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Rivers
Project Educational Programming
Come learn about the living river providing
transportation, employment, recreation, and wildlife habitat.
Planning a Visit
to the National Great Rivers Museum and Melvin Price Locks and Dam
General
The
museum is open 7 days a week from 9 AM to 5 PM. We are closed on
Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and
New Year's Day. All programs and tours are free. The museum
is self-guided, however, the museum staff conducts tours of the
Melvin Price Locks and Dam daily for public walk-ins only at 10
AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. The museum and locks tour are handicap accessible.
Wheel chairs and a taped museum tour are available from the front
desk. The Confluence Store gift shop is open the same hours as the
museum.
Events
and Programs
Several
family oriented programs and events are offered throughout the year.
Visit our events
page to find out more.
Theater
Shows
The
museum theater has two shows available for viewing, “Power
of the River” (approximately 20 minutes long) and "The
Mississippi River Water Trail" (approximately 10 minutes long).
School/Bus
Groups
Groups wishing to tour the locks or the
museum, need to call the Alton Convention and Visitors Bureau at
1-800-258-6645 to schedule their visit. Group tours of the locks are
conducted at 9 AM, 11 AM and 2 PM. Please allow at least 2 hours to
visit both the museum and locks and dam. School/children groups
require at least one adult chaperone per 10 students. Student
activity sheets are available to assist in the museum experience.
Museum
Manners
We want all our visitors to have an
enjoyable experience to our facilities. In order to ensure a safe
and pleasurable visit for all, the following guidelines have been
established: Please - No eating, running, or reckless behavior is
permitted in the museum or on the locks and dam. Arrive at your
scheduled time or call to report any changes. Prior to arrival,
divide large groups into smaller groups of no more than 25 each.
Teachers/group leaders should: Be sure all chaperones understand
their duties before the visit. Chaperones should: Supervise their
group and maintain order. Assist the teacher/group leader in
providing a positive learning experience.
Security
Awareness
As a federal facility of the Department of
Defense, the museum and locks & dam must be vigilant in their
observance of national security guidelines . Visitors need to be
aware that security levels can change at anytime and can alter
operating procedures at the museum and the lock. Current security
levels will be posted on our website. Please call ahead if you have
any concerns or questions. The information below indicates the
restrictions for each security level: (Note: The Dept of Defense
does not use the Homeland Security Color Code Designation) Normal or
Peacetime: No restrictions Alpha: No purses, packs, cell phones, or
cameras (except disposable) allowed on the lock tour. Bravo: Alpha
level restrictions apply. A 24-hour advanced reservation is needed
for a lock tour. Charlie: All facilities will be closed. Delta: All
facilities will be closed.
Lock
and Dam Tour Guidelines
• Groups under the age of 13 MUST have a minimum of
1 chaperone for every 5 students
• Groups over the age of 13 MUST have a minimum of 1 chaperone for
every 10 students
• Chaperones must remain with their group at all times through the
duration of your visit.
• All Tours will be limited to 25 visitors per tour guide.
• Groups are recommended to dress appropriately for the current
and predicted weather.
CANCELLATIONS:
Tours
may also be cancelled in the event of extreme or unsafe weather.
Tours may also be cancelled due to maintenance, repair, construction
or in the event of heightened security levels, which pose a threat
to the safety of visitors and staff. If tours are cancelled, groups
can request an overview program with video or reschedule.
Directions
From Alton, IL: From the Clark bridge,
follow IL 143 South two miles to Lock & Dam Way. Turn right.
From I-55/64/70 (downtown St. Louis): Go East across the Poplar
Street bridge. Take the 3 North exit. Follow it all the way to IL
143 near Wood River. Turn left onto IL 143, and go 2 miles to Lock
& Dam Way. Turn left.
Parking
& Picnic Facilities
After
unloading at the front of the museum, buses should circle to the
left into the bus parking area . A picnic shelter is located near
the museum and is available for picnic lunches on a first-come,
first-serve basis.
After your
tour.... Don't forget to stop by the Confluence Bookstore and check
out all the river related books and souvenirs.
Outdoor
Activities
Riverlands
Migratory Bird Sanctuary Tour
This
tour focuses on prairie restoration and manmade wetlands. The Riverlands
Migratory Bird Sanctuary is an example of the Corps' evolving commitment
toward sustainable water resource development. This 1,200 acre prairie
marsh restoration is an open-space reserve for an abundance of fish,
waterfowl, and native marsh plants. Nature trails provide the public
with a chance for a closer look at the natural landscape of bottomland
prairie and wetlands within a sub-urban environment.
