National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Reviews

Dubuque is so lucky to have this. The Smithsonian as a partner really provides a first class experience. We went intending to spend a couple of hours in the morning and ended up coming back after lunch and staying til 4:30pm.

We live a block from the Mississippi and learned a tremendous amount from the really terrific displays.

Highly recommend.

This was a great way to spend a Saturday with our 11 year old, animal loving daughter. We spent about an hour in each of the buildings and enjoyed walking along the river walk after our visit.

Incredible and impressive museum of quality and variety for all ages. Absolutely contemporary teaching history, science, and regional information with a variety of hands-on activities for the younger visitors. Inside and outside exhibit space seems open to future expansion and we're sure this will be ever more popular as visitors learn about this opportunity. Admission isn't inexpensive and some portions of the museum require additional fees but we were delighted to see our contribution as visitors was helping sustain such a Midwestern gem. Well done, Dubuque!

Happened upon the museum when we planned a trip to the Field of Dreams site. Adults and tweens enjoyed the exhibits, we spent 4 hours exploring. Plan ahead if you want to feed the stingrays, tickets are limited, but you can feel them in the touch tank without the extra fee. Onsite cafe had burgers and sandwiches.

This was our first visit to the museum and aquarium and we had the best time. We spent at least four hours, although children may not make it that long. There was plenty to keep our attention and the DaVinci exhibit was phenomenal, as was Leonardo's mind. The large number of interactive areas for kids was great and we're excited for our grandson to get a little older so he can experience it too. A great combination of fun and learning!

Nice easy access from downtown area, also it covers 10 acres of two museums and a full scale river dredge that you can investigate. Very interesting they have both Salt water and Fresh water aquariums, with both live and interactive displays. This place will help you understand how important our river systems are to the survival of us and wildlife.

Why does the museum have tropical fish and stingray feeding? Some other exhibits have nothing to do with the Mississippi River. Seems to be a group of unrelated and disjointed displays. A snake here, a toad here (from the southwest none the less), a turtle there, all with very little information about them. Very little about locks or current commercial traffic. Docents apparently have gone extinct.

We stumbled upon the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium five years ago and keep coming back. Now with our 3 y/o, we are seeing new experiences and loving the detail in each exhibit and enclosures. This year we bought a family membership, with a military discount it pays itself in 3 visits. This year alone, living 90 minutes away we have found ourselves here 3x with plans for more this summer and fall.

There are two main exhibit halls, both have different focuses on historical events, the eco-system, marine traffic and animals found in the waterways. This is a great 2-3 hour visit, maybe more if you include a 4D film or other experience. You will find something for every person in the family, and I’m thoroughly impressed with their aquatic collection that spans beyond the Mississippi River.

Highlights: sting ray touch tank, maybe our family favorite. I would recommend arriving early and making this a priority visit before the queues form. The Pacific octopus, despite a smaller tank I still find it amazing to see and how many visitors have never seen an octopus before. The woodland waters tank that contains turtles, ducks, and a variety of fish. It’s directly adjacent to the river otters and sturgeon tank so it’s often overlooked.

I have been fortunate to dive in a variety of locations, and it’s an impressive collection here. I would highly recommend for everyone who has an interest in the wildlife, river boat history and history of the river itself. There are some updates coming to the exhibits, and we can’t wait to see the flood plains exhibit once it’s updated.

This was a great museum combining both aquarium and history exhibits about the Mississippi River. Especially enjoyed the aquariums containing fish and other animals from the Mississippi River. Also some great outdoor exhibits showing the process for building the steamships used extensively on the river in the past. Great science exhibits that show how the Mississippi River relates to the broader North American ecosystem too. Highly recommend visiting for 2+ hours for anyone interested in history, science, or wildlife!

What a great event. I had never been in this facility. My wife and I had a great time at the venue. This place is a major plus for Dubuque. Take your time going through it. You’ll come out smarter!

I took my 8 and 10 year old grandchildren here and I was their hero. We spent 3 hours viewing exhibits that covered a wide variety of topics. They loved the live animals, especially the river otter, snakes , and alligator. Their biggest treat was feeding the sting rays. Like all kids, they were attracted to the gift shop. I allowed them to pick out something. Much to my surprise, they both choose educational items. It was a great day.

We stopped here for a day trip in Iowa. The two buildings that we went through were really cool. I think my favorite part was the alligator in the bayou exhibit and touching the sting ray. It does appear that there is A Lot to do outdoors during the summer, we will definitely be planning a trip in the near future!

Very impressed with the layout, displays and movies. Hands on activities and exhibits for children and adults alike. Aquarium was spacious so we didn't feel rushed. Don't forget to take the elevator to the tower. After exiting the tower elevator, there are some steps to go up. You can see the city and river from there.

We have visited here more than once. It is fun and interesting. Not hard to fit into a day's out schedule. Still have time for other things.

Great museum and aquarium. Exceeded my expectations. Our family’s favorite experiences were touching stingrays, seeing otters, playing at the water tables, and exploring in the outdoor boatyard. Bonus, admission covers two days! We enjoyed going back the next day to repeat some of our favorite things before leaving town.

I am a fan of aquariums and there were some great tanks. The historic displays were well curated and plentiful. We also boarded the boat and enjoyed the commentary of a volunteer docent. Took so long in our perusal, we stopped to eat some lunch at the museum cafe. Light airy and fast. The 2-day automatic ticket is a good idea as there is so much to see. We started with the riverwalk before the museum opened so we were a tiny bit tired earlier. Don't miss this attraction!

We were recently at the Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque on a Saturday when in the area on our mini road trip to end the summer. I had been in Dubuque in passing on other trips but never had the chance to really stop in Dubuque to spend time there. We decided to spend 2 nights in Dubuque on this trip, so it was great to finally be able to check some things out here, including the Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium! We spent a good 6 hours here, so this is definitely a full-day activity and adequate time should be allowed! We arrived by shortly before 10:00, and it was not super busy yet, so this was a good time to arrive for good parking, etc. This was not as extensive of an aquarium as we were expecting, but they did still have some enjoyable exhibits, including turtles, alligator, various fish, and the chance to touch/watch sting rays! There is a lot for kids to do and stay occupied with throughout the facility. There is really a lot to see and do here, including 2 separate main buildings and some outdoor exhibits. We also learned a lot about the Mississippi River and other rivers in the USA. We did decide to check out the 4D movie about penguins, and it was a really neat movie! The 3D glasses that you wear just make everything pop out like it is right in front of you! It was fun being sprayed with water a few times and feeling a cool wind to make it feel even more real! We did find the theatre to be filthy, however. There was lots of popcorn and candy on the floor, and it really needs a good vacuuming. There were some nice gift shops here, and lunch in the cafeteria was very good for a museum eatery! I enjoyed my three-cheese grilled cheese. We were here until after 4:00 in the afternoon. By later on, it started to get just slightly boring, and we were getting ready to be "done". Also, not sure if the sun angle makes an impact or what, but a fishy smell really starts to become apparent by later in the afternoon in the aquarium building that we did not notice earlier in the day. All in all, though, we had a great day at the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, and we would highly recommend!

Lots of cool displays- plus you can pet stingrays!!! Care was taken to help guest socially distance.

A nice walk through the history and nature displays. They have all the artifacts that represent the Mississippi river area from trading to mining to manufacturing. The multitude of floral and fauna is amazing from the flowers and trees to the alligator and otters make for an enjoyable time. In addition, you can walk through a dredging paddle boat and some birds of prey outside.

We had SO. MUCH. FUN. here. I would definitely plan on spending a good chunk of the day here. Our four year old loves all things aquarium and the adults really enjoyed touring the dredge. If you can, plan to do the sting ray feeding at 2:30. While our kiddo was a little unsure of it, he still had a blast and it was a really neat opportunity for him (and all the adults said how we wanted to do it next time too!).

Our family of 9 (seniors, adults, teens and toddler) spent almost 3 hours at this lovely museum and aquarium. This was enough time to see the highlights, and one 4D movie, but we easily could have spent another 2-3 hours to see/do everything. Note that veterans always get free admission and teachers also got free admission during the month of August. There are two main buildings and several outdoor exhibits. Everything is well presented and interesting. The museum was clean. There are several interactive exhibits including touch tanks. We learned a lot about the mighty Mississippi. There is a theater that has 4D movies – though sadly they were not about the Mississippi - but about either Pandas or Weather in the Solar System. The movies are an extra charge, but can be bought as a combo ticket with admission in a discounted package. The weather one was good with nice 4D effects of wind and water and vibrating seats. There is a café and two gift shops on site. Free parking. The admission is good for they day of purchase and also good for the following day. There is an observation tower to get a better view of the river and the bridges between IA, WI and IL. While most of the area was stroller friendly, there are some areas (the observation tower and the upper deck of the dredge boat) that are only accessed by stairs. An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Visited with my adult daughter and husband. We enjoyed it very much. It is a large area and a lot to see. It had a nice variety of animals and displays.

Loved this! Great hands on experiences for children, and interesting facts and exhibits for adults. We spent almost 3 hours here strolling among the buildings. Lots to do and see. Highly recommend. Good exhibit on the future of our waterways will make you think twice about what we use on a daily basis and where it ends up. Wish I had time to take in the library they have on the second floor. I am sure I would be there for days!

I took the grandkids there and we spent most of the day there. There was so much to do and see, the 4D movie was one of their favorites and petting the Stingrays. They talked about the museum and aquarium numerous times since then. it as a pretty cool place and so much to see.

My wife and I were spending a couple days in the area and we're looking for things to do when we found this on Tripadvisor. After seeing the wonderful reviews we decided we should check it out and we are glad we did! Even without any younger children with us we had a great time learning about the history of the area and the river. The aquarium displays were neat as well. This is an easy five star rating!!

Had a very good time. Will likely come back again. Spent a good 3 or 4 hours there. The 4D movie was good.

WoW!! will be the word that will come out of you once you visit this place. The aquarium animals are very interactive and happy to pose for photos.The robot zoo is something every age will enjoy, we spent lo of time there playing with our kids,When you visit aquarium dont forget to get tickets to feed the sting grey, only limited tickets and only twice a day.Food court is inside .You will learn a lot about river protection,Lot of space for car parking and staffs are very helpful

Simply Relaxing. There is a lot of history and information you will learn about this place. It is very relaxing. Me and my family had a good time.
Thank you to joe for making all of us laugh

I like how open the campus was and how the buildings were split up. I love aquariums so I was excited to stop in and see this place. Honestly, I have seen better aquarium displays at Bass Pro Shops but it wasn't bad. I did like some of the historical info in the museum section. I walked outside onto a deck off the food court and was locked out and couldn't get back inside I had to walk around the building back to the front so that wasn't ideal. The price I thought was pretty reasonable.

We went to the museum with our family and had a superb time. The overall presentation of the various historical aspects of the region were quite detailed, informative and, for the most part, fun for our nine year old girl. We spent quite a few hours here and found the exhibits quite informative and helpful.

