After 10-Year Absence, Riverboat Tours Return to Woonsocket

The Blackstone Valley Explorer riverboat is coming back to Woonsocket.

The return of the 40-passenger river tour boat ends a 10-year absence and “is truly something to celebrate,” said Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt.

The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council decided to bring back to the tours, which run Sundays in August on the hour from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tours depart from the river dock at Cold Spring Park on Harris Avenue and the “tour showcases another urbanized portion of the Blackstone American Heritage River, the centerpiece of Southern New England’s new Blackstone River Valley Historical Park,” according to a city media release.

“The history of the Blackstone River in Woonsocket is so rich and interesting. We’re excited to have the Blackstone Valley Explorer back in the City after all these years to showcase the culture and beauty of the area” stated Geraldine Barclay-King, Program Director at the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council.

Tickets for the public tours are: $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children. Tickets and tour details are available by calling 401-724-2200, or online at www.rivertourblackstone.com.

The return of the riverboat tours is set to be formally announced Thursday at 10 a.m. at the dock at a press conference. The public is invited.

“I am grateful that the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has returned the Blackstone Valley Explorer to the City of Woonsocket and I look forward to seeing our citizens making new memories and enjoying the natural beauty that the Blackstone River has to offer,” Baldell-Hunt said.

Photo: River Tour Blackstone