just ducky tour pittsburgh

Just Ducky Tours Inc.

• Change Region

Secondary menu

• Organizations: Login
• Organizations: How to post to KOAA lists and calendars
• Organizations: Register a new User ID / account
• Organizations: Advertising on KidsOutAndAbout
• Parents: Login to manage parent bulletin board posts
• Parents: How to post to Parent Bulletin Board
• Parents: Register a new parent bulletin board User ID

Pittsburgh's online guide to everything for kids, teens, & families!

Search form

Just ducky tours.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet Widget
• Free Events Today
• Free Events This Weekend
• Free Events Next Weekend
• Free Places to Take Your Kids
• Today's Events
• All Events This Weekend
• All Events Next Weekend
• Maple Sugar & Syrup Events
• Easter Events and Egg Hunts
• Activities for Babies & Toddlers
• Activities for Preschoolers
• Activities for kids in Early Elementary School
• Activities for 'tweens
• Activities for Teens
• Activities for the Whole Family
• CSAs - Community-Supported Agriculture
• Fun on the Farm
• Indoor Play Centers
• Preschools & Day Care
• Private Schools
• Local venues with memberships & season passes
• Music Organizations
• Performances & Movies
• Local Theater
• Dance Organizations
• Dance Performances
• Visual Arts Organizations
• Nature Centers & Zoos
• Amusement Parks
• Get Active: Sports & Fitness
• Local Gyms & Rec Centers
• Sports Education
• Sports Teams
• Special Needs
• Parenting Hacks
• Local Reviews
• Vacation Reviews
• Product Reviews
• Book, Music, & Games Reviews
• Event Reviews
• Spring Break Camps
• A Week-by-Week Guide to Summer Camps
• General Day Camps
• Overnight Camps
• Sports/Fitness
• STEM, Language, and Culture
• Visual Arts
• Cooking & Crafts
• Virtual/Online Summer Camps
• Classes by Subject
• Sports & Fitness
• Exercise & Health
• Horseback Riding
• Martial Arts
• Performing Arts
• Hands-on (Arts & Crafts & Cooking)
• Sign Language
• Academic (Science, Tech, Writing, History, Test prep, etc)
• Virtual/Online Classes
• Exhibits - current & upcoming
• Story times at libraries & bookstores
• Organizations focused on STEM or Culture
• Homeschool Groups & Programs
• Master Guide to Winter Fun
• Winter Fun: Skiing
• Winter Fun: Skating
• Winter fun: Cross-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing
• Winter Fun: Embrace Winter Sports
• Master Guide to Summer Fun
• Master Guide to Fall Fun
• Halloween Fun
• Fall Festivals
• Apple Picking
• Pumpkin Patches
• Master Guide to Holiday Fun
• 101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Pittsburgh
• Christmas Tree Farms
• Subscriptions Boxes: Gifts That Keep on Giving
• Where to visit Santa
• FREE Holiday Events
• Christmas Activities
• Lightbulb Day
• New Year's Eve Activities
• Holiday concerts and performances
• Upcoming online events
• Virtual/Online Learning Resources & Classes
• 24/7 virtual experiences
• Top 20 Places to Take Kids around Pittsburgh
• 101 Family Day Trips Around Pittsburgh
• Blog of publisher's weekly column: Notes from Deb
• This Week's Newsletter
• Sign Up For Our Weekly E-newsletter
• Advertise in Our Weekly E-newsletter

• [ March 26, 2024 ] Waslyson leads Dukes to miracle comeback Sports
• [ March 24, 2024 ] Historic season ends in emotional farewells Men's Basketball
• [ March 24, 2024 ] Dukes out of March Madness Men's Basketball
• [ March 23, 2024 ] Dukes bring the party to Pittsburgh Men's Basketball
• [ March 22, 2024 ] Junior Jays rock Omaha for the Dukes Men's Basketball

Pittsburgh ducky tours offer unique city views

By Madeline Bartos | Staff Writer

Are Just Ducky Tours really all that they’re quacked up to be? A Pittsburgh staple, Just Ducky Tours take tourists through Pittsburgh in amphibious World War II vehicles known as DUKWs. The duck boats take riders through the streets of Pittsburgh as well as down the rivers that shape the city. The entire time, tourists are encouraged to quack at people on the streets, quite often getting them to quack back.