There is a lot here- exhibits, movies(costs extra),and special events throughout the day.
There are 2 separate buildings- one with freshwater and the other with saltwater species.
This is not a cheap attraction but your ticket gets you in 2 days, which makes it a bit better.

This museum was well worth the admission. There is a whole lot to see including touching the sting rays and touring old ships and boats this is great for the little one to the older ones. Very nicely done.

Good for families of all ages. Otters were really active and cute! Rotating special exhibits are always engaging and fun. Spent about 4 hours visiting with a family of 5. Lots of interactive things to engage with and keep busy.

This place is amazing. My girls loved petting the sting rays and seeing all the sea creatures. There are multiple buildings to explore with lots of hands on activities. You also explore an old boat. The gift shop has lots of cool items with various pricing and the little cafe's prices for lunch were reasonable. Also, teachers get in free which was a bonus for us since my husband is a teacher! Definitely recommend.

I'm not sure if I can even count the number of times I've been to the River Museum. During the winter its the perfect spot to hang out with my 2.5 year old nephew who lovingly calls it "the fish store", possibly due to gift shop we go through each time we are there. Seeing his face light up when we are close to the stingrays and trying to keep up with him as he picks where to go next makes the day memorable. It's also impressive to see all the exhibits come to the museum and add variety so each visit is exciting yet different. The staff there are second to none. They always have a smile and do anything they can to help make each experience perfect.

The Mississippi River Museum was amazing! There is so much to see and do. The museum has lot's of information. There are little theater's too. I did see one movie, in the big theater. The National Geographic one about Panda's. It was good. There are many things to see outside too. Then walk over to the aquarium part. There is an upstairs there also. When you are done, be sure to walk over to the dregging vessel. You can go all the way to the top. Great view's up there.

We visited with our family of 4 ( 2 adults, 2 eight year olds). I would definitely make a day of it! The cafe at the museum was not open, so we left at lunchtime and came back ( the fee is good all day, you just have to show your hand stamp when you come back in). Our favorite spots in the museum by far were the stingray tank ( you can touch them!) and the big splash area upstairs. My kids spent a whole hour exploring the model river and how it all works. The Learning Lab area was also big hit.

Really enjoyed this informative and interesting museum! Well worth the admission price. Especially enjoyed the steam boat that can be boarded to explore. Very friendly and helpful staff too! Well worth the cost of admission.

We took our 6 year old granddaughter to the Mississippi River Museum yesterday. She loved it! All we heard was “look over here! And... look at that!!” If your young loved ones haven’t been here I promise you... they would love it!

The Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is a well-done facility. Family friendly, educational, and fun...you can even pet and feed some small stingrays. We visited as a part of our 2-day Mississippi River cruise on the Riverboat Twilight.

We took two of our boys here while on a basketball tournament trip. The museum had a lot of interesting history on the Dubuque area and the Mississippi River. It is clean, modern, and has aquariums to see species of the river. I would definitely recommend this museum as a fun, family friendly destination in Dubuque.

Visited this museum late in the day and didn’t get a ton of time to wander around and look at everything. Very large museum with 2 buildings and quite a few things outside to explore as well. Not a ton of things to see as far as an aquarium but there were stingrays available to pet. The museum was a bit dark which made things seem older or not as new to look at. Great little area for young kids to play with water tables and such.

Husband and I were underwhelmed by this museum. I think it’s a little more targeted to kids than I thought. We were excited to go to the 4d movie, but it was not working. The highlight of the museum for us was the dredge. Was not worth the money to us.

It's an aquarium. It's a history museum. It's a natural history museum. It's an environmental museum. It truly is a place for everyone to learn about the Mississippi River.

This was our second visit to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, and wasn’t near as good as the first time. The whole part of the Museum devoted to the history of the Mississippi is closed for renovation. There is a small exhibit devoted to Leonardo daVinci, for which there is a $5.00 up charge. What this has to do with the Mississippi eludes me.

This is a special place for all ages. Plenty of aquariums full of turtles snakes fish and even an alligator! Not so large as to get overwhelmed just the right size for an hour or two. Cost is reasonable and plenty of places to stop rest for seniors. Lots of old canoes and arrowheads.

Marvelous museum with multiple highpoints. Really good overview of the history of the river - geological, biological and human. Great immersive dioramas of the history of the people and events. Very hands-on for the kids, and informative for the adults. Good natural history via the aquarium.
There is more to see than we had time for. The layout is gorgeous and expansive - would come back for a closer look at the Army Corps of Engineers dredge and other features outside the main building.

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 on the Twilight river boat from the area of ( 80

Could spend the day but several parts of museum. Salt water and freshwater aquarium. Also a museum of the ecology of the river. Very nice exhibits wish had more time but get a good overview in 90 minutes. Nice gift shop.

My son wanted to go for his birthday. I looked on the website and saw there was a behind the scene tour. I highly recommend doing this. It was amazing Dee was amazing! My family had so much fun seeing and hearing everything the aquarium does for the animals. It is well worth the money spent! Thanks again to Dee my family just loved you and your enthusiasm for what you do and the aquarium does!

In Iowa visiting family, this place is very cool!! Lots to see and do. Touching the sturgeon and the stingrays was a awesome experience, museum is huge and very informative, the aquarium is very cool with both saltwater and fresh water fish. Would definitely recommend this place!! We would definitely come back!

This museum has a lot to see and is always changing with different exhibits! There are 2 buildings and a boat with a lot of history and animals to explore - even an area to touch string rays as well as star fish. We loved the alligator and the cute otters. We toured the boat which was very informative and a neat way to see how life was back in the day!

This museum has something for people of all ages, and I can't say enough about it. Our visit with our grandson (7) was so good that we ended up spending two days there and stayed until closing both days (a ticket is good for two days). We spent the morning in the western area, enjoying the otters play nonstop in their habitat, finding all of the turtles, and my wife and I loved the photography upstairs. If you have two days, we recommend visiting one of the interesting nearby restaurants for lunch. Our grandson loved the rooms with water projects, next door to the craft room, and feeding and touching the rays was a winner in the eastern wing. There are several places to explore outside, including a log cabin and a riverboat. The walk to the top of the tower in the East facility is nice (there is also an elevator) and the view is great. Overall, this was the highlight of our week-long spring break trip.

Hubby and I visited and enjoyed it. Get your tickets to feed the string rays ahead of time though, the fill up fast! We didn't get to this visit but hoping to next time!

I took my 3 kids here expecting to see an aquarium based on the size of the place I thought it would have some cool exhibits. What a dud! There were only about 3 large tanks for fish life and the rest of the place was dedicated to the museum of Mississippi River history which I might have enjoyed except not with 3 kids in tow. They enjoyed the stingray tank but not much else. We did spend time on this Fairytale book exhibit which had interactive features but made no sense for the location we were in. Also the place is separated into two buildings which are a decent walk away from each other. With nothing going on between them to see or do.

We both enjoyed this museum.We learned a lot at the dredge boat. The aquariums were very neat. I would definitely recommend it. It's mostly handicap accessible. The only disappointment was that it was 90 degrees out and the cafe closed at 3, which is 3 hours before the museum closes. Why? We were able to get bottled water at the gift shop.

This was a very interesting place to visit. There was something for everyone, from watching informational videos to seeing what type of fish and animals live in the Mississippi River area.

I had heard this aquarium was great and it did not disappoint! Our five year old loved the alligator and petting the rays! The meerkat 4D movie was a great addition! I have already suggested to friends! We will definitely be back!

There are some boats that you can walk on and tour here that are very interesting and full of history. I probably spent the bulk of my time here on the boats looking around and reading about it. The otters are delightful to watch as they play around. The best part of coming here was that it was not crowded at all and it was easy to walk around and maintain space from others.

A highlight of our trip to Dubuque, Iowa, was the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Dubuque is a beautiful city on the Mississippi River with many restored historical buildings. We stayed at the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark, with a view of the river and the tugs pushing barges downriver. We even saw an authentic paddlewheel boat on the river (used now for river cruises) The hotel was right next to the River Museum & Aquarium which has terrific exhibits for everyone, but especially for children of all ages. Included in the entrance is a tour of an old dredging ship. The museum is entertaining but also educational about history and environmental challenges. The staff people were wonderful. One staff person walked by while we were looking at the river otter exhibit and stopped to tell us not only about otters but the museum's efforts to help put endangered species back into the wild. He was very knowledgeable (had a degree in biology/environmental sciences) and talked about how proud Dubuque is of the museum. The city deserves to be proud!

We didn't plan enough time at this terrific museum and we didn't have enough time to enjoy the aquarium building. The exhibits are so hands on and enjoyable! We had to catch the riverboat, so plan on at least 2 or more hours if you come here. Just a delight for families too!

Hard to get to, but worth the drive. The building is nice and clean with parking in front of the complex. Several friendly volunteers greeted and welcomed us to the complex. We got to the complex early in the day and by the time we were leaving it started to get pretty busy. The have lots of fish on display and an old tug boat that you can go on. The have lots of history on display in air conditioned comfort.

Interesting museum with well marked exhibits.
The outside exhibits are impressive and the eagle and barn owl are fascinating.

This is a wonderful museum that is kid and family friendly. It is easy to navigate and you can kill hours just watching the playful otters in their habitat.

This museum is in 2 different buildings. The first building was a little small and I thought I was going to be disappointed, but the other building had lots of cool fish tanks, otters, and other critters to look at. We enjoyed our time here.

Two great buildings full of exhibits and aquariums. Two river boats to walk through. More exhibits to see as you walk between the buildings. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful.

Many were many different types of exhibits: historical, animals and fish, movies, as well as something for all generations. This is fun and educational!

Nice variety of "things" Mississippi including various aquariums, boats, and local history. A bit spread out and a tad confusing in the layout but overall a good experience.

Disappointed . The person that greeted us at ticket counter didn’t even get up out if her chair and looked like she just woke up . Very unprofessional was our first impression . However, the gentleman that greeted us in river museum was very informative and helpful in explaining movies and etc. The girls at the stingray exhibit were enthusiastic and enjoyed discussing the various varieties .

I have been to aquariums that have more fish but I have never seen one that had a greater variety of marine equipment. The dredging boat was fun to walk through and admire how sturdy its construction was. The machine shop display is a big hit for those who are interested in this craft.

The museum part of the facility gave an excellent historical perspective of the Mississippi river region. They had a good film on canals and some interesting audio in a cave exhibit.

Adjacent to the museum is an interesting river walk which has very good signage and some sights.

This is a must visit if you are in this city.

Wanted to kill some time and decided to check it out as I love aquariums. They have a new baby shark. I could only see roughly 2" of it in the conservatory. It was the only fish in the front row of 6 aquariums. There were some perch in the back row, but why have 5 empty aquariums. As I use crutches, it was a long walk for little of nothing. I did see more in the west annex. The new baby otter was cute.

Lots of great exhibits here, many tanks of fish and lots of other critters as well. Lots of historical displays and much hands on stuff for the little ones. We enjoyed it, spent about 2 hours there but we were mostly interested in the wildlife. Easily worth the admission.

Very educational museum with hands on water models to understand river flow
2 parts:
One is interacting with the fish and the river
The other is history of the local area
Both are very educational and fun
So much to see and do!!!

