Newsroom

Wednesday mornings at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dr. Marianne Kirkendall is onsite for her veterinary rounds. On the rotation for the day is checking on a painted turtle who the aquarists are rehabilitating after it sustained a carapace fracture when it was hit by a car. Kirkendall does a visual exam and makes sure the turtle’s brace—a paperclip epoxied on its shell to keep the boney tissue from shifting while it heals—before she continues to other a... Read More

The orphaned North American River Otters at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium have become fast friends since meeting at the River Museum. Therefore, it should come as no surprise then that their new names reference that bond. Susan and Ed Ritts, supporters of the Dubuque County Historical Society, which owns and operates the River Museum, were granted the honor of naming the otters. “We named the otters for characters from Mark Twain’s novels,” the couple... Read More

On March 2, 2022, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (River Museum) was notified of a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza within the state of Iowa, in Potawatomie County. Upon receiving the information, the facility immediately began the process of reviewing its Avian Influenza Management Plan and taking initial steps to mitigate risk to our avian population. On April 25th, 2022, the organization moved to level two in our management plan, which triggered implementatio... Read More

Dot, the Green Sea Turtle, joined the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium as a featured animal on exhibit in 2014. In December of 2021, about eight years after her arrival in the Port of Dubuque, she passed away from health complications. In 2013, Dot was rescued after being found with injuries that left damage to her spinal cord and caused flipper paralysis and decreased mobility within her GI tract. She came to the River Museum from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and guests we... Read More

Dot, our resident Green Sea Turtle, has been off exhibit for the better part of a year. A favorite among members and visitors alike, her departure from her normal habitat was met with concern over her health. While we are happy to inform our friends, members and follower’s that Dot is doing quite well, we also wanted to share a bit about her backstory and how she came to be at the River Museum, including why she is not yet back in her exhibit. In July of 2013, a juvenile Green Sea Tur... Read More

Work has been underway since last fall to expand the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s Live Animal Outreach Program with the arrival of two new raptors this spring. The expansion will enable staff to address Iowa bird conservation initiatives, provide teacher workshop opportunities, and add avian ambassadors to the outreach program’s portfolio. During the last several months, the River Museum received financial support from Resource Enhancement & Protection &... Read More