National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
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.
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
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
- National Rivers Hall of Fame
- Steamboat William M. Black, a National Historic Landmark
- The Pfohl Boatyard
- William Woodward Discovery Center
- Woodward Wetlands
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.
About DCHS
The Dubuque County Historical Society (DCHS) has its roots in the Richard Herrmann Museum of Natural History, established in the 1870s. The DCHS was formed in 1950 as a private, non-profit organization with a focus on oral and archival history; and it opened its first museum, the Mathias Ham House, in 1964.
Over the past 25 years the DCHS has successfully raised $54 million to organize and expand its Mississippi River Museum into the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The Museum & Aquarium is accredited by the American Association of Museums - a distinction held by only 9 percent of American museums, was named an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in August 2002, and was accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums in 2009.
The Woodward Riverfront Campus houses the William Woodward Mississippi River Center, Diamond Jo National River Center, the National Rivers Hall of Fame, the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum, the Pfohl Boatyard, a wetland, and a refurbished train depot.
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