Winter Family Fun Cruise

The Gateway Clipper is running its Winter Family Fun Cruise on Wednesday, December 30, 2026, out of the Gateway Clipper dock at Station Square, 350 W. Station Square Dr. in Pittsburgh. It's an afternoon outing on the river during the Christmas break, and the whole thing is built around the kids.

Arena's Dance Company takes the lead on the program with dance performances throughout the cruise. Between the sets, there are glitter tattoos for the kids and a DJ dance party to keep things moving. It's a riverboat tour that turns into a party, with the dancing and the tattoos as the main draw.

The Gateway Clipper Fleet is a family-owned riverboat company that's been sailing the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers since 1958, carrying more than 25 million passengers over the years. Their fleet of paddlewheelers includes the Empress (1966), Three Rivers Queen (2013), Princess (1999), Duchess (1975), and the open-air Countess (1979), and they run everything from sightseeing and dinner cruises to dance, family, and holiday sailings, alongside private events and weddings. The Kids & Family cruises are the ones that turn a trip down the city's three rivers into a party with character friends and themed extras, and this winter sailing is an afternoon outing for families during the Christmas break.

Tickets are $36.66 per adult. Veterans and active military ride free, and children 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. The boats are cashless on board, so keep that in mind if you're planning to pick up anything extra while you're out on the water.