goldfine. He was a quirky man, but had a brilliant vision not only for the Southern Belle, but the entire city of Chattanooga! John Goldfine lived in Duluth, MN and heavily leaned on his key employees at the riverboat. Captain Vince Vita and Joy Reinert to name a few. Captain Vince became the General Manager a couple years later and ran the operation until he passed it on to Joy! Vince, among other things, was an ambassador not only of the riverboat but also of the city of Chattanooga. That sentiment has resonated with the crew ever since. The crew of the Southern Belle Riverboat has a bigger purpose than just your experience while you’re on board, but to make sure you have all the information you want and need to enjoy the beautiful city of Chattanooga.

This riverboat ride in Chattanooga used to only run a couple months out of the year and carry 20-30,000 passengers a year, we are proud to say we now cruise year-round and carry well over 100,000 passengers per year! This TN Riverboat has daily sightseeing cruises, lunch cruises, and dinner cruises as well as private charters! The Company has expanded into 2 vessels, a grand banquet hall on 2nd deck of our dockside vessel, and full-service restaurant above that!

Our goal is to not only serve the awesome locals and visitors of Chattanooga but to bring that joy to other cities across this nation!

The Southern Belle Riverboat is one of the top attractions in Chattanooga, has fantastic Chattanooga weddings, and is still the only way to have sightseeing cruises, lunch cruises, and dinner cruises while cruising down the TN River and enjoying picture-perfect views of Lookout Mountain and all the beautiful nature this great city has to offer!

Looking Forward to the future,

Jon Reinert
General Manager
Chattanooga Riverboat Co.