enjoy a night at the museum! 

Grab your sleeping bag and pillow for an evening of exploration at the Museum & Aquarium. Do crafts and games that are fun for all ages before meeting some of the animal residents that spend every night at the Museum. Top off the night with a movie in one of our theaters before tucking in for bed in front of one of our exhibits.

  • Arrival Time: 5:30 PM  
  • Departure Time: 8:00 AM  
  • Minimum Fee: $1,500 (Includes up to 20 participants)
  • Additional Participants: $75 per person
  • Max Capacity: 60 participants  

For groups of adults and/or children, ages 6+.  A minimum of 1 adult per 5 youths is required. To reserve your overnight date or receive additional information please fill out the inquiry form below.

Contact our education team at 563-557-9545 x222 or learning@rivermuseum.org for details and reservations! We can even customize programs for merit badge requirements!

Submit Inquiry

Program Offerings:

Animals of the Mississippi River

Mussels, snakes and beavers; each species has a niche or role in the environment. Through the use of pelts and other hands-on items, participants will explore animals that call the Mississippi River home!

Keywords: Adaptations, Native Species, Classification, Habitats, Biodiversity  

An Animal Chorus

Explore different ways animals communicate with each other. Transform into an animal chorus and meet live animals up close!

Keywords: Animal Communication (vocalization, sounds), territory signals, social interactions, comparative biology, sensory perception, environmental influences 

Life as a Pioneer

Step back in time and discover the daily life of the first pioneers who settled along the Mississippi River in this driftless area. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, you’ll experience what life was like and why they did it.  

Keywords: Behavioral sciences, economics, geography, local history, trade and commerce 

Build Your Own Boat

Assemble and decorate your own miniature wooden boat to take home. Explore the world of boat building and how the technology and tools of this industry developed through history.

Keywords: Engineering practices, industrial development (steam engine, historic tools & technology), economics, local history, transportation and trade   

Watershed Connections

Do you know how your actions affect the overall health of the Mississippi River? Investigate humans’ effect on our watershed and explore conservation practices to keep it healthy.  Our 3D Enviroscape model allows you to see how pollution from different sources can affect lakes, rivers, and streams.  

Keywords: Conservation, Pollution, Human Impact, Environment, Erosion, Watershed   

Water Science Exploration

Investigate natural sciences with hands-on experiments to learn more about the relationships amongst living organisms and our environment. Activities may include water quality testing, identify species, or explore on our onsite wetlands.  

Keywords: ecology, conservation, sustainability, environmental stewardship   

STEM Challenge

Choose a challenge to create, test, and learn from with hands-on activities. Challenges offered may include engineering air pressure rockets, using physics to design a mini catapult, or apply chemistry to create slimy creations. Dive further into topics within STEM through fun activities.

Keywords: scientific method, inquiry-based learning, collaboration, applied science