The National Mississippi River Museum is a delightful surprise with highly interactive presentations displayed with creativity to capture the interest and enthusiasm of the most high strung child. Like the river itself, there is a surprise around every corner with couples experiences that place the visitor in a time and place long past. This beautifully created time machine teaches while it entertains ending with a bayou with a live alligator. Not some dusty stuffed moments, but lively, fascinating facts made to come to life!

We actually hadn’t planned to visit the museum while in town but having woken to torrential rain we ventured down to the museum glad we did so much to see.

The aquarium great, amazing for us to see the Bald Eagle, went to the observation deck great views even on a rainy day.

Walked around the old dredging boat.

Something here for all ages. In a strange way we are glad it rained so we could pass the time here at the museum. Free car parking. Gift shop on site to get postcards gifts etc.

So much to see and do here! We were a family of three generations and there was plenty to entertain each and every one of us. All of us very impressed. Having two touch tanks was a special treat for all. The older generations loved the history as well. Would have loved to have toured the William M. Black but we arrived later in the day and missed the last boarding time. Overall an awesome, fun-filled, educational experience in Dubuque, Iowa.

I was totally impressed! It was more than I had anticipated. We enjoyed walking on the boats outdoors, and then inside. They were careful because of Covid which I appreciated and had hand sanitizer available. We also really enjoyed the movie.

I highly recommend this for family or couples. We were pleasantly surprised on a short trip in that area.

This should absolutely be a stop if you're going to or traveling through Dubuque! One of the most well-organized, informative, and immersive museums I've been to. The entire facility was clean, well-labeled, and the employees and volunteers were knowledgeable and helpful. There was a lot of Native American artifacts and displays on paddlewheel steamers, including two paddlewheel steamers you can go on and see a lot of the interiors.

The highlight for us was the aquariums! Most of the saltwater aquariums were under renovation, but getting to see an eel, all the gorgeous fish, and even getting to pet a stingray made up for any displays we couldn't see. The freshwater aquariums also had a ton of fish, reptiles, etc. native to the Mississippi River. There were a ton of activities for kids, two gift shops, and a small cafe. We spent two hours here, but could have spent 3-4 easily. We will be back!

Everything you wanna know about the mighty Mississippi and animals that call that river home!
Different prices depending on your age ($15.99 for seniors), and whether or not you want to see the National Geographic videos.
It will take at least two hours to see everything; maybe more if you have young children. There is a special kids area that really hooks them into the museum. This month Once Upon a Time was the focus of special kids showing.
Great aquarium is also featured with fish and other aquatic animals that live in this area.

The museum is absolutely great, with lots of exhibits on the Mississippi and other rivers and aquarium displays of wildlife in the river. It's very interesting, and there are hands-on exhibits for the kids, including touching stingrays. A great family destination!

Great museum! Exhibits are fun and fresh! We were able to see fish and animals native to the area. Inside and outside exhibits were enjoyable and interactive. Fun!

very nice and informative tour well worth the twelve dollars. grand son got to feed the sting rays.( very tamed and deburred )A lot to see.

We did a day trip from Madison WI, an easy drive of less than 2 hours. This place is amazing. Our grandson headed straight for the Sting Ray display just off the entrance where he got to pet these unusual fish as they swam by. The docent was very kindly and encouraging. Other exhibits showcase the history of the area and the part the river played in development. Plenty of outside displays of old boats and even a boat building shop where the grandson got to try some antique woodworking tools. There's a lot of walking to do here and much to see, so allow enough time.

I enjoyed the aquarium and the raptor exhibits. I thought this would be more about early life on the Mississippi. If that was highlighted, I missed it. It’s more than one building and a lot to cover if you can’t easily walk distances. I didn’t think the young desk attendant explained the map very well for older people to understand.

The Mississippi river museum gave a great view of the history of the river area and its peoples. The displays were authentic looking. There were many items from each period in history. The hands on exhibits made it easy to understand how dependent we are to the land. They showed how people can affect an area.
There were many live animals to interact with including a petting area with the rays. Here we re e fresh water areas and its animals as well as the salt water areas with its animals. Live alligators, turtles,fish, snakes, even an octopus!

In Dubuque, the river museum is a nice way to spend part of a day. It has history, artifacts, and even live aquatic creatures to see. There are different fees to pay, depending on what you would like to see. We chose the basic which pretty much let's you see most of it. The grounds are fairly good size, multi buildings and outdoors sites also. Enjoyed the steam powered river dredge boat the best, almost a full self guided tour of the whole vessel. I saw people of all ages enjoying all the sites, and as always there were gift stores inside. Worth the time to see.

We made a first-time visit with our two-year-old granddaughter to the museum and we pleasantly surprised with what we saw. The museum is a delight for young children and adults alike with several aquariums full of Mississippi River life. There are also several interactive exhibits for children throughout the two-building facility. Adults can learn about the history associated with the River, and the facilities include dining and three different gift shop areas. The museum was clean and well staffed. Count on no less than two hours to experience all that's there.

We had an awesome experience here. I learned so much from the short movies, the static exhibits, touching the rays and seeing the birds and otter. The best was the tour of the dredge boat Blackman. The guide was terrific and I learned what goes on in the process of river dredging. It is fascinating. The boat itself, an old workhorse, is in pretty good shape. It was just amazing to learn all this. Highly recommend.

Well done museum with lots to do. If you're passing through with family, this is a must-see and a good way to spend a few hours in town. My family thoroughly enjoyed it.

We spent two hours in the museum only portion and could have spent much longer. It was clean. Well laid out and packed full of great facts about the Mississippi. Lot of aquariums that are very clean and well labeled. Make it your stop if going through or your destination. Great for adults and kids. Nice cafe too.

Our niece and her husband both work at this museum and took us on a visit. It is very well done and gives a great representation of life and nature along the Mississippi River. There are lots of activities for children as well as very interesting things for adults.

Nice Museum & Aquarium, better than I expected from a small city. The stingrays and jellyfish were a nice surprise.

It was kind of small and not really worth the admissions price. It was cool though. I especially liked the salt water exhibit.

This museum has a little bit of everything for all ages and interests. The cost of entry includes both buildings, the riverboat, and the plaza in between. It is a huge area to explore. We went on a Sunday afternoon spending about 4 hours but we could have spent much longer there. The riverboat closed an hour before closing so we missed that part unfortunately. So I recommend you go to the riverboat first. There is a small cafe and picnic area too if you make a day of it.

Such a wonderful museum! We have been here several times and have always had a great time. We especially love the ocean animals.

Be prepared to spend the day here! Our kids are little and they love the variety of hands on activities! This is not a museum where you just walk through..the kids get to play too! The adults can read/learn about the history of the river, and everyone can enjoy the up close views of the animals. Great gift shop and little cafe for snacks to help extend the visit!

Suggested duration: 2-3 hours

Prices are reasonable and can add on different a la carte items. Perfect for families and friends alike.

Can touch sting rays, sturgeon, and crawdads

Get up close with river otter, turtles and tortoises, buffle head ducks and much more.

Learn about keeping the environment clean and what you can do to help.

Small cafes to recharge and relax.

Nice, interesting museum. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Availabe to answer questions. Loved the live ducks.

Amazing and learnt many things. Well maintained and both movies featured one on Panda and another on space / weather satellite were excellent. Must visit for families when visiting.

We have a four-year-old and a one-year-old, and they both loved the museum! The "Ice Dinos" exhibit (there until late September '25) was especially a hit; our son asked to go back THREE times! Our youngest loved watching all the fish swim. Fun water tables - it was all a hit!

I know - Dubuque???? This is a great museum and aquarium of the Mississippi River. This is great spot for families with younger children as there are lots of hands on opportunities. .

Dubuque has done well with its water front, and this museum is the jewel. It works for all ages which we saw while there.

We enjoyed the museum, especially the stingrays! We miss the stingray exhibit at our local zoo. The robot zoo was neat, and it was nice to see all of the local wildlife on display. The history of the settlement of the region was interesting to go through as well. I would avoid going to the "tower" on the 3rd floor - it is quite stuffy up there and I did not find the view to be that optimal. The pricing is quite high for the area, but the museum has a lot to offer.

We spent several hours observing aquatic creatures in tanks, watching the short movies (not 4-D theater), visiting the outdoor boat, boatyard, and pond area, and reading about the history of Dubuque and the Mississippi. We visited several years ago, and were delighted to revisit. You can enjoy the stingray touch tank without a special ticket. A reasonably priced cafe offers decently priced sandwiches so you don't have to leave the property. Both gift shops offer items crafted by local artisans, along with a lot of other merchandise. If you collect National Park Passport stamps, three are offered here. And if you balk at the ticket prices, remember, they are good for two days. Every staff member is friendly and willing to help and point out highlights. This museum and aquarium is well worth your time.

Fun but I was also annoyed there was workers telling kids not to run yet did nothing when they watched a kid run on top floor an slam into me knocking me backwards then scream cried when my cane flew out from along side me hitting the kid. No worker came over to ask of I was ok? Nor asked the child or parent why the child was running. You could have a lawsuit on your hands if I had fallen. Workers SHOULD NOT JUST STAND AND WATCH KIDS BE NAUGHTY. THEY SHOULD TELL THE PARENT PLEASE GET CONTROL OF YOUR KID OR WE WILL HAVE TO KICK YOU OUT AND YOU WONT BE ALLOWED BACK THE NEXT DAY!! Also in the other building why have an elevator go to the second floor if you can't go up to the observation lookout. It felt rude there was an exit that I wasn't allow to go out then a flight of stairs that I couldn't go up because I couldn't climb with my cane no elevator allowed me to see what everyone else saw up there. Very disappointing 😞

Loved this museum. Very big, plan on spending at least 4 hours getting threw it. We were impressed with the aquariums, the William Black Ship (you can go on a real dredge ship and walk through) and enjoyed both buildings. Lots of walking and make sure you have a water bottle on a hot day with you. There is a lot of outside areas. The food court was the only disappointing part, very expensive for what you actually get. We also went to the 3d/4d movie. Fun! We got sprinkled and lot of effects that make it cool.

This complex was just fantastic for entertainment and education. It had something for everyone. Whether you are petting stingrays, noodling catfish, or just enjoying the many other exhibits you won't be disappointed. Admission is very reasonably priced. There are discounts for veterans and seniors.

It was ok. Rather boring for Adunts- I would say, Younger kids seemed to be really enjoying it very much.

There was a lot to do! Make sure you go outside and check out all the cool exhibits our there too!! We brought an adult child and we all enjoyed it. It was a bit pricey, but if you like museum's, you'll love this!

My 70 year old friends enjoy this site as much as my 6 year old granddaughter. So many touchable and informative displays. Very personable skilled staff. Granddaughter took 3 camps here and plans to return for more next year.

