The General Jackson’s paddlewheel weighs 36 tons. For 41 years, it has pushed one of the largest showboats ever built up and down the Cumberland River.
On December 15, it stops for good.
Opry Entertainment Opry Entertainment Group confirmed on October 19 that it’s retiring the General Jackson Showboat because of ongoing maintenance problems. The boat survived the closing of the theme park it was built for, but it won’t survive this.
If you’ve always meant to take a cruise, you have about eight weeks and one last Christmas season.
The Last Public Cruise Is December 15
The General Jackson isn’t stopping right away. Its final public cruise is scheduled for December 15, 2026, and tickets are on sale now for its last two holiday shows, Nashville Christmas and the Showboat Holiday Spectacular.
If you already have tickets: The company says cruises listed on its public calendar are expected to sail, so the retirement doesn’t cancel your reservation. Still, confirm your date directly with the General Jackson before you go.Mechanical problems have already disrupted the schedule this year.
If you’ve never been: This is the last chance for a dinner, a live show, and the Nashville skyline from the water, all on one boat. If you love a meal that feels like an event, you might also like Tennessee’s most unique dining destinations, as picked by locals.
The General Jackson isn’t the only vintage ride with a deadline this season. Chattanooga’s 1911 steam locomotive is making its final fall foliage runs this November.
The Warning Sign Came on the Fourth of July
This summer, more than 1,200 people bought tickets to watch Nashville’s Fourth of July fireworks from the General Jackson. Four days before the cruise, they got an email: the boat had mechanical problems and wouldn’t be leaving the dock.
Ticket holders could take a refund or attend a discounted $65 dockside dinner with live entertainment and no fireworks cruise. The boat stayed tied up until July 19 while repairs were made.
That turned out to be part of a bigger problem. In its statement to FOX 17, Opry Entertainment Group said it chose retirement after an extensive evaluation, because of maintenance challenges that kept disrupting the boat’s operating schedule. The company hasn’t detailed every mechanical issue or what fixing them would have cost.
The decision hits the crew hard. According to WSMV, employees learned about the layoffs on October 15, including the captain, who has piloted the General Jackson for decades.
Built for a Theme Park That Disappeared
The General Jackson outlived the place it was built for by nearly 30 years.
Plans for the showboat were announced in 1983 as part of the Opryland entertainment complex. Jeffboat built it in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and launched it into the Ohio River on April 20, 1985. It was christened in Nashville on July 2 that year.
Opryland USA closed in 1997. The boat kept sailing, docked beside what became Opry Mills and Gaylord Opryland, and became one of the last pieces of the old theme park still in operation. Some locals still miss Opryland, and now another piece of it is going away.
Its name goes back even further. The showboat honors the original General Jackson, the first steamboat to operate on the Cumberland River in 1817, which was itself named for Andrew Jackson. The modern boat even inspired a song: John Hartford’s “General Jackson,” from his 1989 album Down on the River.
For visitors, it was a different way to see Music City. For locals, it was where a birthday, an anniversary, or a visit from out-of-town family turned into a night to remember.
The General Jackson by the Numbers
| Length | 300 feet |
| Capacity | 1,000 passengers, plus crew |
| Decks | 4 |
| Paddlewheel | 36 tons, 24 feet across |
| Power | Two 600-horsepower General Electric motors turn the wheel |
| Showroom | The two-story Victorian Theater at the center of the boat |
| Years in service | 41 (1985 to 2026) |
It’s also one of the last operating paddlewheel boats in the country.
What Happens to the Boat Now?
No one has said yet. Opry Entertainment Group hasn’t announced what will happen to the vessel after December 15, and it hasn’t announced a replacement showboat.
The company says it will keep offering music and entertainment experiences across its other Nashville attractions. That doesn’t mean another paddlewheel boat is coming.
How to Take One Last Cruise
Where it docks: On the Cumberland River behind Opry Mills mall, in the Opryland area, not downtown.
Before you go, review the boat’s parking directions and deck-by-deck accessibility details, including where elevator access ends.
Final public cruise: December 15, 2026.
Last shows: Nashville Christmas and the Showboat Holiday Spectacular. Holiday shows usually start in mid-November.
What’s included: A meal, live entertainment in the Victorian Theater, and views of the Nashville skyline from the river.
Already booked? Confirm your date and time directly with the General Jackson box office, since mechanical problems have affected sailings this year.
Make a day of it: Pair the cruise with some of Nashville’s best free stops, from the Parthenon in Centennial Park to the Tennessee State Museum.
If you want to go inside the Parthenon, check its admission prices and holiday hours—museum entry generally requires a paid ticket.
Details via FOX 17 News (WZTV), WSMV, and the Nashville Scene.
