Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Yes, all of our boats can operate rain or shine.
We encourage guests to wear layers, as it is often much cooler and windier on the lake than it is inland.
Yes, each of our vessels is supplied with enough U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets for every person onboard. If someone in your party is in need of a youth- or infant-size life jacket, our dock crew will assist in having them properly fitted for one prior to departure. All guests ages thirteen years old and younger are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while onboard the boat.
No, with the exception of service dogs trained to do tasks for guests with disabilities.
Yes, guests are allowed to bring their own food and beverages onboard. We do not provide coolers, but guests are more than welcome to bring their own. For safety reasons, we ask that guests limit the amount of glass containers brought onboard. Guests are responsible for taking all trash with them after their rental. Trash cannot be left or disposed of in Pere Marquette Park.
Our boats are allowed to go as far north on the Milwaukee River as Lakefront Brewery, as far west on the Menomonee River as Twisted Fisherman, as far south on the Kinnickinnic River as The Bridgewater Modern Grill, as far north in the Milwaukee harbor as McKinley Marina, and as far south in the Milwaukee harbor as South Shore Park. Our boats must remain within the breakwater at all times when on the lake.
We recommend arriving at our docks in Pere Marquette Park about 15 minutes in advance to check in. Please allow sufficient time to find parking when planning your day, as there is not a parking lot at Pere Marquette Park.
Once you arrive in Pere Marquette Park, head to the park’s northeast corner and you’ll find our docks along the river’s edge. While we do not have an office onsite, any member of our staff, who will be wearing a Riverwalk Boat Tours & Rentals shirt, can help you check in for your rental.
As Pere Marquette Park does not have its own parking lot, guests will need to find parking on their own. Most of the street parking surrounding the park has a two-hour limit, so private parking lots and structures will be a better option for most renters. We are not affiliated with any lots or structures and cannot confirm their costs, time limits, or hours. Most notably, the Marcus Performing Arts Center, located just across the river from Pere Marquette Park, has a large parking structure that may provide a close parking option.
Yes, our boats can be docked at any restaurant with designated docks for customers, as well as public docks that may be near restaurants. Boats may NOT be docked at any dock denoted as private, or at restaurant docks when the restaurant is not open.
No. Smoking of any kind is prohibited while onboard our boats. Anyone found smoking onboard may have their cruise terminated immediately with no eligibility for a credit or refund.
No. Items that produce an open flame are not allowed onboard our boats.
No. Guests may not get off of the boat to swim.
No. Guests may not fish while onboard our boats.

Our 22 and 49 passenger max. Private Charters –

Riverwalk Boats Private Charters operate rain or shine. Riverwalk will only cancel our private charters in the event of prolonged severe weather/lightning storms in our area that our captain deems unsafe for our Private Charters to operate. Our Private Charters do operate in rain, as the vessels are fully covered and can be fully sided. The rivers in downtown Milwaukee are protected from wind due to the numerous buildings and the inner harbor of Lake Michigan is protected by the breakwater to prevent unsafe wave conditions. As our Private Charters are completely covered and can be fully sided, these Private Charters are not allowed to be cancelled or rescheduled by the customer for day of weather-related concerns. Only Riverwalk Boats/captain will determine what is unsafe and cancelable weather. Should Riverwalk Boats/captain deem it unsafe for our boats to operate and need to cancel your rental for a weather-related reason, we will reach out to you as soon as possible at the contact number provided to discuss whether you would prefer reimbursement in the form of a rebooking credit or refund (customer choice).

