National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium at 350 E 3rd St in Dubuque, Iowa is a Smithsonian affiliate institution on the Mississippi River waterfront, presenting the natural history, cultural heritage, and ecology of the Mississippi River system through live animal exhibits, historic river vessels, and interpretive galleries. Operated by the Dubuque County Historical Society, the museum occupies a complex of connected buildings and outdoor exhibits on the Ice Harbor riverfront in downtown Dubuque, with the river itself visible from the site. The aquarium component houses freshwater species native to the Mississippi watershed — including alligator gar, paddlefish, largemouth bass, catfish, and river turtles — in tanks scaled to show the aquatic environment of various river habitats from headwater streams to the main channel. An otter and river otter habitat allows close viewing of these highly active animals from multiple angles. The history galleries interpret the Mississippi's role in Native American culture, European exploration, 19th-century steamboat commerce, and the modern barge navigation industry. Visitors board restored historic vessels moored at the Ice Harbor dock, including a 19th-century dredge and steam-powered towboat, for self-guided exploration of life and work on the working river. A separate Wetlands Center building houses reptile and amphibian species of the Mississippi floodplain. The facility is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and by the American Alliance of Museums. Admission of $23 for adults and $16 for children (ages 3-12) covers both the aquarium and museum buildings.