Trip Planner: USA / Iowa / Dubuque / National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque

4.6

#1 of 168 in Parks in Iowa

Must see · Aquarium · Zoo / Aquarium

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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, which also operates the Mathias Ham Historic Site. The museum has two buildings on its riverfront campus: the Mississippi River Center and the National River Center. The museum originally opened as the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum on July 18, 1982 before being expanded and re-organized into its current form.

The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

1,615 reviews

Google

4.7

By TedRecupero

Fantastic. I'm not a kid. But there's plenty of real history here The dredged out in the river was well worth seeing. The archeology stuff was good and the exhibits were all fascinating. Glad I...

Fantastic. I'm not a kid. But there's plenty of real history here The dredged out in the river was well worth seeing. The archeology stuff was good and the exhibits were all fascinating. Glad I... more »
By dennis g

there was a lot to see and do in the area. Spent a couple hours at the museum. also took a tour bus ride to the funicular to the top of the city. we were here as a stop on the mississippi river trip.... more

there was a lot to see and do in the area. Spent a couple hours at the museum. also took a tour bus ride to the funicular to the top of the city. we were here as a stop on the mississippi river trip.... more »
By Meander778258

This is an excellent museum and aquarium. It is on 14 acres of land on the banks of the Mississippi. The displays are interesting, and there are interactive activities for children. We saw a 4D movie.... more

This is an excellent museum and aquarium. It is on 14 acres of land on the banks of the Mississippi. The displays are interesting, and there are interactive activities for children. We saw a 4D movie.... more »

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Google

By Abbie Chronister

INCREDIBLE PLACE!!! We (two people in their mid-20s) spent almost 4 hours there. With kids you could easily spend more. MANY hands-on science activities, animals to see, and PLENTY to learn about. Staff INCREDIBLY knowledgeable with questions. A FANTASTIC place to spend a morning :)

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By Sarah Pittner

We loved our experience! So much to see and do for all ages. Our kids (5 and 3) had a blast. A lot of educational, interactive and live animals to enjoy. Highly recommend. We can't wait to visit again and check out the 4D theater and pet the sting rays.

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By Dustin Bair

Fun for the whole family great place buy the year pass saves money for Multiple trips. There's another larger building where you can feed the stingrays. New exhibit featuring otters! Huge aquariums great hands activities & educational fun. They have a huge metal workshop that was used to build boat engines over a 100 years old that still works. They have a craft room featuring 3-D printers

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By Lillie Glenney

If you have time to read all the excerpts this museum has a ton of valuable information to offer. National and Regional museum and aquarium with lots of cool tanks and educational interactive exhibits. They really lay out Dubuque's rich river history. The stingray tank, where you can pet a stingray or feed them at 11:30 and 2:30, is so great. This is only the second place I've ever been that I've been able to touch a live stingray, they are so cute! There are also tons of interactive educational play areas for kids.

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By Martinez

Great place for the family! So much to see and do. The museum and aquarium is very interesting. It’s two separate buildings and an outside part. My daughter really enjoyed coming here. Our favorite part was the aquarium/seeing the fish.

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