Our 10-passenger maximum Self-captained Pontoon Rentals –

Riverwalk Boats, on the Day of Rental and not before, will cancel and offer a full refund or booking credit, (customer choice), in the event that the weather on the Day of Rental and not before is clearly going to be raining for the duration of the rental. Rentals on days that the weather is forecasted to be raining intermittently throughout the day will not necessarily be cancelled…every day. time and situation is different. All rental pontoons have a bimini top covering the back half of the boat that may be pulled up in case of light rain. These rentals can operate in light to medium, intermittent showers. If a portion of a rental is cancelled due to lasting rain, a rental credit may be issued for a portion of a rental that was affected by bad weather, not a refund.
Unless you have a registered service animal, you are unable to bring animals onboard.
YES. We have lifejackets for people of all sizes, including children and babies. Ten adult lifejackets will already be in the boat when you board for your rental. Children and infants will need to be properly fitted for a lifejacket with a member of our dock staff prior to boarding to ensure their safety. All individuals ages thirteen and under must wear a US Coast Guard approved lifejacket at all times onboard the boat, per federal law.
YES. You may bring any food, beverages, and alcohol onboard, but you will need to provide your own cooler. We ask that you limit the amount of glass containers you bring for safety reasons, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could opt to bring cans or plastic bottles/containers whenever possible. Also, please take all your garbage with you and do not dispose of it in Pere Marquette Park. We provide 2 tables (approximately 4×2 feet) onboard all Private Charters.
NO. Captains are only available for our 22- and 49-passenger charters. A member of your party will be responsible for operating the boat. Please note that the driver must meet all of the following requirements in order to operate the boat: be 25 years old or over, agree not to consume alcohol while operating the boat, present a valid car driver’s license, and present a valid credit card in the driver’s name to authorize for a $500 security deposit upon arriving for the rental. Cash or a debit/bank card is NOT sufficient for this. Any driver born on or after January 1st of 1989 also needs to present proof of completion of the Wisconsin State Boater’s Safety Course, which is linked on our “Pontoon Rentals” page and can be completed online within a day.
Swimming is not allowed off of any of our boats.
Fishing is not allowed off of any of our boats.
NO. There is not a grill onboard and we do not allow them to be brought onboard. The same goes for all types of open flames or fireworks.
YES. Many restaurants along the river have docks for customers to use. Please Do not park at any restaurant, bar, or residence with denoted private docks.
Metered street parking is an available option on State Street and other surrounding streets. There is a parking lot located on 1020 North 4th Street and a parking structure located on 130 East State Street, both of which are private lots with a parking cost.
You can go up the Milwaukee River as well as a small part of the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers. You can also take the boat out into the part of the lake protected by the breakwall. Within the harbor, you can take the boat as far South as South Shore Park.
Smoking of any kind is prohibited onboard all of our boats. Any renter found to be smoking on our private charters or public cruises, particularly illegal substances, may have their cruise immediately terminated with no eligibility for a refund.
The complete list of insured docking locations for our boats includes Barnacle Bud’s, Lakefront Brewery, McKinley Marina, Pier Wisconsin (Discovery World), ALOFT, Paul Davis Restoration Southeast Wisconsin, Summerfest Lakeshore State Park, Southshore Yacht Club, and Twisted Fisherman.
NO. We do recommend wearing layers, as it usually is cooler by the lake and warmer upriver.
YES. We encourage (not require) you to tip the staff if you felt their work added to your cruise experience. Both captains and deckhands are allowed to accept tips.
All payments must be made with a credit card in advance over the phone or online.
NO. It must be a major credit card.
YES. The bimini top, which covers the back half of the boat, will be down upon your arrival dockside and can be put back up once you reach the lake. Due to higher water levels, the bimini top is too tall for some of the bridges on the rivers and must be kept down until past all bridges.
GENERALLY, NO. The awning on our private charters requires time and labor to remove. It is not an option if another rental is booked directly before or after the one in question, as there is not sufficient time to uncover/cover the boat without making at least one party late for their charter. Usually, the only circumstance that we remove the top is during Private Charter Fireworks Cruises several times a season.
Please plan to be at the docks at least 15 minutes before the start of your scheduled rental time to fill out the required paperwork. Please allot yourself enough time for parking and navigating through the park to the docks.
Boats are allowed to go up as far North as Lakefront Brewery on the Milwaukee River, to north 25th Street on the Menomonee River, as far south as Barnacle Buds on the Kinnickinnic River, and within the entire break wall in the harbor of Lake Michigan.

CAPTAINED PRIVATE CHARTER QUESTIONS

Yes, tipping your captain and deckhand after your charter is encouraged if you feel that they’ve provided you with good service, but not required.
Yes, plastic bistro chairs are provided for all guests, and two small serving tables will be onboard for guests to set out any food they may have brought with them.
Generally, no. The awning requires time and labor to both remove and reinstall, and it is not possible to do so if another rental is booked immediately preceding or following yours.

SELF-CAPTAINED PONTOON BOAT QUESTIONS

No, our captains are not available to drive for 10-passenger pontoon boat rentals. You can find the requirements needed for a member of your party to drive our self-captained pontoons here.
No, security deposits for our 10-passenger self-captained pontoon rentals must be held with a valid credit card in the name of the person who will be driving the boat.
The entire river system downtown has a “slow no wake” speed limit, meaning that the boats must be kept at their minimum driving speed. Some parts of the lake within the breakwater allow for faster speeds; you are required to follow all posted signs and buoys and may be ticketed if caught speeding.
Yes, but only on the lake. The bimini top, which covers approximately the back half of the boat, will be down when you arrive for your rental, but can be put up once you reach the lake. The bimini top is too tall for some of the bridges along the river and must be kept down at all times when on the Milwaukee River, Menomonee River, or Kinnickinnic River to avoid collision.