The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Fact Sheet

Location: America’s River at the Port of Dubuque – Dubuque, Iowa

Opening date: The renovated Mississippi River Museum and new Aquarium opened June 28, 2003.

Owned & operated by: The Dubuque County Historical Society

Management: Jerome A. Enzler, Executive Director

Features: The William Woodward Discovery Center is the aquarium component of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, featuring five large fresh water aquariums, three theaters, live animal exhibits, stream tables, wet labs, towboat simulators and hands-on activities. Established as the Mississippi River’s national headquarters interpretive center, it serves as the only facility of its kind in the world. Large fresh water aquariums, live animals, couch pools, stream tables, interactive theaters, living history demonstrations, the National Rivers Hall of Fame, a changing exhibit gallery and public archives make up the center. Animals include alligators, otters, turtles, fish, snakes, frogs and much more.

The Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum is the original museum and the focal point for river history, riverboats and the home of the River of Dreams Theater. Constructed in 1902, the building was the original home of the Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works which manufactured some of the largest boats and paddlewheelers in the nation. Today, it is the only place on the Mississippi River that chronicles the fascinating stories of the River. The museum also includes Native American Indian exhibits, local history and art and allows visitors to climb aboard a “floating” log raft.

The Pfohl Boatyard is the museum’s outdoor “hands-on” area featuring large steamboat artifacts, boat building demonstrations and a themed children’s play area. Visitors can even take part in the ceremonious “launching” of boats into the Port of Dubuque Ice Harbor several times a day. More than 500 boats and barges were built in the Pfohl Boatyard. Many huge steamboat artifacts remain as part of the museum. The floating dock features houseboats, scientific vessels and the traveling Audubon Ark.

Woodward Wetlands offers visitors an opportunity to explore the natural habitat of the Mississippi with a boardwalk trail that takes visitors to natural and living history outposts to view river turtles, herons, bald eagles, a log cabin, a Native American winter hunting lodge called a Wikiup and other facets of the Mississippi River habitat. The historic stories include those of fur traders, Native Americans, early pioneers and numerous others who made their living along the mighty river’s banks.

William M. Black Boat & Breakfast is a one-of-a-kind exhibit and listed on the National Historic Register. The 1934 steamer is a working dredge boat that once roamed the waters of the Missouri River digging up tons of mud and muck, making the channels safe for navigation. Today, it’s an integral part of the Museum and an adventurous, authentic place for an overnight stay. Guests sleep in the crew’s quarters, dine in the galley and see what life was really like working on a dredge boat.

Building Architect: Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis
San Francisco, Monterey & Chicago
Projects include: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California; John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois; Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California

Exhibit Design: Lyons/Zaremba Inc.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio
Projects include: Charleston Visitor Center in Charleston, North Carolina; Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio; New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts; Ring of Fire Aquarium in Osaka, Japan

Fabricators: The Larson Company
Tucson, Arizona
Projects include: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta, Georgia; Putnam Museum of History & Natural Sciences, Davenport, Iowa; South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina; Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga, Tennessee

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