Blackstone River Explorer Boat Tour

A black, white, and dark blue stripe header image with the text Blackstone River Explorer Boat Tour

In October 2024, I checked off another Blackstone Bucket List item by taking the forty-passenger Explorer boat cruise on a fifty-minute guided river tour. Departing from Central Falls Landing in Central Falls, RI, the tour reviewed the ecology and history of the Blackstone River Valley, providing a great refresher to those familiar with the story at a relaxing pace. As an added bonus, the day was unseasonably warm and sunny.

A forty-passenger flatbed boat with an awning drifting by on a flat river between a L-shaped dock and a tree-lined bank A vinyl sign with blue river water as the background on the top half and a blue to white gradient on the bottom half. A metal sign with an illustration of people on the boat

Learning began even before stepping onto the boat. Wooden pillars around the pier were decorated with signage that described fun facts about the area. These topics were common to the area, so I had learned them during previous tours and museum visits, but never in this format. One pole described the traditional lives of indigenous people, including Narragansett, Wampanoag, and Nipmuc people who still live in the are. Another explained how water power ran machinery producing cloth and other products during the First Industrial Revolution. A third pole reminded readers how to take care of the environment by sustainably fishing and not polluting. I appreciated that the signs had colorful illustrations and were written in both English and Spanish.

A yellow sign with informational text about Indigenous People of the Blackstone Valley, along with images of a basked and root vegetables. A sky blue sign with text describing the production of textiles and other goods during the Industrial Revolution, along with photographs of factory floors, machines, and gears. A blue and green sign with illustrations of local animals and texts describing best practices of stewardship and environmentalism

The area included a memorial for “Ray’s Landing”, named for late Valley Falls, Cumberland, RI resident Raymond Joseph Pado, who passed away at the site at age fifty-nine. He founded and directed Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone, which runs the boat tours and is the official protector of the Blackstone River in Rhode Island.

A small white shed with oval signs for the Explorer boat tour, kayaking rentals, and the Samuel Slater Canal Boat A metal sign with the text designed and built by Blount Marine Corporation Warren, RI USA Date of Launching Aug. 19. 1993 Concrete letters at the edge of a parking lot

The boat tour was a relatively peaceful affair. The boat was designed and built by Blount Marine Corporation of Warren, RI and launched on August 19, 1993, making it about two years older than me. A quick peek at Blount’s website showed that they also make tugs, ferries, and dinner cruises. The tour glides past a different industrial site, the Ann & Hope Mill. This red brick building was constructed in 1886 by brothers-in-law Nicholas Brown, Jr. and Thomas Poynton Ives, who named the factory after a boat that had been named for their wives, Ann Carter Brown and Hope Brown Ives. The mill became a shopping center after World War II and is currently scheduled to become apartments.

A pair of swans take flight from the river. The wood panel interior of the boat is seen at the bottom of the image. A pair of plastic skeletons sit on a grassy island in the middle of the river The water reflects the trees that begin to change into fall colors

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of wildlife that I saw on the river, especially birds. Several mute swans floated or flew by the boat. While pretty to look at, the bird is an invasive species that outcompetes other water birds. A white-breasted cormorant stood on a log in the middle of the river. These wide-ranging birds are found throughout the word and are endemic to the area.

A red-painted flat bottomed boat with green trim and four small windows tied to a dock A shiny metal bell about a foot tall hung at the bow of the boat The trees reflect onto the water because the sky is so bright and clear

Moored near the docks was the Samuel Slater Canal Boat, which launched in 2000. Painted bright red and forty feet long, the floating hotel room is claimed to be the only water vessel of its kind in the United States. This boat was built by C T & P Fox Builders, also called Fox Narrowboats, in Cambridgeshire, England, an area known for its canal boats. During the heyday of the Blackstone Canal between 1828 to 1848, these boats were often seen in the water. Of course, the boat gets its name from Samuel Slater, a British-American engineer who built the first industrial textile mill in the United States in Pawtucket, RI.

A stone bridge made of three arches spans the river. At the center is the bright red Samuel Slater Canal Boat attached to the dock. On the right are the dock and restaurant buildings Two arches of the bridge spanning the river. The sky is so bright and clear that the bridge reflects into the water. The pontoon boat is decorated with plastic skeletons, black cloth, and a pirate flag. Samuel Slater Canal Boat is bright red with green trim.

This tour is ideal for those who love boats, families with children age eight and older, people interested in local history and ecology, or anyone who feels they have done everything else in the area. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $15 for children ages 2 to 12 plus seniors over age 62. The boat took the winter off and will start up again on May 25. The tour was easy to hear because of the speaker system, and the guide spoke with clear enunciation. A person with limited mobility might have difficulty navigating down the ramp but would have no difficulties once seated. An athletic wheelchair user may be able to enter the boat unassisted but should contact the company prior to ticket purchase to confirm accessibility. The only improvement would be the inclusion of a booklet containing history facts and wildlife information, similar to the packet given at the historic Blackstone Valley train excursion, which would serve as a guide, souvenir, and marketing tool. I would definitely take this trip again and encourage both locals and visitors to do the same.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 7/10



Location: 15 Madeira Ave, Central Falls, RI 02863, USA

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