Built in 1923, the Majestic was the last of America’s great traveling showboats, bringing live theater and vaudeville to towns along the Ohio River. Pulled by the tug Attaboy, it visited Henderson numerous times during the 1930s and 1940s, with local ads promoting dramas like Saintly Hypocrites and Honest Sinners and Ten Nights in a Bar Room. In 1959, Indiana University purchased the boat and its student theater company continued touring, including regular stops at Henderson’s riverfront.
Postcards from the era proudly read “Greetings from Henderson, Ky.” alongside the Majestic, reflecting how closely the community identified with the excitement of the showboat’s arrival. For Henderson, the Majestic was more than a passing attraction-it was a cherished tradition that tied the city to the broader cultural life of the Ohio River.
