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Riverfront IIA officially opened on June 27, 2023!  Pictured above Steve McDaniel, Director (far left), Mayor Tom Henry (in the middle) and the four Park Commissioners. Construction for IIB will be at least a year and a half.

Enjoy a few photos from IIA!

 

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Mayor Henry Leads Riverfront IIB Groundbreaking Celebration


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September 20, 2023 - Progress along Fort Wayne’s riverfront continues as Mayor Tom Henry today joined the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division, Parks and Recreation Department, and community leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on Riverfront Phase IIB Public Open Space. Read more....




You can now see an animated version of Phase IIB!

 

 

Grand opening of Promenade Park in 2019! 

 

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Summertime at Promenade is a beautful place to be!!

 

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Photo credit: Stan Sussina, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  

 

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Fall colors never fail to bring a new look to the park!

 

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Thanks to Soarin' Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation Center for their presentation

at the Spring Celebration at Promenade Park!!

 

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Promenade Park, South Boat Dock
202 West Superior Street
All Ages Welcome

Tours on Sweet Breeze will be offered again next spring!  Purchase tickets starting May 1st, 2024! Tours begin Saturday, May 25th!

Relax and enjoy a guided cruise on the Fort Wayne Rivers. Sweet Breeze, Fort Wayne’s authentic canal boat replica is offering 45, 60  and 90 minute tour lengths. This fully accessible tour will be a fun experience for everyone! Each tour provides an opportunity to learn something new about Fort Wayne through its riverfront.



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Purchase tickets starting May 1, 2024! IF you prefer, you can purchase tickets via phone (260) 427-6000 or at 705 E. State Blvd., Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805
 

 

 

 


Private Rental Cruises


Check out the information below on private rentals available in 2024!

Private Rental Brochure
Private Rental Pricing (for 2024) 
Private Rental Tour Information
Private Rental Agreement


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2023 Event Sponsors:
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Above is a video of Sweet Breeze riding along the river. See below for basic tour information!


Basic tour information

  • The boat can acccommodate up to 38 riders

  • Interested in a field trip or a private rental on Sweet Breeze?  Call Amanda Black at 427-5023 to learn more.

  • Restroom facilities are available.  The boat is fully accessible.

  • For parking information CLICK HERE

  • There are about 5 handicap parking spaces on Wells Street next to the pavilion

  • Information on Private group rentals is now available. Check out the Sweet Breeze Private Rental Agreement to learn more!  

  • The boat is handicap accessible with an accessible restroom on board

  • There is a ramp in the park down to the dock, a loading ramp to get on board the boat, and the boat chairs are easily removable

  • For wheelchair parking, on this map, the blue line is where the handicap parking spaces are, and the white line shows the path and walking distance from there down to the loading dock, and the green line represents where the boat will be. 

  • Do you have additional questions?  E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

     

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A special thanks to Mark Jones, Friends of the Rivers, for this photo!


A Little Background Information:

Sweet Breeze was built by Scarano Boat Builders out of Albany, NY. It is flat-bottomed, aluminum hulled boat which is 54’ long, has a draft of 2.75’ and an air draft of 8.5’. The new build was modeled after 1840s canal boat, but in order to better fit our waterways, was scaled back to ¾ the size of the historic canal boats. It is powered by a single 55 HP Marine Diesel Volvo Penta engine. It was delivered by a lowboy trailer in January 2017, craned into the Maumee River on May 20th and christened on June 5th. The Sweet Breeze is wheelchair accessible. 
 

A Brief History

Fort Wayne’s history is tied to canal boats and to the Wabash and Erie Canal. The Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 478 miles long, it was the longest canal ever built in North America.The canal began operation in the summer of 1843, yet only operated for a decade before it became apparent that it was not economically viable. Even when the canal boats were operated at extremely slow speeds, the banks rapidly eroded, and the canal had to be constantly dredged to be operable. The last canal boat on the Wabash Canal made its last docking in 1874 in Huntington, Indiana. Sweet Breeze recreates the mystery and excitement of what was to be a new era of commerce and travel in the Midwest. Fort Wayne was the highest point on the canal (i.e. the summit), so Fort Wayne earned the name “Summit City”. Canal boats carried people and goods on our rivers and canals from 1843-1874 which was much faster than burdensome wagons. Drafts animals, usually mules, pulled long, narrow canal boats by a rope on a path next to the canal, called a towpath.