While Pittsburgh’s duck tours are still waddling, Ride the Ducks in Philadelphia is closing due to a less than perfect record that involves a few fatal accidents in past years. According to Trib Live, in 2015 a Philadelphia duck boat hit a pedestrian in an intersection, killing her. In 2010 a duck boat was hit by a barge, killing two people. Insurance rates for the company have become too high, forcing it to close.

The end of Philadelphia’s Ride the Ducks tours doesn’t mean anything for the unrelated Pittsburgh Just Ducky Tours. As a matter of fact, even at 5:45 on a chilly Monday night, the boats are more than half full with people ready to see Pittsburgh from land and water. Whistles that imitated quacks were for sale inside, and nearly every kid had a whistle in their mouths before the tour even started.

The routes for the Ducky tour can change depending on events going on in Pittsburgh as well as traffic. However, the usual route takes the duck boat through Pittsburgh’s business and cultural districts before heading into one of the three rivers. I’ve seen a lot of Pittsburgh, but with Philadelphia’s Just Ducky tours closing it was time to get in one of the amphibious vehicles, learn some facts about Pittsburgh and quack the duck whistles.

The tour began in Station Square, home of Pittsburgh’s Just Ducky Tours. After a few tight turns, the duck boat started to cruise down Grant Street. The tour guide pointed out a few sculptures that even after several drives down Grant Street, I’ve never noticed myself. Despite being in the middle of rush hour, the traffic going into the city wasn’t bad and the driver seemed to be effortlessly maneuvering the vehicle. It didn’t seem like safety would be an issue like it was for the Philadelphia tours.

The vehicle zig zagged through the city, passing most of the major skyscrapers. The tour guide pointed out how a few buildings, including the Allegheny County Courthouse, have markers that show what used to be ground level of several buildings. Some architects planned for this and laid the basements out like lobbies. Other buildings didn’t plan for the hillside to be dug out, meaning the ground floor of some buildings is actually the basement.

When the boat entered the water, it felt like going down the infamous Kennywood Pittsburgh Plunge, just tinier and with a similar drop in your stomach. The driver offered anyone the chance to drive, but most were too nervous to take the wheel.

The views from the River were the best. I’ve seen Pittsburgh from the Point and several different look outs, but none of them compared to seeing it straight from the river. The vehicle drove to The Point before turning back around. If you’re someone who thinks you’ve seen Pittsburgh from every angle, the one from the river is much different and very eye opening.

The vehicle climbed back out of the water and I became aware of how low we were to the water and how high we were from the ground. The boat crawled back across the Smithfield Bridge, ending at the same place it started. When the tour guide asked the vehicle for one more quack, I couldn’t help but join in with my fellow passengers for a few final quacks and honks. Hopefully the amphibious vehicles don’t swim away from the ‘Burgh anytime soon.

Share this:

• Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• duquesne university
• ride the ducks
• The Duquesne Duke

Related Articles

New private firefox browser prevents tracking for ad revenue.

By: Duke Staff  It’s a familiar story. You go online to buy a gift for a friend or family member. After buying it, you return to browsing the web, only to discover that every single […]

Duquesne HR training specialist appointed to Gwen’s Girls board

Liza Zulick | Staff Writer A Duquesne employee will be helping young Pittsburgh girls who are at-risk of violence, teen pregnancy and entering the juvenile justice system. On Sept. 21, Erroline Williams of the Human […]

Midterm Mania: Democrats make gains in PA state house

Raymond Arke | Editor-in-Chief 11/08/18 While much of the country watched national races for U.S. House and Senate seats, Pennsylvania Democrats and Republicans battled it out for control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and […]

Copyright © 2024 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes

Just Ducky Tours resuming Pittsburgh operations in April

Quack, quack — duck boat tours are coming back.

Just Ducky Tours, which operates eight World War II-era amphibious craft out of Pittsburgh’s Station Square, announced on its website that it will be resuming its land and water tours in mid- to late April.

The company ended its 2018 season in September, canceling tours that had been scheduled through November.

That came after duck boat companies across the nation grappled with declining ticket sales following the July 19 sinking of a duck-style tour boat during a heavy storm on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. Seventeen of the 31 people aboard the Ride the Ducks vessel died.

Just Ducky is not related to the Missouri company. Co-owner Christopher D’Addario said its vessels are safe .

