George M. Verity River Museum

A visit to the George M. Verity River Museum takes you back to the era of the river steamboats before the modern day diesels came into being.

Built in 1927 at Dubuque, Iowa by the U. S. Government, the S.S. Thorpe inaugurated barge service on the upper Mississippi The first of four steamboats built for the revival of river transportation, it was the first to move barges from St. Louis north to St. Paul. It remained in service there until 1940, when it was sold to Armco Steel Corp. and put in service on the Ohio River. Armco renamed it the George M. Verity after their founder.

In 1960 the Verity was retired after 33 years of service on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and on 1961, the boat was given to the City of Keokuk for use as a river museum.

Now berthed in Victory Park, it houses a museum of Upper Mississippi River history, and is open daily 9:00 AM--5:00 PM, April to November. Special admission rates are available for groups of 12 or more. For additional information click here. 

Visit the George M. Verity in Keokuk, Iowa and discover the charm of Mark Twain's Mississippi. This historic sternwheel steamboat provides a fascinating insight into river history for young and old alike.