 

 

The Sweet Breeze Canal Boat is back on the St. Marys River! Step aboard and learn more about the upcoming season of general and specialty tours at the Season Kickoff Open House on Friday, May 26, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

 

Testimonials

Yesterday I had the pleasure to take the Sweet Breeze boat tour. Absolutely everyone involved from tickets to disembarking was a great representative of FTW Parks Dept. Mark also was a delight and knowledgeable of the history. It was a wonderful 90 minute boat ride. Thank you, Carolyn T.

Our thanks to you and your staff for your service to our Senior Saints and for your assistance in helping our Senior Saints with their wheel chair, walkers, canes, etc. on our tour of the rivers of Fort Wayne.  Your staff, your docent, your captain and his assistants provided our Senior Saints, with our special needs, the assistance to enjoy the river tour.  You and their service was above and beyond what we would have expected.  Larry G.


 

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Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation is offering Sweet Breeze Boat Tours through a partnership with Friends of the Rivers.  

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School Group Field Trips on Sweet Breeze 


Friends of the Rivers will again be offering on-river school group field trips again in 2024 that meet Indiana DOE Standards for Social Studies (Indiana and Regional History) for grades 3, 4 & 5.  All field trips are open for all abilities on our fully accessible boat. 

The 45 minute field trips will again have a discounted cost of $5 per student underwritten by Friends of the Rivers.  There is a minimum of 20 youth per tour.   A maximum of three school staff are admitted free and any additional adults are charged the community tour rate. 

AWS Foundation fully funds our Adaptive Education tours. Friends of the Rivers underwrites a limited number of field trips. Please call Amanda Black (427-5023) to reserve a discounted field trip for your school.  If you prefer, you can e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Please see www.forfw.org/field-trips/ for additional educational information.   


Sweet Breeze Field Trip FAQ's


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Additional videos are available on the Friends of the Rivers link under  River Views!

The Parks History & Highlights link will be updated monthly with the latest Parks Showcase being released.  If you would like to see a detailed list of each park with their amenities, check out the Park Page Links or if you would like to see a detailed history through the years, check out the History of the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department link.  

 IF you enjoy history, check out the More Than Just Fun and Games (1863-1975) video!

 

Bob Arnold Northside, Klug, Kreager, Lakeside, Lions, and Shoaff Parks 

Franke, Franklin & Gren Parks

Bass, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and Community Center

Bowser, Brackenridge and Brewer Parks

Boone, Hamilton and Lawton Parks

Guldlin, Indian Village and McCulloch Parks

Ivan Lebamoff Reservoir Park, John Street Park, and McCormick Park

Brookview Parkway, Casselwood Park, Foster Park

Griswold Avenue Playlot, Hanna Homestead Park, Freimann Square Park 

Eastside Playlot, Ronald G. Repka Park, Weisser Park

Bloomingdale Park, The Wells Street Bridge, Headwaters Park

Buckner Park, Kettler Park & Tillman Park

Lindenwood Nature Preserve, Old Fort Park, Salomon Farm Park

Nuckols Park, Rea Park, McMillen Park

Courthouse Green, Orff, and Rockhill Parks

Sieling Park, Summit City Park and Camp Allen Park

Lafayette Park, Little Turtle Memorial Park, Moody Park


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 A picture from 1980 with Jerry Byanski and Larry Walter (retired employees) with a Landscape Designer from our sister city Takaoka, Japan showcasing the new Japanese Friendship Garden.  

 

 


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Calm Water Sensory Tent

 

Riverfront Fort Wayne’s Calm Water Sensory Tent is a mobile sensory room designed to mimic stationary sensory rooms used for individuals with autism, dementia, sensory processing disorders, and more. The individual’s experience in the tent is entirely customized and targets sensory seeking or avoidant needs. Adult supervision is required. Stays in the tent last 15 minutes and time slots are on a first come, first served basis during events. For questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Calm Water Sensory Tent is proudly sponsored by AWS Foundation.


The Calm Walter Sensory Tent will be available at special events held throughout the year. 

 

 

Sensory Workshop Series

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Podcast on Special Inclusive Programming

Check out a podcast with Riley Hollenbaugh, Riverfront Program and Events Manager, as he discusses special inclusive programming this winter at Promenade Park.

 

Sensory Expo

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Sunday, September 17, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Park Foundation Pavilion, Promenade Park,
202 W. Superior St.

Learn about sensory processing disorders, connect with local organizations that offer sensory and adaptive services, play with sensory toys, and meet therapy dogs at this FREE community event. Open to all ages. 

Listen in on a recent "Walk in the Park" on the Riverfront/Sensory Expo

 

Additional Resources 

 

Inclusive Recreation Flyer


 



 

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