Safety protocols are posted on its website.

Just Ducky is hiring for its upcoming season. Applications are available on its website .

Ticket costs for 2019 are $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 3 to 12, and $5 for infants ages 2 and younger.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at [email protected] .

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

News Spotlight

• Churchill council to decide fate of billboard in December TribLive
• Ex-Philadelphia labor leader on trial on federal charges of embezzling from union TribLive
• Biden, party leaders implore Speaker Johnson to help Ukraine in 'intense' Oval Office meeting TribLive
• How to Choose the Right Martial Arts Program for Your Child Norwin Ninjas Partner News
• What is the Importance of In-House Flooring Installation Teams? Family Floors LLC Partner News
• Pitt transfer defensive linemen credit assistant Charlie Partridge for tilting scale toward Pitt TribLive
• Maximizing Your Workout: Top 4 Facilities to Use at Your Community Fitness Center Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Partner News
• The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Countertop: Top 4 Materials Explained Vangura Partner News
• What is the Latest in Hair Color Innovation? Craft Collective Salon Partner News
• Jeffrey Powell Obituary (2024) - Rankin, PA - Triblive Online Only Legacy

Andrea Bocelli, Chappell Roan, Tim McGraw highlight April's top Pittsburgh concerts

Watch CBS News

Just Ducky Tours Not Returning To Pittsburgh This Year

June 24, 2019 / 3:45 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Just Ducky Tours has announced that there will be no duck boat tours in Pittsburgh this year.

Just Ducky Tours, which takes riders around the city in amphibious trucks designed during World War II, suspended operations last September for the rest of the year.

On their website, Just Ducky Tours says: "We are very sad to say that Just Ducky Tours will NOT be operating in 2019. We apologize for the disappointment."

In March, however, Just Ducky Tours said it planned on returning to Pittsburgh streets.

This closure comes after a duck boat capsized in Missouri last summer , killing 17 people.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

What construction projects can Pittsburgh-area drivers expect this year?

Preparing for Easter weekend travel in the Pittsburgh area

Spotted lanternflies will be back in a few weeks. Here's how to spot and scrape their egg masses

Heinz History Center celebrates Vietnam veterans

•   Weather

Search location by ZIP code

Pittsburgh's just ducky tours ends season early, cancels all duck boat rides for rest of 2018.

• Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied!

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Just Ducky Tours has canceled the rest of its 2018 season, saying that business in Pittsburgh has fallen off after a fatal duck boat accident in Missouri and a train derailment near Station Square earlier this summer. (Scroll down for full statement)

"Unfortunately for our operation, we're defending our business as if we were the cause of that accident and that's simply not the case," said Michael Cohen, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

He added, "Google 'Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh accidents' and you will find nothing. There is nothing there, there is no data there, because we've always put people over profits."

The season was originally set to continue through Nov. 30, but Just Ducky Tours said it has ended early and they will "re-tool" for the 2019 season.

Based at Station Square, Just Ducky Tours takes customers on narrated rides around the city in amphibious vehicles. Each tour begins on land and eventually enters the river.

"We're good at what we do. We've been an ambassador to the city, and it will be sad if it goes away, but I know I'll hold my head high," said Cohen. "I got 2 million passengers, along with my business partner Chris (D'Addario), that we carried safely, and no one can take that away from me."

An automated message on the company's main phone line says that customers who have already scheduled a ride with Just Ducky Tours will be contacted.

Station Square itself is set to undergo an overhaul soon. Several stores have moved out of the Freight House ahead of the massive renovation project that will also bring a UPMC employee training center to the property.

Stay updated with breaking news: Download the WTAE mobile app

Below is the full text of a statement released by Just Ducky Tours on Wednesday.

Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh's only land and water tour, has decided to suspend operations for the remainder of the 2018 season as they re-tool for the 2019 season. Following the negative national press around the Branson, MO, duck boat accident in July and last month's train derailment in Station Square, Just Ducky Tours has seen a decline in business.