This is wonderful way to spend a day and learn about the Mississippi, as well as other places. The amount of artifacts were plentiful and the descriptions helped in the learning. Hear stories and see movies of the way people lived. The salt water aquarium is beautiful. The stingray tank is fun. Both of the movies ($) were entertaining and informational. Once outside, you can visit the eagle and hawk. They also have a dredge boat and a barge to tour. There was a calliope that was played every couple of hours. The restaurant was good, but a little expensive. Everyone that worked there was so pleasant and informative. Getting the All-Access Pass is the best way to see it all. You can go back the next day with your ticket.

The otters were a hoot!!! They zipped around in their pool and came right up to the glass and looked at you!!

They had a traveling exhibition of "Ice Dinosaurs " which was very interesting . I mentioned to the guide that I had never seen Dinosaurs with feathers before. He said that he had thought the same thing!!

Would’ve given it five stars except for the crabby woman at the desk where we purchased our tickets. It’s very well done. Lots to see and learn about. We didn’t have children with us, but there were many families with kids enjoying the exhibits.

Wonderful Place... One of the companies, I worked for , rented it out for a Christmas Party and they were so nice and great!! We had the whole Beautiful place to ourselves and enjoyed it sooo much... They even had Catered the food in....👍🌈😊

We went to the Museum & Aquarium to see the traveling DaVinci Exhibit. What a wonderful exhibit! He not only painted but invented things such as a cannon, a crane, and a machine screw maker. The rest of the Museum is also wonderful. It tells the story of early settlers as well as how the Mississippi River has influenced trade and travel from the founding of the nation until now. We took my great niece and she fed the stingrays in the Aquarium. The Aquarium is small but has a good collection. You can also see them feeding the rest of the fish. There are many interactive displays as well as a river dredger that you can board and see how the men that work on the Mississippi lived. I would highly recommend this. Prices are very reasonable as well as the cafe prices.

I wasn't sure what to expect when visiting here as it was kind of on a whim. The admission was $17 per adult - a bit high I thought, and if I lived in the area I'd probably paid a bit more for a membership. But, I quickly realized that there is a whole lot of real estate that they need to maintain so the $17 didn't seem so bad after all. The place is huge. They have a live alligator, some otters, a stingray touch tank, and lots of aquariums with species native to the Mississippi. There are a lot of informative exhibits too. Even though I consider myself well-read, I learned a lot about an area I thought I was already pretty familiar with. The outside exhibits with the eagle and hawk were a nice surprise.

So I went here with my Girl Scout troop (we stayed the night it I won’t talk about that.) The staff was super nice and the water works and stingray petting were my favorite. The otters are adorabe we named them Petunia and Fred and I saw a shark! I also pet a box turtle and saw RAINBOW EYED DUCKS (sorta) so I recommend going here in your free time.

There are some very interesting exhibits in his museum complex. We especially enjoyed the information we heard from a volunteer in the boat building shop, which would be easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there. There are a number of small aquariums to view and also an area for petting the manta rays. Many more hands-on activities for children throughout. You may also come back for a second day with the purchase of a ticket.

This complex is well worth visiting. The aquariums are excellent, and the entire complex is an excellent take.

This museum complex I a must if you are anywhere near Dubuque. The exhibits are beautiful and the information is priceless. So much to learn in a small space!! The exhibit could be enjoyed at different levels by a wide range of age groups.

Very interesting. Was glad we went. Liked the aquarium and my husband loved the history and touring the dredge boat. Guide was very informative.

Met some friends here. Enjoyed seeing the exhibits and fish etc. The person in charge of the stingray exhibit was very informative and knowledgeable.

This could take all day to see everything. The people are knowledgeable about the old shipyard and how things were done in the past. I was surprised to see and hear how they harvested ice before refrigeration. There are 4-D movies and historic displays.

My wife, 3 children and I recently visited Dubuque and decided to visit this museum and aquarium. Our children loved the various exhibits as well as the opportunities to touch stingrays, sturgeon, and crayfish. There was enough to keep a 10, 7 and 2 year old busy for a bit over 2 hours. Cost was in line with other museums of this caliber we have visit before, and it is definately worth a look.

A great museum with lots to see and do! The family loved all the interactive displays. Wonderful to learn about the history of the city and river. Well maintained and excellent staff that helped us along our visit!

Definitely make this a stop while in Dubuque. It’s the kind of place you could spend a good part of the day at. It’s not free but still worth the price. The river otters were out and playing while we were there and I could watch them all day. Many interesting areas and the complex is large so put on walking shoes. Special play area for the kiddies on top floor.

We all enjoyed this attraction. Plenty of interesting exhibits, several hands on areas in the aquarium and the museum. We all enjoyed the theater experience. Wear comfy shoes as there is plenty of walking!

My husband and I spent a few hours at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and really enjoyed everything there was to see there. It wasn't difficult to maintain social distancing from others, and it was nice that we could take as much time as we wanted to look at the exhibits and animals. I would highly recommend the museum to others, and the young kids that were there with their parents also appeared to be enjoying the museum, too.

Pretty pricy. $17 for adult basic admission. Could spend several hours here thou. There’s also a 3D/4D film you can add on.

Words escape me when trying to explain how outstanding this museum is. Great historical displays interspersed with interactive displays for kids. We saw 2 different kid-focused areas/rooms. Our party of 6 had 3 kids age 14,9,8. We all loved it.

Fun! Educational!! First Class!! And a Great lunch. We were there for 5 ½ hours with 1 hour for lunch.

We didn’t do the movies or feeding the stingrays. With extra time, I’m sure we would have loved those as well.

Next time we’re in Dubuque, we’ll have to do this again!!

I visited for the second time with my 3 and 5 year old grandchildren. They are very interested in wildlife and were eager to see and learn. It takes several hours to see and do it all. Well worth admission. The food provided while good, took way too long to prepare so if you are with small children I would not recommend eating on site.

We have been to the museum several times and each time there is something different to see. Our grandchildren, (ages 10, 6, 6, and 4) had so much fun. They ran from exhibit to exhibit excited to see what was there. The hands on touch tanks were a huge hit - they were able to touch the sting rays and some star fish. We bought tickets to the 3D movie - 2 movies are available - we chose the movie geared more toward younger kids. They thought it was great fun having the sprinkles of water the the rumbling of the seats while watching the movie, wearing their 3D glasses. There are a lot of interactive things the kids could play with too. We spent 4 hours looking at everything, including touring the William Black riverboat (which is part of the museum price). The cafe offered kid friendly food so we chose to eat lunch there. Overall it was a great time with the grandkids and they can’t wait to go back!

The museum was a pleasant surprise! I read reviews that a family had spent a day there and now I totally see that as the case; it is huge! The family loved the interaction with the sting rays and the animals were in natural and large habitats which not only makes them easier to view but is better for the animals. The grandkids fed the fish and there was an area for them to run around in and drive remote controlled boats for a small fee. This museum/aquarium is definitely a place to visit for all ages. I want to go back!

Very interesting place to visit for 3-4 hours, especially for younger children. Watched several movies as well that were fun here too.

We absolutely loved this attraction. There was some great staff who you could tell loved their jobs. The cafe food was good, but the clerk was very unmotivated. There is so much to do. We spent a little over 4 hours there!

This museum and aquarium is a must see in Dubuque. It sits right on the Mississippi River, and covers 10 acres. There are two large buildings on each end, and between them are tons of things to see outside. You need at least 2 hours to see everything. Outside, they have tow boat to go through, and a huge dredging ship to go through. There is also a wetland area that has a snow owl and a bald eagle. This was worth the $20 entrance fee. They also have a movie that you pay extra for which I would have done if I had the time. I got to see the snow owl up close as I was there when the handler brought it out of its cage. There are gift shops in each building, and plenty of places to sit along the way through each section.

Excellent place to visit particularly with children. Lots of great information put across in interesting and interactive ways - including handling fish!

Also a chance to visit and walk round a Mississippi paddle boat.

The 4D film theatre was also great fun.

Don’t miss it if you want to find out more about the river.

This is a great look at the history and importance of our river system. The museum shows how the rivers were a major factor in the creation of our country.

Very informative and some hands on. I got to pet sting rays, learned alot about river history, got face to face with a gator, great place to bring kids or grand kids.

This is a wonderful museum/aquarium that takes up quite a bit of space on the Dubuque riverfront. We spent about 4 hours there, including touring the dredge, and we could have spent longer. The staff or volunteers are very knowledgeable and helpful. You can see river traffic through the open concrete gates in the levee. The lunch counter has reasonably priced food, and the view while eating was great. We're so glad we decided to spend our day at the Museum and Aquarium.

This was my second visit - the first was several years ago. This is a great place to learn and see what lurks in the Mississippi River. The river otters were in a playful mood - I watched them for several minutes. There are some hands-on exhibits on the first floor. The second floor is a great area for your people to interact with exhibits. There is more than one building - one mainly is aquarium and a second building is more a museum. Both buildings have gift shops.

Took a weekend trip to Iowa with the kids to get away from the Wisconsin snow. Sort of picked this attraction at random and glad we did. Museum is broke into two sections, fresh water and saltwater. Both sides have great exhibits about the Mississippi River and how its health impacts the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Besides the exhibits, they have quite a few animals. Fresh water side had a tank full of turtles, fish, and ducks that lets you get very close to the animals. Salt water side has lots of aquarium tanks and you can pet sting rays. They also had a hands on area which the kids really liked. It was a little cold during our visit for the outside exhibits, but we did tour the dredge boat and a few other spots that were very interesting. We chose not to see any movies but even with that we spent a full 4 hours here. A must see in Dubuque.

We went to this acttraction it would be family friendly and it was. The only let down is it was not a big aquarium. It was more just about education and museum. It is more for older kids than little ones.

I went and took my son and my niece for a visit.
They all had a great time and enjoyed the exhibits.
They had a blast interacting with the rays.

What a super museum. We were lucky when we went that they also had the Davinci exhibit going on. We were able to catch a movie, eat lunch, view the sting rays and other sea life while here. Definitely worth the price of admission for two $51.90

I took a star off for the young person who took our money at entrance but offered no smile, museum map, or thank you. The museum has an extensive layout with several buildings and lots of walking — it would have been nice if she had offered to answer questions! The one question I had for her — how to orient ourselves on the museum map — she could not answer and did not offer to find somebody who could. First impressions matter. Once we realized we were on our own regarding the visit, we figured our way around. Especially enjoyed the large tanks of gar and sturgeon, the interactive exhibits about flooding, and the video about barge life. Lots for kids to see and do.

Lots of wildlife to learn about. Very interesting to see the turtles and fish, along with the boats. Great place for kids.

I enjoyed visiting the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. There is a nice area for children to visit and to take photos. There is a large alligator in the museum. The museum is easy to walk through, and the tour guides are very helpful.

Honestly there was not that much in this museum. We watched the short film and read everything. Saw what fish etc that were in site. Walked around the outskirts and looked at boats.

We enjoyed the many exhibits! People that worked here were really friendly. Spent several hours there on a Saturday. Really nice shops and amenities.

