National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Established	June 28, 2003
Location	Dubuque, Iowa, USA
Type	Aquarium, History, Natural history, Science
Visitor figures	250,000+ annually[1]
Director	Jerome A. Enzler
Website	www.rivermuseum.com

Museum

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is a museum located in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. The museum is a property of the Dubuque County Historical Society,^[1] with two centers on the riverfront campus: the Mississippi River Center and the National River Center.^[2]

The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM)^[3] and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).^[4]

Mississippi River Center

The museum is home to an aquarium featuring wildlife representative of that found in the Mississippi River, including giant catfish, sturgeon, ducks, frogs, turtles, and more. There is also an outdoor park, featuring river otters, a marsh, and large artifacts, such as boats. The new museum expansion has saltwater tanks and a cafe.

Permanent exhibits

William M. Black.

• Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum^[5]
• National Rivers Hall of Fame
• Steamboat William M. Black, a National Historic Landmark
• The Pfohl Boatyard^[5]
• William Woodward Discovery Center
• Woodward Wetlands^[6]

Temporary exhibits

• Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America
• Another national traveling exhibit, Into the Dark, will replace Women & Spirit in summer of 2011. Into the Dark will feature nocturnal animals and highlight environments that thrive after darkness falls.

National River Center

In 2010, the museum finished a $40 million renovation of the existing portside Diamond Jo Casino, as well as its riverboat, turning them into the 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m²) National River Center.^[7] This venue includes Rivers to the Sea, RiverWorks, and a large format 3D/4D immersion theater.

Rivers to the Sea traces the story of water and rivers as they flow from streams to rivers to the ocean. Four salt-water aquariums including the 40,000-US-gallon (150,000 l) Gulf of Mexico tank hold sharks, rays, the beautiful schooling fish found at the mouth of the Mississippi, and large octopus.

RiverWorks lets children of all ages learn about rivers and what rivers mean to all of us through water-based activities. This children's "museum within a museum" keeps its river focus, with a crawl-through beaver lodge, water table, and a pedal-powered water "cycle."

The Large Format 3D/4D Theater presents 3D high definition movies, and special effects including dramatic sound, wind, mist, seat movement, and smells of the on-screen action.

See also

• Dubuque, Iowa
• Mathias Ham House
• Port of Dubuque

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium". encyclopediadubuque.org. Encyclopedia Dubuque. http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=NATIONAL_MISSISSIPPI_RIVER_MUSEUM_AND_AQUARIUM. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
2. ^ "National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium". rivermuseum.com. National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. http://www.rivermuseum.com. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
3. ^ "List of Accredited Museums". aam-us.org. American Association of Museums. http://www.aam-us.org/museumresources/accred/list.cfm?mode=search. Retrieved 6 January 2011. 
4. ^ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. http://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list/. Retrieved 20 January 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "National Mississippi River Museum". mississippiriveradventures.com. Mississippi River Adventures. http://www.mississippiriveradventures.com/msrivermuseum.htm. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
6. ^ "NMRMA permanent exhibits". Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061029014937/http://www.rivermuseum.com/features.htm. Retrieved April 27, 2007. 
7. ^ "National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Expansion to Open June 26, 2010". museumpublicity.com. Museum Publicity. 20 June 2010. http://museumpublicity.com/2010/06/20/national-mississippi-river-museum-aquarium-expansion-to-open-june-26-2010/. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 42°29′48″N 90°39′41″W / 42.4968°N 90.6613°W / 42.4968; -90.6613