The American Queen Steamboat was welcomed by Vicksburg George Flaggs Jr., ladies in antebellum dresses and the sounds of the City of Vicksburg Senior Center dulcimers as it docked at the Vicksburg City Riverfront at 8 a.m. Wednesday to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the boat’s launch on the Mississippi River.

This steamboat has docked in Vicksburg 12 times so far this year with another 13 scheduled through the rest of the year.

“The American Queen brings in close to 1,500 visitors a month during docking season,” Laura Beth Strickland, communications manager of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, said.

Travelers on the 436-passenger boat tour downtown and visit the Vicksburg National Military Park.

“When the streets look busy and people are having a good time it’s great for the atmosphere,” Charlie Belden of KJ’s River Town Grille said. “You get a lot of different cultures, people from all around the world coming off the boat.”

Flaggs boarded the boat to present the chairman and CEO of American Queen Steamboat Company John Waggoner with a plaque marking the occasion, and Waggoner in turn gifted Flaggs with a folded American flag that hung from the riverboat. The mayor was also presented with a gift to open later as not to spoil the surprise for the boat’s passengers who would be receiving the same gift.

“We’re lucky to have it,” Belden said. “It’s like looking back in time.”