I visited Dubuque, Iowa with my sister and my 5-month year old daughter. On this chilly fall day we found the National Mississippi River Museum to be exactly what we had in mind for our main activity. The museum is teeming with interesting history of the river, the people who have inhabited the area and species of fish that are native to the Mississippi. We really enjoyed the salt water aquarium, as well as the exhibit on the 2nd floor that showcased many of the local inventions that came from residents of Dubuque (the modern ski boot, the snow plow and the rotary engine to name a few). This museum is super well curated and organized. Great family activity for a few hours!

This is very well done! Lots to see on the inside and out. Allow plenty of time to take it all in. 2 large buildings, each with several aquariums and a large outdoor area. Nice and reasonably priced gift shops. Super friendly staff!

We spent several hours at the museum. The displays and exhibits were very interesting. We saw both 4D movies. I’m not sure when they switch them out, but if you can only do one, choose the Meerkats. There are also several smaller movies throughout both the museum and Aquarium that were included in the price of admission. Be aware that there is a lot of walking going from building to building to ship, etc. And don’t miss the green sea turtle in the aquarium.

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 finally stopped after driving by 20 times..

If you are the type of person who likes to learn random mostly useless facts then this is for you.
Lots of info about the river and it’s fauna, navegability and history and facts about the importance of the river in this part of the country

Great museum! Really cool exhibits with lots for kids. Both indoor and outdoor exhibits to see. You could wander around on the Riverboat as well.

Excellent place to stop! Our kids are 12 & 4 and they really enjoyed the Museum & Aquarium!! Lots of interaction for kids. They do a very nice job relating the life on the Mississippi through the years and want we need to do to protect this magnificent water way.

The standard river exhibit was very educational and engaging, and the traveling Da Vinci portion was great.

We took our two grand girls from Florida and they loved it, especially the once upon a time. All went well, from water tables to otters to gift store. Well planned and fun times.

We spent the past weekend at the Grand Harbor Resort and were delighted to find that there was a museum right there by the hotel! The young lady at the front desk was very helpful. The displays were quite interesting. The best part was being able to pet the sting rays!!!! The different fishes, the eel, and the red octopus were awesome! I was just disappointed that we could not see "Dot" the turtle as she was pulled up into a net of some kind? I heard that she was on a "time out" (?) We also went up to the tower level and got to look through a telescope at the wonderful scenic surroundings. We only actually got to see half of it, so will definitely be back to see the rest on our next trip to the area.

This is a wonderful museum and aquarium. Well worth the price of admission (not out of line). Allow time to go thru the exhibits and soak it all in!

We came in January and again this month with our now 1 and 3 year old and it’s a great place. From the hands on animals for our 3 year old to the creature feature it’s a great learning experience.

We spent a good amount of time there, we actually could have stayed by the stingrays all day fascinating creatures & the volunteer there was so knowledgeable he was a great resource!

We got tickets for the Merkats movie very interesting, great for kids!

The whole place is clean no smell at all, thanks were clean as well, we will be back again!

The museum item is not related to the part of the river nearby. I learn more from smaller museums. For the aquarium part, it does not have sufficient annotation for the fishes it displayed. For 20 dollar ticket price, I really expect more.

It was interesting to learn the history of all the work that went into
the Mississippi River. I enjoyed rubbing the Sting Rays noses and loved the movie on the Merecats (sp?).

If you are coming to Dubuque, IA or ever plan to be in the area this Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium should be one of the number one things that you will want to do. Adults and children alike will just love this place.

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is home to a multitude of museum exhibits on the culture and history of America's rivers. The museum opened as the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum in 1982 and has two buildings on its riverfront campus: the Mississippi River Centre and National River Centre. Indoor features include, giant catfish, sturgeon, ducks, frogs, turtles, and rays. There are also outdoor exhibits featuring boats, a stream, river otters, blacksmith's shop, and raptor aviaries including bald eagle. So much to do and see, worth a visit.

so fun for all ages. different parts of the building. we got to pet stingrays, and starfish! building was very hands on. my family loved this place!

There are several different museum exhibits, a little bit of everything having to do with the Mississippi, so you get a good overview of info about the Mississippi. A lot of the museum was taken up with kids activities. I think it would be nice instead, if they showcased more of the history of the river and had some info about the cities along the river and historical events that happened along the river, highlighting places like Hannibal, St. Louis, Natchez, New Orleans, etc. Our favorite part was touring the dredge, found it very interesting. The dredge is in desperate need of a paint job though. We were disappointed that the theater equipment was out of order, so we didn't get to see either of the movies. Overall, I expected much more aquarium exhibits. We didn't see any otters, not sure if they had any at the time. Only had one alligator. Really expected to see a lot more aquatic exhibits. A lot of wasted space for such huge buildings.
Food in the cafe was good. Plan to spend 1/2 a day. There is a 4-D theater, but didn't find the movie choices of interest, again a lot of the museum is geared more toward kids than adults.

Sometimes we think if you’ve seen on aquarium you’ve seen them all. We have now been proven wrong! The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is a real gem, very informative, educational, and fun. There’s a real Smithsonian vibe and quality that’s palpable here. I would categorize this as a multi-state must-see. It’s that good!!

Kudos to the staff, btw, who were very helpful and friendly. Just added to the excellence of the experience.

The personnel at both buildings were very knowledgeable and helpful, answering all the questions we had about the river in a great manner.

We did not reserve enough time to adequately visit this “campus.” There are two museums here: one focuses on rivers and waterways in general and the other focuses on the Mississippi. Plus there is an interesting docent led tour of a retired river dredge boat and also marshes/wetlands to explore along a board walk. We were there about 1 1/2-2 hours and I could have easily spent another hour. There are also movies on site and a traveling exhibit available at additional cost.

Really thought this museum was well thought out. Displays were excellent. It's a great asset. I didnt think the aquarium was fantastic but the displays for children were very interactive. The stingrays were a lot of fun for all. I didn't see the shark. There's a cafe there as well but didn't eat there. Don't forget to go to the outside displays. They're just as impressive. Walk around the dredge too. Highly recommended.

We loved this museum and aquarium! It was very educational for adults, but offered many activities for people of all ages. Many families were there and the children seemed to enjoy the exhibits and activities.

This is a multi-building operation with animals (e.g. turtles, fish, snakes and alligator) and numerous exhibits describing the history along the Mississippi River. There is also a boat you can tour. Despite the fact that I have lived in the vicinity of the Mississippi River all my life, I learned many new things viewing many of the exhibits. Many of the animals may interest young children but the exhibits (other than the boat that has a live guide) are largely geared toward older people. That said, there are some tactile items like animal skins and bones and "did you know" questions that are of interest to younger visitors.

We visited the Museum and Aquarium on a beautiful September weekday. There were not a lot of people there and we enjoyed studying exhibits and animals and talking to the very knowledgeable, friendly staff. We were on a month long "Boomer Trip" of the Midwest and this museum was one of the high points. The museum and aquarium are beautifully woven together with wonderful displays and lots of interesting animals.

Lunch time approached and we knew we could go out to eat and be readmitted but chose to grab a quick meal at the Cafe. What a happy accident! My husband had a chicken salad sandwich that he said was excellent and I chose the soup of the day, Cream of Potato with Bacon. OH! MY! GOODNESS! That was the best potato soup I've ever had. If all the soups they serve are as good as this and I lived in Dubuque, I would buy a membership just to go to the restaurant. Well done!

We also visited the gift shop and found a hoodie for our daughter who had been watching our dog. She loves it!

This is a wonderful attraction and well worth the admission price (we got 1/2 off with our reciprocal AZA zoo membership but would have happily have paid full price). My only regret is that I didn't get some potato soup to-go!

Have been wanting to stop back here for a few years after the last time we were in Dubuque it was closed. Finally got to stop in and had 2.5 hours to visit before closing. Admission price was higher than expected but after visiting, it was well worth it. I usually like to read more about the exhibits but due to limited time I wasn't able to do that. That being said, I'd recommend 3-4 hours instead of 2-3 hours.

Live exhibits were well done and I'm sure the maintenance and feeding requirements take a lot or work. The otters were pretty cool and I'm hopeful they get a bigger aquarium in the future. The wetland pool inside was outstanding too and the Wood ducks were making quite the noise. Didn't have a lot of time to visit outside but was able to see the Bald Eagle, Red tail, American Kestrel, and Barn owl. Sad to see them caged but it seemed most were injured and were deemed they couldn't survive in the wild.

Staff was very nice and helpful. Did not try the cafe but they do have one. There are two gift stores that each carry different items so check out both.

Worth a stop for young and old to learn about the history of the river and the animals, fish, and birds that call it home.

This is a very good museum and aquarium it is well worth going to we went on an old steamboat that used to be as a dredger amazing equipment on there and how big it is.
the aquarium is pretty good they’re revamping so in a few months it’ll be finished but what you could see was very good especially in the entryway two people who were there when we came in very knowledgeable and very nice definitely a place to take your children

We visited this attraction after checking the web page and brochure. It was a pleasant experience but most of the features were exaggerated. The layout made little sense. One exhibit did not lead to another in a coherent way. The Splash area was small and below the interest level of a 10 year old. The 4D movie was a good one produced by National Geographic but the 4D aspect was only one misting, 2 shakes of our seats and a breeze by fans. The boat available to tour is a dredging barge not a paddle-wheeler but 2 good docents explained the workings well. This was the only helpful presence of docents we encountered.

We spent about 5 hours or so at the museum and aquarium. It is very well put together and has plenty to do for both adults and children. We enjoyed the 4-d movies (even came the 2nd day to see "Son of Big Foot" and exploring the museum, and the outside boat. We also ate lunch there which was surprisingly good and a fair value for museum food. Definitely would recommend a visit!

Very educational and fun place to visit when in Dubuque, they have some of the best displays available and always fun for the entire family

Very educational for young and old. Loved seeing all the fish and sting rays. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.

This museum was very nice and had a lot of interesting displays. The aquarium was also very nice and set up well. We even got to pet stingrays! Staff were friendly and helpful and the entire place was very clean.

Spent 5 hours at this complex. Saw 2 movies it (WORTH IT!) and toured the ship. A lot of ground to cover as the complex is over 3 city blocks but def worth the time and money.

When came because we saw an ad on TV for a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit there and wanted to check it out. Dubuque turns out to be an easy drive from Madison so off we went. Our surprise was how interesting the whole museum/Aquarium is. Learned a lot about the Mississippi and also rivers in general. Whoever developed the museum complex did a great job. What was an old factory building/complex on the dock is now a wonderfully interactive space adults and kids alike can enjoy. Worth visiting if you find yourself in the area or make Dubuque your destination.Then head 30 miles west to Dyersville for the Field of Dreams.

We concluded our roadtrip from Houston, Texas through Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. What a great place to finish in Dubuque on the magnificent Mississippi River. The world's third longest river.

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is Dubuqe's #1 Attraction and rightfully so.

They have several worthwhile videos that you can watch for free. One video on the Mississippi River felt like you were taking a trip down the river with Mark Twain or Huckleberry Finn. The videos are definitely worth your time as you learn so much of the history of the Mississippi River.

My son loved the interactive Kid's Water Area.

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium also has a Stingray Touch Tank.

The Aquariums are very nice. They have over 170 species of animals. The Alligator was the highlight for us.

