National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium on the Dubuque riverfront is the most compelling attraction in the city and one of the better natural and cultural history museums in the Midwest. It is laid out across several buildings and an outdoor area on the old ice harbor, and covers the Mississippi River system from its headwaters to the Gulf through a combination of live fish, river otters, boat displays, and historical exhibits.

The aquarium section has an impressive range of native river species in large tanks — channel catfish, sturgeon, gar, and the remarkable paddlefish. The historical exhibits on the lives of river workers, towboat crews, and the engineering of the lock and dam system are well-researched and absorbing. Plan at least two hours; the outdoor areas with river otters and birds of prey add another half hour if the weather cooperates. It is a genuine destination museum, not a local curiosity.

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The aquarium holds living examples of nearly every fish species found in the Upper Mississippi River system, including paddlefish — ancient creatures that have been filtering plankton from the Mississippi for 300 million years and can grow to six feet long. The museum is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can see them in a tank large enough to appreciate their size.

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