NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM. The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, operated by the DUBUQUE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY interprets both the cultural and environmental history of the MISSISSIPPI RIVER with a mission to preserve the history of the river and the river itself.

Considered a major project of Dubuque’s $188 million-dollar river renovation effort, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and Hall of Fame is home to thousands of fish and other animals including alligators, otters, and several species of birds. State of the art immersion theaters, interactive wet-labs, touch-pools, towboats, a boat and breakfast aboard the WILLIAM M. BLACK, and scores of exhibits have helped the complex achieve the goal of making Dubuque a center of TOURISM. The five-acre campus housing the William Woodward Discovery Center, National Rivers Hall of Fame, Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum, Pfohl Boatyard, a wetland, and a refurbished train depot have welcomed over 250,000 visitors annually.

Special exhibits and opportunities have added to the attraction of the Museum & Aquarium. An early theme of the Museum & Aquarium was frogs with dozens of live specimens on display. "Catfish Planet" in 2007 featured the species of catfish found around the world. To follow-up the popular Catfish Planet exhibit, the program “Venom,” in 2008 displayed all colorful and venomous creatures including spiders, jelly fish, bugs, frogs, snakes, lizards and fish. In addition to the displays, “Venom” explained the difference between poison and venom, educated visitors on the poisons in their home, and gave a brief history of poison and uses of poison in our world. Manipulative cameras allowed visitors to zoom in on the animals in the exhibit and a crawl through rattlesnake exhibit allowing visitors to get a “prey’s-eye view’ of a rattlesnake. In 2008 the Museum & Aquarium assisted the Association of Zoos and Aquariums draw attention to the amphibian crisis by offering five new frog displays. Experiencing the life of a blacksmith was possible during Blacksmith Days the same year. This special event highlighted the importance of blacksmithing and metal working along the Mississippi River during pioneer times.

In 2008 visitors could take a 90-minute Wildlife Eco Cruise. While on the cruise aboard a pontoon-style boat, a Museum & Aquarium guide lead visitors to explore several aspects of the river from the backwaters to Catfish Creek. Visitors also learned about the natural and historic elements that make up the Mississippi River.

The Museum & Aquarium is accredited by the American Association of Museums - a distinction held by only nine percent of American museums. In 2002 the Museum and Aquarium was named the first river museum in the nation to become an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. As an affiliate, the Museum & Aquarium has access to the Smithsonian’s vast collection from American cultural artifacts to fine art. In 2008 plans were underway for a major expansion that will double the size of the campus in the coming decade.

William Woodward Discovery Center features five large fresh water aquariums, live animal exhibits, wet labs, towboat simulators and hands on activities.