More than a year after it closed due to the pandemic, the Mississippi River Visitor Center on Arsenal Island will re-open this weekend. Next to Lock and Dam 15, it features an observation deck, museum, inter-active displays, and a small aquarium.
Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Mike McKean says before COVID-19, 25-30,000 people would visit the center every year - to learn about navigation, the environment, and local history.
"We get people from all over the country who've maybe never seen the Mississippi River before or want to see what locks and dams are all about and what goes through. We have a lot of local folks too, schools and field trips when we're fully open that come through as well."
He also thinks the center offers the best views of towboats locking through.
The Visitor Center will re-open on Sunday ( 3/23 ), and will be open seven days a week through Labor Day. Going to the center requires a first stop for a visitor pass, at the Arsenal's Visitor Control Center at the Moline gate.
