Overview
Located in downtown St. Paul, just off the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Mississippi River Visitor Center serves as a gateway to adventure along the mighty Mississippi. Operated by the National Park Service and staffed with park rangers and park volunteers, the Visitor Center has free admission.
Activities: There is a wide variety of programming at the Visitor Center, including videos about the Mississippi National River and Recreation and other parks within the National Park system, interactive exhibits, a Junior Ranger program, Story Time with a Ranger, and Mississippi River Gallery talks. Exhibits explain Mississippi River culture, biology, and history. Call for more information.
Visitors may also seek advice about the many recreational opportunities within the park. Hiking, biking, canoeing and boating, fishing, birding, or skiing and snowshoeing are all popular activities. (Free fishing equipment can be checked out at the Visitor Center.) Rangers can also provide trip planning advice to any of the nearly 400 National Park units.
This is also a good place to learn about the park's scheduled programming. Popular activities include Ranger River Walks and Bike with a Ranger, among many other programs. Check our Schedule of Events regularly for upcoming events.
A wide array of free Mississippi River and Minnesota state information is available along with merchandise such as books, toys, maps, posters, and games.
Hours and Contact Information: The Mississippi River Visitor Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The visitor center will be closed on 9/12 - 9/15 and on Mondays starting9/19 until Memorial Day, except on December 26, January 2 and February 20. Call the visitor center at 651-293-0200 for more information, especially during winter storms.
Arriving: The Mississippi River Visitor Center is located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota near downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. Parking is available at the Museum's parking garage on Chestnut Street and MetroTransit has bus stops on many different routes converging in downtown St. Paul within a few blocks of the Visitor Center.
