Photo Credit: National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (Dubuque, IA)

Museums on the Great River Road

Museums for different interests to delight and educate as you travel the Great River Road.  Go ahead, get out of the car, stretch your legs and expand your mind.

 ~Minnesota~

Photo Courtesy of Minnesota Marine Art Museum

Minnesota Marine Art Museum (Winona, MN)

This little city holds an impressive treasure. Art from masters such as Cézanne, Renoir, and O’Keeffe. Does Washington Crossing the Delaware ring a bell? They have it!

Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, MN)

A free museum that is a MUST for art lovers.  Over 90,000 pieces of artwork from six continents, it’s impossible to see it all in one visit.

 

 ~Wisconsin~

National Brewery Museum (Potosi, WI)

Top off your visit to the National Brewery Museum and Transportation Museum with a brewery tour and beer samples at the Potosi Brewery.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Villa Louis (Prairie du Chien, WI)

Period dressed tour guides that bring history to life.  Experience Victorian life during the 19th century, a fun and fascinating tour.

~Iowa~

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (Dubuque, IA)

Educational and fun this museum captures life on the river.  Part museum, part aquarium, and a whole lot of awesome!

Buffalo Bill Museum (LeClaire, IA)

Buffalo Bill Cody was born in LeClaire, but the museum doesn’t stop there.  A small museum that holds a lot of history, including a whole steam powered tugboat!

~Illinois~

Galena History Museum (Glena, IL)

The museum is located in a beautiful Italianate home.  And if that isn’t enough to make you check it out, General Ulysses S. Grant will take you for a walking tour of the downtown.

Alton Museum of History and Art (Alton, IL)

Peruse local exhibits, then stroll across the street and see how you compare to the Tallest Man in the World.  A statue commemorating Alton’s gentle giant Robert Wadlow.

 ~Missouri~

Missouri History Museum (St. Louis, MO)

Whether you’re visiting from out of town or down the road, prepare for your trip by learning more about exhibits as well as shopping and dining options at the Missouri History Museum.

City Museum (St. Louis, MO)

They suggest wearing sneakers and avoiding flip flops plus jeans are a good idea.  Why? Slides, tunnels, a giant jungle gym and more. That’s why.

~Kentucky~

Kentucky Veteran and Patriot Museum (Wickliffe, KY)

Dedicated to the men and women who served in our armed forces.

Barlow House Museum (Barlow, KY)

Mr. Barlow was a collector.  View this turn of the century home and Barlow’s china collection from around the world.

~Tennessee~

Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art (Memphis, TN)

Nicknamed the Jade Museum from the many pieces of Asian art carved into jade on display, this museum is a real gem.

National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis, TN)

This museum takes you through centuries of history, turning civil rights history into a one of a kind experience.

 

~ARKANSAS~

Delta Gateway Museum (Blytheville, AR)

The Delta region in Arkansas is one of the world’s most fertile and this museum talks agriculture and history.

Delta Cultural Center (Helena, AR)

Three interconnected buildings dedicated to the music of the Arkansas Delta, plus art and history of the region.

 

~Mississippi~

B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (Indianola, MS)

If you love the Blues, this isn’t a road trip, it’s a pilgrimage.

U.S.S. Cairo Museum (Vicksburg, MS)

This ironside vessel was torpedoed and sunk during the Civil War.  Salvaged and restored it’s the centerpiece of the museum.

~Louisiana~

Whitney Plantation (Wallace, LA)

A plantation tour from the perspective of slaves. Tours can sell out, so call ahead.

National WWII Museum (New Orleans, LA)

Trip Advisor’s #2 ranked museum in the world!! It tells the story World War II, why it was fought and how it was won.