River Discovery Center Construction Photo Archive
Gallery 21 - June 28th, 2003

Grand Opening

The future changes from here on in. With a swing of the champagne bottle, The William Woodward River Discovery Center, home of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium opened to the public. Years of incredibly hard work, steadfast dedication, and unprecedented teamwork has paid off for the future of Dubuque. Project partners, civic leaders, and governmental officials including Senator Charles Grassley, Congressman Jim Nussle and Governor Tom Vilsack spoke on similar themes, touching on both the immense importance of the Mississippi River to the lifeblood of our nation and showing awe at the ability of Dubuque to show solidarity and unequaled leadership in making this dream a reality. The museum also signed the official affiliate agreement with the Smithsonian Institution at the event and the most unlikely of donors, a retired riverboat captain, donated one-million dollars to create a library within the Museum.

Pure and simple, this facility is an amazing accomplishment for the Historical Society and the City of Dubuque entire. The America's River Project will be a catalyst for the changing face of our community in the coming years. For your own good, you simply must grab the family and head down to the Museum for an afternoon of education and entertainment. You'll be talking about it to everyone you know.

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