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National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, IA

Photo: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day PickHistory Buff

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

350 East 3rd St · Dubuque, IA

Why you should go…

This Smithsonian-affiliated campus on the Dubuque riverfront pairs a river history museum with more than a dozen aquariums. The tanks hold wildlife of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, including catfish, sturgeon, rays and river otters. Two main buildings house riverboat artifacts and hands-on exhibits such as River of Innovation and a maker space. On the grounds you can see the steam dredge William M. Black, a National Historic Landmark.

  • #aquarium
  • #river museum
  • #mississippi river
  • #steamboat
  • #family activity

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, ordered by straight-line distance.

  • Sightseeing
    Quirky Fun

    Fenelon Place Elevator

    Under $25

    Ride a tiny funicular cable car 189 feet up the bluff for views of downtown Dubuque, the Mississippi and three states.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Field of Dreams Movie Site

    Free

    Walk the baseball diamond cut into an Iowa cornfield for the 1989 film and tour the original farmhouse.

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Maquoketa Caves State Park

    Free

    Hike six miles of trails linking about 13 caves, a 50-foot natural bridge and a 17-ton balanced rock.

    27 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sport & Outdoor
    History Buff

    Effigy Mounds National Monument

    Free

    Hike trails past more than 200 prehistoric mounds, including earthworks built in the shapes of bears and birds.

    49 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor