Constructed with an all-steel superstructure and asphalt main deck, the steamboat is said to hold the all-time record in her class for miles traveled, years in operation, and places visited. Belle of Louisville's offices are aboard Mayor Andrew Broaddus, also a National Historic Landmark.
Idlewild operated as a passenger ferry between Memphis, Tennessee, and West Memphis, Arkansas. She also hauled cargo such as cotton, lumber, and grain. She then came to Louisville in 1931 and ran trips between the Fontaine Ferry amusement park near downtown Louisville and Rose Island, a resort about 14 miles (23 km) upriver from Louisville. Idlewild operated a regular excursion schedule from 1934 through World War II, during which she was outfitted with special equipment to push oil barges along the river. She also served as a floating USO nightclub for troops stationed at military bases along the Mississippi River.
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In 1947, she was sold to J. Herod Gorsage, and honoring the death-bed wish of Master Ben Winters, long time captain of Idlewild, was renamed Avalon. Over the next few years, Avalon visited ports all along the Mississippi, Missouri, St. Croix, Illinois, Kanawha, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers. Her many stops included Omaha, Nebraska; Stillwater, Minnesota; Montgomery, West Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.
By 1962, Avalon had fallen into disrepair, and might have seen the end of her days, when Jefferson County Judge Marlow Cook bought her at an auction for $34,000 in hopes of restoring the city's connection to the waterfront. The relationship between the city of Louisville and its beloved waterfront had begun to dwindle over the years due to the advancement in automobiles and the building of the elevated I-64 roadway, but the purchase of the steamboat that had a wealth of history with the city was the perfect solution. She came to Louisville and was re-christened Belle of Louisville.
On October 18, 2014, Belle of Louisville turned 100 years old. To celebrate, a 5-day riverboat festival named "The Belle's Big Birthday Bash" was held in Louisville along parts of Louisville Waterfront Park. Eight other riverboats from across the country joined Belle of Louisville to help celebrate her 100th year on the river. The festival incorporated cruises, fireworks, riverfront concerts, hot air balloon glows, and more. The other riverboats attending the festival included Spirit of Jefferson, Anson Northrup, Belle of Cincinnati, The Colonel, General Jackson, River Queen, Spirit of Peoria, and Celebration Belle. This festival was said to be the largest riverboat gathering that Louisville has seen in over 100 years. A portion of the proceeds from The Belle's Big Birthday Bash went toward her preservation fund.
According to wikipedia
