Take a Harbor Cruise
Experience the Thames River on your own timeline!
Service Resuming in Summer 2026
Hop aboard the Thames River Heritage Park Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise every weekend, all summer long. Also known as the water taxi, enjoy a one-hour cruise or hop on and off at heritage sites along the route! Your ticket is an unlimited pass to ride all day.
You’ll cruise the river that witnessed the birth of the nuclear-powered navy, with the launch of the USS Nautilus, now berthed here as part of a museum. You can imagine the river when it was home to one of the nation’s largest 19th century whaling ports. And that is just the beginning. As we say, ONE RIVER. A THOUSAND STORIES.
Our boats have their own history.
Our boats are refurbished surplus U.S. Navy “liberty” utility boats that were used to shuttle sailors to shore from larger ships for liberty or free time. One was assigned to the USS LaSalle which assumed the role of Commander of Middle East Forces in 1988. The other boat was assigned to the USS Hunley, a submarine tender home ported in Charleston, South Carolina servicing the nuclear powered Polaris submarine fleet.
Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise Tickets
- Your ticket can be used all day long!
- Hop on and off at your leisure at any landing site
- Sit back and relax to enjoy the one-hour loop
- Each leg of the cruise is 15-minutes
- Tickets and season passes may be purchased online or when you board
- Cash & card are both accepted in person
- See top right corner of web page to confirm Harbor Cruises are running
- Bicycles allowed on board, space permitting
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome
Buy Tickets
Departing from
Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise Rates - All Day Pass
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ADULTS $10
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CHILDREN 4 - 12 $5
Children 3 and under ride free
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ACTIVE MILITARY $5
Active Military ID required
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SEASON PASS (ADULT) $60
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SEASON PASS (CHILD) $35
2025 Schedule
Saturday-Sunday
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Opening Day
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Closing Day
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Last Boat
Final departures times:
| Thames River Landing | 5:40 P.M. |
| City Pier | 5:20 P.M. |
| Fort Trumbull State Park | 5:00 P.M. |
| Fort Trumbull State Park is the final disembarkment at approximately 6:00 P.M. | |
Departure Locations
BOARD FROM ANY DEPARTURE LOCATION
| Location | Departure Time |
| Fort Trumbull State Park NewLondon |
On the hour |
| City Pier New London |
20 minutes after the hour |
| Thames River Landing Groton |
40 minutes after the hour |
Staff Contact
Weather Delays
Currently: 
Today is Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Hop-on Hop-off Harbor Cruises are not running today.
Weather delays will be displayed on the home page above the main navigation throughout the site. If you have purchased a ticket, you will be notified via text message and email. Harbor Cruise tickets are non-refundable but may be used for any regularly scheduled ride for the current season. 
Green dot – Taxi is running.
Yellow dot – Taxi is delayed.Red dot – Taxi is not running.
Accessibility
The Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise vessels are refurbished Navy boats that are used for shuttling crews to and from large ships. They are not ADA compliant and do not have a restroom.
TRHP Accessibility Policy
Our boats are not ADA compliant, but we try to accommodate all passengers as best we can.
For your safety, passengers must be able to walk up and down 4 stairs and board the boat independently with minimal, courtesy-only assistance from the crew. Should there be a need to disembark quickly or unexpectedly, passengers must be able to do so unaided.
Passengers requiring assistance are encouraged to board with a companion to avoid any difficulty.
Admittance onto our boats is at the discretion of our captains who are authorized to determine a guest’s ability to meet these requirements.
Season Passes
All days, unlimited rides.
Season Passes for our Hop On, Hop Off Harbor Cruise may be purchased online or with cash or credit card on the boat. They are non-transferable. Children’s passes are for those 12-years old or younger. They must be accompanied by an adult. Season Passes may not be used for our Historic Boat Tours.