The Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom will close for a week-long refurbishment later this month.

Liberty Square Riverboat will be closed from Monday, August 21 through Tuesday, August 29, reopening to guests on Wednesday, August 30.

The attraction usually closes for a brief refurbishment at this time of year and we wouldn’t expect any major differences when it returns to service. In late 2020 and early 2021, the Liberty Square Riverboat was closed for several months while the Rivers of America was drained, the underwater track was replaced, and the entire area was refurbished.

The Liberty Square Riverboat is the Liberty Belle, formerly called the Richard F. Irvine. The steamboat has been operating at Magic Kingdom since 1973, when it joined the Admiral Joe Fowler. The latter boat was damaged beyond repair in 1980 and only the Liberty Belle has been operating since. The Richard F. Irvine and Admiral Joe Fowler names were then given to the Seven Seas Lagoon ferryboats. The Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat’s engine was recycled to be used by the Mark Twain riverboat in Tokyo Disneyland and the boat’s whistle was added to the Walt Disney World Railroad’s Roy O. Disney train.

Guests can board the Liberty Belle at a dock near The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. The boat is four stories with some seating.

The ride lasts about 17 minutes, taking guests on a tour around Tom Sawyer Island with views of scenes like a Native American village, Harper’s Mill, Fort Langhorn, and various woodland animals. There’s also a good view of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and The Haunted Mansion façade.

The Liberty Belle has 4 decks with limited seating available.

Take a ride on the Liberty Square Riverboat in our 2021 video:

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