The General Jackson Showboat will be retired after more than four decades on the Cumberland River, Opry Entertainment Group confirmed to multiple Nashville outlets on October 19.

The company said it made the decision after an extensive evaluation that revealed ongoing maintenance challenges affecting the boat's operating schedule.

The vessel, Tennessee's only paddlewheel showboat, will cease operations at the end of 2026, and The Nashville Scene reports the final public cruise is set for December 15.

Opry Entertainment Group thanked the teams who brought the experience to life, saying the boat offered visitors a unique way to connect with Nashville.

The retirement removes one of the last remaining remnants of Opryland USA, the beloved theme park that closed in 1997, as The Nashville Scene frames it. The showboat had already continued sailing after the park's closure, making it a living piece of what the Scene calls 'Old Nashville.'

The Tennessean notes the General Jackson is one of the biggest showboats ever built and one of the last operating paddlewheel boats in the United States, which makes its departure notable well beyond Tennessee.

The modern General Jackson began as an Opryland project.

According to WZTV, Opryland announced plans for the showboat in 1983, and Jeffersonville, Indiana-based Jeffboat built the four-deck paddle-wheel vessel, which launched into the Ohio River on April 20, 1985, and was christened in Nashville that July 2.

The Tennessean reports Opryland commissioned the boat for $10 million and that it is 300 feet long with a 1,000-person capacity, featuring a two-story Victorian Theater combining river cruises, dining and live performances.

WZTV says its name honors an earlier steamboat that began operating on the Cumberland in 1817.

The stated cause is consistent across the outlets: Opry Entertainment Group's statement, quoted by WZTV, The Nashville Scene and The Tennessean, cites 'ongoing maintenance challenges that have impacted its operating schedule.' WZTV had previously reported the boat was docked for a mechanical issue.

The Nashville Scene adds a management wrinkle: Marriott International manages the General Jackson on Opry Entertainment Group's behalf, but the retirement decision came from Opry Entertainment Group ownership.

The company says all dates currently listed on the public cruising calendar are still expected to sail.

Before it retires, the boat will welcome passengers for one final holiday season.

The Tennessean reports tickets are on sale now for the General Jackson's Nashville Christmas and Showboat Holiday Spectacular, with the last voyage scheduled for December 15 — the same date The Nashville Scene gives for the final public cruise.

Fans of the vessel also have a musical footnote to revisit: The Nashville Scene notes the boat inspired country artist John Hartford's song 'General Jackson,' featured on the 1989 record Down on the River.

The retirement leaves the Cumberland River quieter, in The Nashville Scene's phrasing, though the waterway will not go empty.

According to the Scene, officials christened a new paddlewheel riverboat called the Capitol in May, and the river also hosts barges, industry boats, a few booze cruises and the Nashville Water Taxi.

Opry Entertainment Group, for its part, told WZTV that although the chapter is closing on the General Jackson, it remains committed to attractions across its portfolio featuring the talent and music culture that made Nashville a world-famous entertainment destination.