They have a good gift shop. The prices were reasonable.
Parking is free.

They have put a lot of thought into their museum. We really enjoyed all of the displays and hands on exhibits. We enjoyed hearing Joseph speak about the Wilson Black dredge boat. He is really passionate and a pleasure to listen to. We found out that the little Tavern tug boat also on displayed we built and worked in the river that my husband grew up, which was a surprise and treat. We would highly recommend this gem.

We enjoyed the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium from the lovely Lady at the entrance desk who greeted us & gave us advice on how to see the museum/ aquarium and supply a map. The aquarium has a hands on tank for children with star fish & other things I couldn't resist and had a try. They also had a tank to touch the sting rays, first time I have done this l was amazed how soft they were.😍
The other displays the William Black Riverboat, aquarium tanks with fish, snakes, but the two Otters were so active & definitely my favourites we spent half an hour trying to get there photos.
I would definitely recommend this place.

There is a lot to do between the different buildings and the dredging boat. Spent close to 4 hours there with 2 young children (5 & 3). They have a great kids water area. Petting the sting rays was fun but the water is deep and hard for them to pet them.

If you are in the Dubuque area do not miss this museum. There is so much to see and do here. We spent about 3 1/2 hours and could have stayed longer but ran out of time. So many fascinating exhibits and aquariums. Lots of history about the Mississippi. It's a great place to take kids with lots of opportunities for interaction. You can even pet the sting rays. There are 2 buildings plus the outdoor exhibits and also movies which are an extra charge but worth it. Vets get in free.

I took my 9 year old granddaughter. She loved being able to touch so many different things at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Being able to touch a sting ray was her favorite! She loves science and history and this museum had plenty of learning activities in both areas to keep her interested. We had a two pass and went both days.

$17.00 for basic admission, worth the price with the large amount of exhibits in the two museum wings, split by ocean and river exhibit themes. We didn't pay for the 4-D movies or extra exhibits. The kid touch stingray tank is the best single exhibit for kids. The rays do let the kids touch them. The our touch tank has less active creatures. The is a mix of historic, nature conservation, and water exhibits. The ocean/coastal exhibit building is the best of the two for enagagement and kids. The gift shop is large and has a great variety of items. Could spend 3+ hours to see all the exhibits.

This museum is beautiful! Full of interesting exhibits. Especially loved the aquariums featuring river fish - like paddlefish and sturgeon and blue catfish! Also, models of the river and interactive stations for kids of all ages. Highly recommended!

It's more than a museum and more than an aquarium. Visitors will encounter much more aquatic life than fish (the otters are my favorite.) The traveling exhibits are almost always a delight; I understand that the current DaVinci show is fabulous--it's time for another trip to the riverside!

Interesting museum along the river. Was not busy while we were there. Not all of the museum exhibits are centered around the river but a good portion is. Took a few hours to complete. Interesting and I am really glad we stopped.

What a museum and aquarium. You can spend endless hours here seeing all that they have. Got to see the new baby shark. Great for kids and adults.

The place was designed with kids in mind, but adults can have a great day too. There's a world-class aquarium, a ship building museum, and a decommissioned Corps of Engineers river dredge boat to wander through. At a cost that's less than you'd expect.

There are fewer fish here than I expected. There are only a few big tanks representing different areas of the Mississippi River (the main channel, flooded forests, the bayou, etc.) and there aren't a ton of fish in them. There was also only one otter in the otter exhibit. But where this aquarium shines is reptiles. Turtles and snakes are the strongest point of this aquarium and it has plenty of both. There is also an alligator.

My wife and I happen to be reptile lovers so we were pleasantly surprised by this. But I could see a fish lover angrily demanding a refund.

Though we only stayed for about 3 hours we learned quite a bit about the area, the river, and the history of the riverboats, etc.

Excellent museum with lots of exhibits regarding the history of the area as told through the river point of view. Lots to see and do. I was here many years ago and the Museum has doubled in size since I was here last. I would recommend visiting.

We briefly visited the museum during our overnight stay in Dubuque. The displays were very well done and the salt-water aquarium was very interesting. You can even pet the baby stingrays swimming in a pool (barbs have been removed!).

It was a nice play to visit on a cold rainy day. I wish we could have seen the outside stuff but the weather wasn’t cooperating. Definitely go to both buildings so you get your moneys worth. Not a bad little place to visit but I think it’s a one and done type of place.

After visiting this museum, which could be a full day visit if you have time, will I still a love for the river and midwest nature. We were lucky in that the DaVinci exhibit was also there. A fantastic review of his genius and talent.

With just two hours to spare in Dubuque, we decided to head in - and we were not disappointed! The history portion was interesting, informative and well done. The aquatic displays were captivating and mesmerizing, and the interactive area for the kids (and adults) upstairs was a lot of educational fun. I could have spent another hour petting the rays. Make sure to go to both buildings, and visit the HUGE American Aligator and the alien-looking paddlefish. Not a great view of the Mississippi river, but a fun place to visit.

Hands down one of the best activities in the city of Dubuque, I got a yearly pass for my family and I suggest the same for families with young children. It’s a really fun environment and educational. The staff is friendly, the location and setting is perfect. If your visiting Dubuque it’s well worth the visit if you’re a local it’s a must.

Great experience had by our family (dad, mom, and 1 year old). The museum was clean and not crowded. There was a lot to see and some nice hands on experiences for the little one. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We were slightly disappointed that the gift shop was closed due to technology, but understand things happen. We did general admission and booking online for the $2 discount was simple and fast.

Well into our trip up the Mississippi, we thought we'd stop off here for an afternoon to get an idea of what might reside beneath the river's surface. The site is split into a few separate areas including a museum which has exhibits relating to rivers in general, a decommissioned dredging boat which you can tour around and marvel at the scale of the on-board machinery, and of course the aquarium. We really enjoyed the latter which was very informative and full of creatures the likes of which I've never seen or heard of before, such as the paddlefish and all manner of odd looking turtles. They also have a section where you can 'pet' rays as they swim past in a shallow pool - this didn't appeal to me and seemed a bit dubious, but staff were quite strict in terms of how visitors interacted with the rays, so I guess it's all legit. We spent a good few hours here and really enjoyed ourselves.

I really liked this museum. There was so much history and two separate buildings. The aquarium was nice with a nice variety of fish and marine life. Is very educational and a great place to take the kids. You can also get on some of the boats, checkout how they make boat replicas, and take a pic with a statue of Mark Twain. You can pet a Stingray and feed one for an additional $10. They also have two 4-D movies that we skipped. I learned a great deal during this visit and I highly recommend visiting at least once.

Great interpretive center. History and ecological information. Many interactive stations for kids. Very informative and helpful staff and volunteers

My husband, young daughter, her friend and I took a day trip to Dubuque. It was a very nice day. The staff was very helpful and educational.

We learned a lot about the river and the kids enjoyed seeing all the fish! It was even better because the river was right outside the premises! A nice visit!

This a favorite attraction of all four grandchildren when they visit. They have enjoyed the films, the Stingrays, jelly fish, eagle, otters and, well, everything! Even my littlest, age 3, was enchanted. One thing, PLEASE, parents, supervise your children! I have been shocked by children slapping at the sting rays, abusing the running watershed exhibit, and pounding on the glass of the exhibits, while parents visit with other adults, stare down into their phones or just ignore their children's behavior. The Sting Ray attendants are wonderful at explaining the careful, two finger way of touching, even then, parents don't intervene. We visit every few months and it seems to be a problem at every visit.

We've been to aquariums of all different sizes and although this is not a comparatively large one, we spent about 3 hours here and it has quite a bit to offer. There are two different buildings with some outdoor exhibits in between. The basic admission covers both. There are extensive exhibits that focus on the river and it's inhabitants, which are interesting for sure, but it was the live animals that held our attention the most. Highlights included tanks with fish, turtles and other creatures native to the Mississippi River, and a sting ray touch tank that featured cownose rays, yellow stingrays and skates. There was also a baby shark and baby yellow stingray on the second floor of the aquarium. The 4D film on pandas cost extra but was totally worth it. Definitely glad we checked this place out.

went to dubuque for July 4th one of the places I wanted to see was the National Mississippi River Museum well worth the drive from KC.
great overall history of the river and it impact to our country. do visit, many exhibits for the kids to keep them busy. 2 buildings one salt water aquarium other freshwater. movies display tells the story of the people who make their living on the river.
very enjoyable visit.

Great trip. We arrived at approximately 10 am and made our way towards the entrance of the museum. We bought our admission tickets and received a map of the museum. We bought the admission ticket that included a viewing of the movie. The movie that we saw was titled Micro Monsters and was amazingly done. We watched it in the 4D theatre, and were surrounded by multiple special effects, including wind blowing and water spraying in our faces. The movie was very interesting and I learned a lot about the various insects and their “superpowers”. The movie was roughly 40 minutes long and highly worth the additional cost of admission. After viewing the movie, we set out to explore the rest of the museum. The museum/aquarium was extremely large and contained multiple exhibits. There were multiple informational plaques scattered throughout each exhibit, that detailed what we were seeing in front of us. There were also several short, informational clips about the subject matter on hand, along with many hands on exhibits for both kids and adults alike. There were both indoor and outdoor exhibits, and the property was located on a nice riverfront location. There was a riverboat on site as well, that we could go on and tour. After touring the outside portion of the museum, we went back inside where there was a gift shop and some restrooms.

Tip: I recommend spending an entire day here if you truly want to experience the entire museum and all of the exhibits.

The museum and aquarium are very well done. It is suitable for both adults and children. The exhibits are very informative and the layout is quite nice!

This is a museum and multiple aquariums combined. It consists of two buildings, one for national rivers and one for the Mississippi river. There are very interesting artifacts and descriptions of river history. It is a bit pricey, but discount coupons are available at the pavilion at the steamboat dock.

If you go to LaCrosse,Visit this place, its a book of knowledege about Fish the Mississippi River and life on the River. Lots of cool artifacts and intersing Movies and did I mention the Aquarium !!!

This is one of the best museums we have ever visited. Great displays , something of interest every way you turn. We hope to return and explore it more. Well done!

Great educational opportunity for all ages. Plenty of room for a 4 and 6 year old to roam. Live animals, fossils, and so much more. Highly recommend it.

We were on the Riverboat Cruise and only had a short time to visit, but we were very impressed. Enjoyed the octopus in the aquarium area, and the young man who worked in that area was very knowledgeable about her, we learned a lot from his talk. He seemed to really love what he did at the aquarium, how refreshing these days! Everyone who worked there was very friendly and helpful.

I was expecting more for the place dubbed the number 1 attraction in Iowa. It had a tank that you could touch the stingrays. There were 3 tube aquariums. The best part was the children's area where there were several displays that you could interact with. You could create a dam you could peddle a bike to create a rainstorm. You could go inside a beaver hut.

As a Mississippi River Museum this place is great. There is a lot of great information and the tour of the William M Black riverboat is a fantastic experience. As an aquarium it is OK but there is really not much there. There are some good exhibits for kids though.

