Ohio River Museum – Marietta, Ohio - Atlas Obscura
What's near me?

Marietta, Ohio

Ohio River Museum

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

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)
The wheelhouse of the Tell City. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The W.P. Snyder was heated and powered by coal. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Crew’s bunk room. Note the life jackets stored above the top bunk. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The engine room instrument panel of the Snyder. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Directions for pilots to follow were place on the wheel itself. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Another view of the wheelhouse. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
One of the two smokestacks, which could be folded down to clear bridges. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Last tour was at 3:30. I guess we missed the boat. dsinisterminister (Atlas Obscura User)
This entry is a stub
Help improve Atlas Obscura by expanding Ohio River Museum with additional information or photos.

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.

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.

boatsriverstransportationhistorymuseums
Community Discussion
  • Wikipedia
Near This Place
Marietta, Ohio

Campus Martius Museum

Home to several unusual artifacts, including a huge painting of George Washington.
rbt45769 Added by rbt45769
Marietta, Ohio

Washington County Courthouse Motifs

Dozens of striking Indian symbols cover the second-floor hallways of this rural courthouse.
rbt45769 Added by rbt45769
Marietta, Ohio

The Mound Cemetery

At the center of this cemetery stands a 2,000-year-old burial mound of the Adena culture.
rbt45769 Added by rbt45769
Marietta, Ohio

B&O Harmar Bridge

This historic Ohio bridge is adorned with fanciful locks left behind by loving couples.
rbt45769 Added by rbt45769
Related Places
Louisville, Kentucky

Belle of Louisville

The oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat still navigates the Ohio River.
Michael LoRe Added by Michael LoRe
Excelsior, Minnesota

The Steamboat Minnehaha

This vintage "streetcar boat" lay at the bottom of Lake Minnetonka until the 1980s.
Dr Alan P Newman Added by Dr Alan P Newman
Green River, Utah

John Wesley Powell River History Museum

Contains a wealth of information about the first exploration and later use of the Green and Colorado Rivers.
Will Forsberg Added by Will Forsberg
Dearborn, Michigan

The Roundhouse at Greenfield Village

One of the few working locomotive roundhouses in the United States.
ACReynard Added by ACReynard