The excursion boat Admiral, which served as the setting for countless St Louis memories and last used as a casino, will be leaving the St. Louis riverfront Tuesday morning, never to return. Unless you count recycled metal. If you love the venerable ship you have one last chance to say goodbye. This will be your last chance to say goodbye to this grand old lady.

St. Louis Marine bought the Admiral last year from Pinnacle Entertainment, and they say work will begin at about 9 a.m. tomorrow to remove the Admiral from its mooring just north of the Eads Bridge. Three towboats will take the Admiral to Columbia, where the remaining parts of the boat's superstructure will be dismantled for recycling. Kline says a decision has yet to be made on what to do with the Admiral's hull. The river level has dropped enough in recent days to allow the Admiral--its top deck already removed--to clear the bridge.

The Coast Guard discovered weakness in her hull, which ended her river cruising career in 1979, and it was all down river from there. Streckfus Steamers sold the boat three years later. In later years she reopened as an entertainment center managed by Six Flags Corp, which foundered. The Admiral was finally transformed into the President Casino, until 2010, when declining gaming revenue led Pinnacle entertainment to surrender her gaming license, gut her and sell what was left of her to St Louis Marine.