The cost is really high to go here. You might want to win the lottery first. First you pay to get into the museum and then you pay to view the exhibit the you wanted to see. After paying for my 4 grandkids and myself, I that I was going to have to refinance my house. The exhibit was ok but not fantastic. The boys wanted to go on the boat but they didn’t want to wait that long to go. I will never do this again. It’s just for the rich and that isn’t me

This is more of a history museum than an aquarium. We like aquariums so we were a little disappointed that the types of fish were limited. If you are into the history of the Mississippi River it would be a good place to go.

Definitely stop here if you are anywhere close. Spent several hours exploring the museum/aquarium. Was able to pet sting rays, and they have some pretty cool aquariums. Also enjoyed going on the old dredger boat.

Set aside 2-4 hours for your visit to National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. There are two buildings, two ships, and several outdoor exhibits. Children will find plenty to enjoy. The "critters"--everything from an octopus, rays, otters, and plenty of fish--will keep the children interested. Also not to be missed is the Riverworks Splash Zone in the East Building. The exhibit in the "changing exhibit gallery" in the West Building is a Robot Zoo. You'll find a 5-foot housefly, a 6-foot grasshopper, and an amazing duck-billed platypus. The museum/aquarium is a fun learning experience for adults and children.

This is a good sized well-kept aquarium/museum. The staff was friendly and informative! We enjoyed seeing both freshwater and saltwater fish on our trip. This was a very clean and well thought experience. There are areas both indoor and outdoor that children can roam and play. I would recommend this aquarium to anyone who’s going to be in the Dubuque area it’s nice for all ages.

We really enjoyed the dredging ship, and the owl and kestrel in the aviary, as well as the stingray experience and watching the otters play. The barge film was also cool and I loved the little exhibit about trying to figure out what Julien Dubuque looked like. The one problem? I hate this trend with museums to get you to pay extra for certain experiences, like the 4D theater and feeding the stingrays. It just kind of puts a sour taste in your mouth. For one thing, the regular admission price is already quite a bit at over $14.

We enjoyed the fish tanks the most. Fish from all river locations— mid channel to the Gulf of Mexico. Hands on opportunities for children and adults. Might be better to visit in warm weather as there are several outside activity areas. More expansive than I had anticipated.

Very nice museum with a lot to discover. Set up is somewhat confusing because you have to walk outside to get to the other building. The animals, especially the turtles, were fun to watch. Look at all the options / movies / exhibits before deciding what to purchase.

We stopped here because we saw they had a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, what we found was that this museum has much more to see and experience. There is a graded charge to tour the multiple buildings and to watch several of their 3D movies. We chose the basic ticket with the da Vinci add-on. The basic ticket gives you quite a large area to explore with various exhibits and displays. We found the large salt water aquariums excellent...they have benches to sit and just relax as you observe the creatures. Our favorite aquarium had a large green sea turtle who was fascinated with the folk on the other side of the glass. He would come up to the window to watch you...he appeared to really like to pose for photos!

They have free WiFi...but you'll have to search for someone who knows the password.

There are many hands-on exhibits that are perfect for students..and informative for everyone else. There's a sting-ray touching pool too.

This museum really provides a great deal of info on the Mississippi river and the life and culture associated with it. They have old paddle wheelers on site and much more that we didn't have time to check out.

The da Vinci exhibit was excellent. It was filled with models of his many designs complete with info on the models. There were copies of several of his paintings too.

This is a must see site if you are traveling in the area...especially if you have kids who need to spend some energy to experience hands on displays!!!

This museum is spread out with a lot of interesting things to see. There are several interesting history sections and a variety of fish and animals. We spent about 1.5 hours and did not visit the boat. The outdoor areas were very nice. The only disappointment was that the otter exhibit was being cleaned so the were more visible. All in all a very nice experience.

Don’t let the naysayers fool you. We were traveling through on our way to Wisconsin Dells and this was the perfect stop to get out and stretch our legs and roam. We (family with 13 y.o. & 3 y.o.) spent a solid 2 hours here and could have spent a bit more but we were here at closing. Plenty to do and see both. Lots of things for the little kids to do and plenty for the bigger kids to see. The aquarium stuff kept their attention better than the museum stuff of course but it was still a great stop.

This time, we went to see the DaVinci Exhibit, (now expired), a traveling exhibition of many working models of DaVinci's "machines"...got a young fellow in your life? I would have LOVED to see the small scale models of: his submarine, diving bell, and ill-fated though wonderful flying machines (he never built anything to assist man to fly) when I was school age. Lots of things were hands on. Also duplicates of his famous paintings. I learned so many things I didn't know about the world's greatest inventor. And of course the rest of the museum was great as usual. a three-d and a 4-d film were also available at an extra price. Iowa's best museum!!!

One of the best museums/ aquariums i have seen. My husband and I donated a gopher tortoise to them hence our reason for visiting

This museum seems to have a bit of an identity problem. It doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. It's part aquarium, part history museum, part children's museum, and part art museum. That's fine, but if you want much of any one of those things, you might be let down. We enjoyed the aquariums and the children's areas. We were terribly disappointed in the Da Vinci special exhibit. I should have saved $20 for our family and just looked up information on Leonardo online. It's kind of cool to see reproductions of his machines, but there is little information offered and you can't see them working. The display is basically a bunch of printouts on foam board with a few wooden reproductions. Plus, the communication is terrible. Signs that say "Do Not Touch" look identical to the ones that say "Touch Me." Also, the few items that you could touch were not working. Lame.

We took our grandkids here several times, so much fun, what a great way to learn about the Mississippi!! We will be coming back!!

This place is a river lovers dream there are lots of things to do for kids and lots of actual information for adults that some might not know. I had to admit I am not a fan of museums but this one is one that I can go to to see fish and other things.

Was visiting family in Iowa and thought this would be a nice place to see. Very enjoyable and a small aquarium

This was a really nice museum that showcases the history and nature of the Mississippi. The aquariums are interesting but the most interesting ones are the ones with the river fish such as sturgeon and paddlefish. The otters are quite adorable as well.

There are two buildings so be sure to visit them both or you'll miss some good parts. Included in the admission is a visit to an old steam-powered dredging ship. Don't miss that either.

There is a lot of educational information and it's hard to read it all but you can learn a lot about the history and biology of the Mississippi if you take the time.

We enjoyed the 4D theater, which was an extra fee. Lots of hands on things to do for kids under 10. There is a lot of walking between the museum and aquarium, but there is a wheelchair rap. You cannot access the lookout tower unless you are able to go up several stairs.

The basic price of the museum is reasonable, but you will have to pay for the extras. The receptionist was dour and not welcoming, but Joe made up for her with his sense of humor as we entered the exhibits. The basics included lots of interactive displays, interesting historical displays and video, and great water critters such as an alligator, octopus, and the tub of stingrays that I think one can pet if so desired. There is an outdoor section that has a boat that a family of six lived on as they plied their wares on the water of the great Mississippi. Nearby is a beautiful river walk in front of the Grand Harbor Resort and on down to Stone Cliff Winery.

As a conservation education center, this is pretty cool. The river museum has an interesting collection of facts and artifacts. I loved the collection of garbage retrieved from the river. As an aquarium, it’s so-so, but that’s not what the center is about. The sea otters are lively and cute, the catfish not so much. Still, there’s an interesting collection of animals and reptiles for nature lovers.

A wonderful aquarium to learn about the Mississippi, with fish, turtles, reptiles, jellyfish, an alligator, otters, diving ducks, and more. They also have areas where you can gently touch stingrays, starfish, and anemones, with helpful staff to guide and educate you. The museum is also excellent, with a functioning historical machine shop, historical displays, and lots for all ages. Highly recommend a visit!

It was a bit confusing to get there. We had to drive through an industrial area. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our local museum membership gave us half off the admission. The 2 museum buildings looked pretty new and had a lot of interesting things for all our kids (1, 7, 16). We spent the better part of a day there. It was cute to see the otter sleeping right next to the window. We also got a sneak preview of the upcoming exhibit that had all the old belt-driven tools for building ships. It wasn't working yet, but it looked cool. Everyone also enjoyed walking through the William M Black dredging ship, docked in the harbor.

A few things kept it from being 5 stars. The food location in the West building was closed and said to go to the East building for food. We walked through the really big and really run-down outdoor plaza between the 2 buildings only to find that the East food location was also closed. It said there were snacks in the gift shop, but that consisted of soda and candy bars, so we had to walk all the way back to the other end and drive to find food. There were lots of covid signs about high touch areas, but very little hand sanitizer. The water play area was also closed.

Super fun place with a toddler or young kids. Didnt want to leave, lots to interact with and educational activities, the stingrays were our favorite.

We spent a few hours here and it was very interesting. It has been a few years ago since we have been to the Museum and I would classify it as a "do not miss" place in Dubuque.

Great experience for adults and kids. Interesting and fun exhibits. Lots of information and some wonderful water creatures.

Friendly staff. Clean and very interesting . Would take children here and adults to learn about the wildlife in the area. DaVinci exhibit was also cool!!

With our 6 granddaughters ages 2-10 years old And our adult children.
First I saw the price and I was kind of shocked. However you can easily spend several hours here.
Indoor and outdoor activities.
The kids loved the second floor play area and we appreciate the benches:)
Lots of fish, turtles, an alligator or my!
The winners were the stingrays that we petted for free.
A must do.

We were following the great river road and stumbled upon the museum/aquarium. It's a modern, well kept facility. The staff was friendly and helpful. Interesting displays and artifacts. Lots of history. The aquariums included local fresh water species and some salt water species, including a hands on sting ray pool. There were many activities for children. The only downside to our visit was the weather. The were many outdoors exhibits that we missed because if the snow and cold. And for some reason, the old boat building exhibit was closed. Next time we would visit in the summer or fall.

This is a very enjoyable place to visit.
I would definitely go back.
The wife and I had a very enjoyable day here and learned a lot about the mississippi river and the wildlife that lives here.

Spent 4 hours including a couple of the theme movies and lunch. If you have kids plan on being here longer. Well worth the time.

Stopped by on our short vacation to visit the museum. The history of the riverboats and such was quite interesting. The kids seemed to enjoy it for the most part. Pretty pricey for a museum visit.

I am not a museum person, but really did enjoy this one. Loved the Aquarium and seeing all the native fish. Also, very interesting information about the Mississippi River. This is a museum where you could take all ages; kids would also love it.

Visiting just for a day and came across this gem. Front desk very helpful and also told us what else to visit while we were there,

We stopped in for what we thought would be a quick one hour visit; Four hours later we were still wandering, amazed at what we were learning and enjoying ourselves!

I was in Milwaukee on business and drove all the way over here to check it out. Great turtle exhibit, very interesting information about the Mississippi river itself. I learned a ton. Recommended for: families (lots of interactive things for children), fans of rivers (especially the Mississippi).

The museum contained both info about the Mississippi River and rivers of the U.S. in general. Interesting were the animals who inhabit the northern Mississippi, especially the otters, who love to play. The amount of goods which travel up and down the river is staggering. We learned that it takes 90 days for a drop of water to travel from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to New Orleans. The museum also covered the flow of the river and how dams affected wildlife and people when water is diverted. Flood control is an issue but so is the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico caused by altering the natural course of the river. On both floors of the museum were areas dedicated to children, hence its popularity with families.

