Sainte Genevieve Riverboat in Ottawa sails down the Illinois post-ribbon cutting

Some of the best views of the Illinois Valley can be had only on a boat and now more people will have access to them, with the opening of the Sainte Genevieve Riverboat in Ottawa on Tuesday evening.

Owners Gentry Nordstrom and Nathan Weiss purchased the riverboat in December of 2021 with the intention of making the river more accessible to locals and tourists.

“We want to give them the chance to experience the river right down the middle of the channel as opposed to being stuck along the shore,” Nordstrom said. “We’re offering sightseeing tours going both up and down the river and then dinner cruises, where we’ll have heavy appetizer buffets and a bar on-board.”

The Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry ambassadors and Executive Director Jeff Hettrick cut the ribbon with Weiss, Nordstrom and their families along with city officials on the top deck of the St. Genevieve on Tuesday.

Hettrick said Nordstrom and Weiss worked hard all summer and he’s happy to welcome them to the chamber and to Ottawa’s downtown.

“This has been a culmination of just a tone of incredibly hard work, way more than we ever expected,” Nordstrom said. “There’ve been very stressful days and very painful points but also some fun. It’s been the biggest adventure of our lives.”

Weiss said on top of riverboat tours, he wants to eventually have rides that go down to Starved Rock and conduct tours there before bringing customers back to Ottawa.

Nordstrom thanked the city of Ottawa and Mayor Dan Aussem, who were helpful in obtaining all the licensing needed to operate as a business on the river.

Nordstrom said the plan is to offer tours through October, November and December depending on the weather. As long as the river doesn’t have ice in it, the boat can travel.

For more information on the Sainte Genevieve Riverboat, go to stegenriverboat.com.