The ship is now moored next to Tacoma’s “Firecracker Alley” and is up for sale by the Tribe.

The grande dame made her way from Houma, Louisiana, to Tacoma in 1997, not under her own power but towed on a barge by the Northwest tugboat Drew Foss, on a month-long journey south across the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal, and up the West Coast to Puget Sound.īut after its gamble paid off with many years in the casino business, the Puyallup Tribe knew when to hold ‘em, knew when to fold ‘em and retired the vessel as a casino in 2004. Balustraded exterior walkways and lush interior amenities evoke the buildings of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Oh, and it’s also powered by a giant wooden stern wheel instead of a propeller.īehold the Emerald Queen, the former floating gambling palace that had been moored at the Blair Waterway on the Tacoma waterfront for the last 25 years as part of the Emerald Queen Casino, owned by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.īuilt in 1995 by Louisiana-based Quality Shipyard and Kehl River Boats at a cost of $15 million, the steel Emerald Queen was designed to look like the classic paddlewheel riverboats that used to ply the waters of the Mississippi River in the 19 th century. This month, however, may be one of the first times we have featured one that is nearly 300 feet long, has more than 70,000 square feet of space on four decks, weighs 400 tons, and is big enough to comfortably accommodate 2,000 guests. Northwest Yachtnet invites you aboard a truly unique new listing-the classic 300-foot-long paddlewheeler that once housed the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.įor the Broker’s Best section, we pride ourselves for covering a wide variety of used sail and powerboats available in the Pacific Northwest.

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