We had a great time. We learned alot about how fragile the ecosystem is and the aquatic life is awesome

I've been going to this museum since I was little, and it's never let me down. The staff is nice, the animals are beautiful, and the toys for kids are fun for teens too.

A large "campus" with a lot to see. Definitely a place to visit. Very children friendly. Need at least two + hours to enjoy everything,

We stopped in Dubuque today and spent all afternoon here. It’s a great place to wander around. The volunteers and staff are fabulous and so helpful.

This place was way above expectations. Excellent place to take a family. Lots of interactive exhibits and a nice kids area. the aquarium side was very nice. You can pet a sturgeon and stingray. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours as a couple, probably a lot more if you have kids. We were in a bit of a rush, so we could have spent longer as as we did not take the time to go through the tugboat and dredge they had outside.

This is a nice museum and aquarium. They do a very good job of changing up the main attractions frequently to keep things fresh.

The aquarium area had several interesting displays - including a pool where you can pet a sting ray as it swims in the pool.

This was the highlight of our trip to Dubuque! The museum highlights the history of Dubuque and the Mississippi River. Our favorite part was touring the sand dredging boat! The kids loved the aquarium, especially the otter.

Great location, safe parking. I think younger children and those interested in rivers would enjoy it the most. Our entrance fee covered for 2 days. There are many different buildings you can visit. The docent working at the sting ray exhibit was very friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about the work this museum does. The in floor pond exhibit was cool! The River Walk is so close you can enjoy that as well

I always thought that I wouldn't enjoy this place because it was an aquarium and I am not into fish. After going there, I found that there is so much more there than just fish. There was quite a bit about river travel and history. I ended up spending most of the day there. I would caution that getting there is a little bit complicated if you follow your GPS and it takes you on a path where you have to cross the railroad track at grade since the trains are pretty frequent. There is an overpass and that would be the best path. They do allow you to come back the next day with your ticket.

We were somewhat disappointed in the museum. I think we were expecting more history on the Mississippi River and it was more aquarium exhibits. The stingrays were interesting to see and touch. There was a whole section on a Louisiana, which was unexpected and a little out of place in Iowa. I thought it was overpriced and honestly would not really visit it again.

Easily spent half a day here. The museum has lots of interactive exhibits that my school age children loved. The aquarium is smaller, but very nice. Feeding the stingray was a lot of fun and very well run.

Wonderful museum. Informative, excellent displays. Super helpful staff. Highly recommend. Aquarium wonderful as well

Very interesting museum and aquarium. Coming here was the impetus for our quick trip to Dubuque. It was very informative. The highlight was the ability to feed the stingrays. I'd ordered the tickets online (nice that they are good for a year from the date of purchase, so you aren't held to a specific date or time.) and thought I'd read that the feeding of the stingrays were only on a couple of days of the week - and we would not be there those days. However, on arrival staff said it was every day at 2:30 PM. There were still places available (they only take 10 people) so we were excited to pay the additional and join in. Once you saw the area, I understood why only 10 people were allowed - it's a small space. Plus there are only so many to feed. But it was a terrific experience. We'll go back again!

This place is worth the stop. The animal/aquarium potion was my favorite. I enjoyed the playful otters and fish directly from the Mississippi River. The price is very reasonable for the amount of things to do and see at the museum.

It was a nice place to visit for a few hours, a couple of buildings to see-one for saltwater and one for freshwater. Things of interest to do outside as well.

This place is a lot bigger than we thought at 1st. The kids had a blast doing activities through out. The aquariums and aniamals in the exhibits are awesome. Would definitely come back. Plus the pass wr bought was good for 2 days.

This was much more than expected with beautiful buildings and exhibits, many hands-on. Great for kids and accessible.

What a cool place for both the young and the old. Tons of Interactive learning for the kiddos while up close views to what our waterways entail and their importance can be enjoyed by all. Exploring the Dredge Riverboat is a must do but be prepared to climb ladders to see the whole boat.
Would definitely return if ever in the area again.

We took advantage of the adjacent Grand Harbor Resort's 2-day museum and waterpark package. After splitting our time between both venues the first day, our children wanted to spend most of our time at the museum and aquarium the second day. Since our first visit thirteen years ago, the museum complex has expanded to 2 buildings. Looking forward to returning during the warmer months to enjoy the outdoor features.

This is not the biggest aquarium but in the two buildings and the outdoors area, there is a lot of information about the river and its history and the history of the boats that were made at this place. Worthwhile stop.

Thought we'd be done in an hour or two but spent almost 4 hours. There is something for everyone. Artifacts/displays/films for history buffs. Machine room for those that are interested in mechanics/engineering - with a wonderful guide who cranked them up and explained their use. Aquarium and raptors for animal lovers. Stingray touch tank/4D film/discovery area for younger children. Some portraits and paintings for the art lover. Went with a retired US Navy man who especially enjoyed touring the dredge. Adequate snack bar. While others are correct in that there is not alot of any one thing, it does what it sets out to do -- educate people about the river (history as well as modern challenges) and pay tribute to the river. Do agree that the displays did not always flow the best.

This place has it all! Part aquarium, part IMAX theater, part science center, part history museum and more. Plan to spend the entire day and if you are from out of town check your memberships from your local zoos or museums for possible discounts. Admission is free if you go back the next day. Parking can be confusing since there are actually 2 buildings.

Enjoyed learning about this section of the Mississippi river, and Dubuque's role in building boats. Found the displays, including live fish and water animal displays very interesting. Especially enjoyed the William M Black riverboat display, where we got to walk around on the boat and image life in the summer heat on this boat as it dredged the river. Worth the admission and the couple of hours we spent roaming through the museum!

The museum was interesting but the aquarium was disappointing. Felt sorry for the otter, only one in the exhibit.. Overall good value for the money, great place for kids. The Da Vinci exhibit was very interesting.

This is an absolutely wonderful place, assuming you like animals, history, or natural sciences. I enjoy all three, but this wildly exceeded my expectations with the wide range of exhibits/activities. We had such a great time this past Saturday that my son asked to return on Sunday. This felt like a tremendous parenting win.

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 about flight that was fun. I would go again when it is warmer.

This is a great museum. There is great diversity to the exhibits to keep everyone engaged. The kids will love petting stingrays and turtles. I would plan your trip during nice weather since several of the displays are outside.

Had never been here and was very curious. Got to go as a birthday present and it was very education. It was November so part were not operational or open at the time which was sad but the experience was great nonetheless. Will certainly have to go back in the warmer weather to catch what was missed earlier.

We took our 2&3 year old great grandchildren and they had a great time. This museum has enough to keep their attention but it’s not overwhelming. Only disappointed was the otters were nowhere to be found that day. I asked staff and could not tell me why.

I live in Dubuque and visit the aquarium frequently with my eight-year-old grandson and the rest of my family when possible. We all enjoy it as a variety of things to see and do and plenty of fun for the eight-year-old both inside the building and outside

Our family really enjoyed this museum and aquarium and definitely plan to return. We spent 3-4 hours here, but could easily spend a full day. Our boys fed the sting rays and got to touch starfish as well. There were 2 buildings and an outdoor section in between. We did NOT do the boat tour nor the movies, but would love to check those out on a return trip. There were lots of great hands-on, interactive displays (i.e. water play area, simulation boat displays, a balance challenge, etc.). Our boys especially enjoyed the technology section on the 2nd floor with a robotic arm and virtual reality headsets. We also loved the aquarium animals and overall variety. One of the best museums we've been to!

I don’t have children, but this is a family and kid-friendly museum that has lots of hands-on activities to illustrate the principles of water flow, sea life and other related things. There are also specialty exhibits and 3-D and 4-D films (for an extra few). We just did a basic admission due to limited time, but it was a leisurely way to spend a hot summer afternoon. I was a bit disappointed in that there were not that many exhibits, but what was there was interesting and the museum workers were extremely friendly. The museum is right on the Mississippi River.

We spent about 4 hours exploring. We chose the tickets that included 1 movie and my 7 year old loved the experience. Plenty to do and touch as well as things for the adults in the group. Overall a good experience.

This is a great way to share time with children before dinner. The museum features the great Mississippi. It is educational, allows children some hands on experiences and is not expansive or expensive. Plus, one can return the next day if you are still in town. We did the museum at a moderate pace in 2 hours after a stroll on the adjacent, famous Dubuque Riverwalk. Afterward, we went to Catfish Charlies, ate and slept like babies that night.

The aquariums and exhibits are ok but I felt they looked a bit tired. The exhibits could benefit from some updating so they’re more interactive. For me the most fascinating part of this museum is the Wm Black dredge boat which worked the Missouri River for decades. It is adjacent to the museum buildings, in ‘Ice Harbor’ directly off the Mississippi. Built in 1934, the boat kept navigation channels open for years with a large crew of officers and workmen. Be sure to go on board and walk the entire self-guided tour. It’s amazing to see the workers’ bunkhouse, dining area and work areas. The noise of the steam engines must have been overwhelming for the workers. Inside the museum the DaVinci exhibit is also excellent but is temporary through October 2018. I spent almost 4 hours going through the DaVinci exhibit and the dredge. If I’d gone through all the museum exhibits it would easily have taken another 4 hours. Even with somewhat dated exhibits this place is well worth your time.

Exhibits are well done. We had an enjoyable visit. Got to pet the stingrays. Enjoyed the Da Vinci exhibit too.

This place has history, animals, aquarium, even a boat. The museum rambles down the waterfront with different buildings encasing different exhibits all relating to the Mississippi river.

The aquarium attractions are beautiful with interesting creatures and informative verbage regarding them. There are creative exhibits showing the history of the river and how the water flows, etc. As you wander outside toward the water, there is a small playground for children and a dredging river boat that you can tour.

Admission of $16.95 includes everything but the IMAX movies which can be added on for an additional fee. There is a one dollar discount for AAA members.

We stayed the better part of a day here, which is unusual for us. I think the two 4D movies really help to round out the overall experience; we saw one about Pandas (45 minutes) and one about Weather patterns in the solar system (26 minutes). I also really enjoyed boarding and walking around the old ship that used to drudge the river. I can't imagine that those workers basically worked 6 months straight without even leaving the boat. There are also two aquariums, one saltwater and one freshwater. There is also a nice cafe so you can have lunch without even leaving.

I've been to multiple aquariums and what makes this one stand apart from the rest is all of the supplemental things there are to do besides the aquarium.

We spent a couple of hours here on a cold, wet afternoon. We enjoyed all aspects of the museum - I am a history nut and really enjoyed the tour of the William M Black dredge boat. It was a fascinating look at a little thought about aspect of the Mississippi River. My son had no idea that the river needed dredging. We also enjoyed the aquarium and especially watching the otters play. They were adding fish to one of the displays and it was fun to see how this was done. The museum exceeded my expectations and was a fun way to spend the afternoon.