Just Ducky Tours has an impeccable 20-year safety record, unlike the 'Ride the Ducks' operations who operate in Branson and several other cities who have had several accidents over the past 20 years. Just Ducky Tours was the first to run amphibious vehicle tours with two operators on board -- a captain and a deck-hand. Just Ducky Tours operates only the original-designed, General Motors duck boats (length and width not modified) since they started operating in 1997. Just Ducky Tours runs vessels with canopies and side curtains designed specifically for easy exit in the event of an emergency, unlike 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles. All of the 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles have been modified -- their vessels are ducks that have been cut in half and extended to carry more passengers or a homemade vehicle that has been built on the chassis of an old truck called 'Truck Ducks.' Just Ducky Tours has maintained a very close relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard over the past 20 years, ensuring their vehicle structure and safety protocols meet or exceed strict guidelines. The U.S. Coast Guard has applauded Just Ducky Tours for their dedication to safety infrastructure and procedure.

"If you consider that we've safely toured nearly 2 million passengers on the streets and rivers of Pittsburgh in the past 21 years and then consider the many accidents associated with 'Ride the Ducks' and their affiliates, it appears that they are bad operators, and the rest of us are paying the price," said Chris D'Addario, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

"It is understandable that the accident in Branson would make people take pause before considering a duck boat tour, however we can stand on our flawless safety record over 21 years," added D'Addario. "When we are presented with difficult circumstances we always make the safe decision. We have canceled our tours hundreds of times due to unsafe weather or river conditions over the past two decades, and we will continue to follow best practices as they relate to our passengers and crew."

"The fact that a federal criminal investigation has now been open into the judgement and decision-making of a 'Ride the Ducks' operator, calls into question whether they’ve put profit over safety, which we have never done," concluded D'Addario.

Just Ducky Tours has been voted the Best City Tour in Pittsburgh by the City Paper Best of Pittsburgh Readers' Poll for the past five years.

Just Ducky Tours Inc.

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Just Ducky Tours Inc. - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

‘Just Ducky’ river tours pulls plug in Pa. city: Here’s why

• Updated: Jun. 26, 2019, 2:13 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 26, 2019, 7:22 a.m.

With duck boat safety an increasing concern after several deadly accidents, it mattered little that Pittsburgh's Just Ducky tour boats are inspected annually and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for safety—and carry 30 life jackets for adults and 30 for children.

• John Luciew | [email protected]

‘Just Ducky’ duck boat tours may have quacked its last in this Pa. river city. And the culprit in sinking this season’s business has been revealed.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports , Just Ducky Tours, based in Pittsburgh’s Station Square, is pulling the plug on the entire season, which would have run from April 1 to Nov. 30.

And the future of the business is far from certain.

This, after several high-profile and deadly duck boat accidents have pushed the company’s insurance rates out of sight, according to the report:

Specifically, owner Michael Cohen, who started the business in 1997 with a friend, Chris D’Addario, told the Post-Gazette last year’s duck boat sinking in a Missouri lake, killing 17 people, has left his amphibious boat business all but dead, as well.

“We were just a victim of the unscrupulous actions of the operator in Branson, Mo.,” Cohen told the newspaper. “If that accident had never happened, we would be operating today.”

Instead, Cohen said his insurance company initially cancelled his policy and then wanted a 120 percent increase, putting coverage out of reach and the business’s future in limbo.

Background from the Post-Gazette:

In the Table Rock Lake tragedy in Missouri, a duck boat was caught in a thunderstorm last summer that produced 60 mph hour winds and three-foot waves – despite having been warned about the oncoming weather.

The boat sank; and the 17 killed ranged in age from 1 to 70. None of the passengers wore life jackets.

Worse yet, the Table Rock Lake accident was the sixth involving a duck boat since 1999, including one in Philadelphia in 2010 in which two people died on the Delaware River.

As a result, Cohen said he learned in January that “our insurance company would not renew us. We had a very clean loss-run history. It didn’t matter. The insurance companies got spooked.”

It mattered little that Cohen said his Just Ducky tour boats are inspected annually and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for safety—and carry 30 life jackets for adults and 30 for children.

“We are never more than 250 feet from shore,” Cohen told the newspaper. “We never put passengers in harm’s way.”

Now, those once-amphibious vehicles designed for fun on both land and water will remain in dry-dock for the foreseeable future.

• Iconic Pa. overlook closes due to crumbling conditions

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Just Ducky Tours Inc.

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Just Ducky Tours Inc. - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Just Ducky Tours Inc.

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

JUST DUCKY TOURS INC. (Pittsburgh) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go