Appropriate for all ages. Time: 1 Hour
Eagle
Programs, Viewing Opportunities and Ranger Led Viewing
Rangers are on-site to answer your
questions and share information on viewing opportunities.
Through-out eagle season, Public Eagle Programs/Ranger-Led Viewing
are offered at the Rivers Project Office. Rangers staff the National
Great Rivers Museum daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the Rivers
Project Office daily Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.,
closed on the weekends. Appropriate for all ages. Time: 1 Hour
Water
Safety
Water safety programs and materials are
readily available for Special Events, school programs and State
Fairs by calling the National Great Rivers Museum at 1(877)462-6979.
Indoor
Classroom Activities
GO BONKERS
FOR BIRDS
How do you learn
to see a bird and think "Eastern Meadowlark" or"White-breasted
Nuthatch" and not just "bird"? Try drawing a few
species for fun and coloring in their distinctive features. That's
what 5th and 6th graders do each year as part of a Bonkers for Birds
program offered annually by the National Great Rivers Museum. More
than 1,000 St. Louis-area children participated this year in a contest
that introduces them to both bird watching and scientific research.
Each class is assigned
a local bird species, finds the bird in the wild and learns about
behavior, range, migration patterns and physical features. The art
work of one or two children per class is then selected and included
in a museum-created field guide.
Key to the program is
the examination of the unique niche each species plays in the ecosystem,
says Erin Hilligoss-Volkmann, a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, one way to encourage better ecological stewardship.
"There's
such a huge variety and biodiversity of birds, " she said.
"We are hoping people take it from birds to a lot more and
devvelop an interest in the environment."
Teachers interested
in the "Bonkers for Birds" Program need to register their
class. A packet of informtion will be sent to the class with detailed
information about the art concept. For more information please contact
the National Great Rivers Museum at 618-462-6979
 Geocaching
Geocaching is
a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.
Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then
attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
Get your hands on a GPS receiver, then follow these steps to find
hidden caches near you.
STEP
1: Register for a free membership on geocaching.com.
Visit the "Hide & Seek a Cache" page and enter your
zip code, then hit "search".
STEP
2: Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS-enabled device.
STEP
3: Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden
geocache. It may require driving to the cache's general vicinity.
STEP
4: Sign the logbook in the container and return the geocache
to its original location. If the cache contains items for trading,
feel free to take something and leave something else of equal value.
STEP
5: Log on to geocaching.com
to record your find.
GEOCACHE WITH
A GUIDE
Alton, IL:
The National Great Rivers Museum hosts guided geocaching programs
each Saturday at 9 a.m. in June, July and August. The free two-hour
program includes lessons on how to use a GPS and a guided search
for a hidden cache.
Educational
Resources
John
Madson Memorial Library
The resource library is located at the Rivers Project
Office in West Alton, Missouri. Educators can take advantage of the
many publications on wetlands, habitats, and nature guides, along
with engineering and navigation publications. Take time to surf the
Internet to further research you project or interest. The herbarium
is a also a great way to get a close look at native prairie grasses
and forbs found in the Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area.
Most of the written materials in the library were
donated to the Rivers Project, by John Madson' wife, Dycie. John
Madson was author of many books and articles. He had work published
in the Smithsonian, Audubon, & National Geographic magazines.
 Environmental
Learning Facility (ELF)
The Environmental Learning Facility (ELF) is located
on Riverlands Way in West Alton Missouri. Take highway 67 across
the Clark Bridge to the first left and follow the road or take 270
West to 367 north and turn onto Riverlands Way before crossing the
Clark Bridge. This classroom, overlooking Ellis Bay, is an excellent
way to conduct an activity indoors, when you cannot go outside or
when classroom facilities are needed. The ELF can hold up to 75
people. The ELF is equipped for showing videos. Chairs and tables
are provided. To reserve use this facility, please contact Interpretive
Services at the National Great Rivers Museum at (618) 462-6979 or
toll free at 1-877-462-6979.
Video
Resources
Videos are an
excellent way for people to learn about Locks & Dams, Eagles,
Flooding, and Wetlands without leaving the classroom. Many of our
videos are around 30 minute long and can be checked out by visiting
or calling the Rivers Project in West Alton, Missouri, at (636)
899-2600 or toll free at 1-888-899-2602.
Area
Resources
To find our
more about other museums and places to visit in the surrounding
Riverbend area, please call the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors
Center, (800)ALTON-IL (258-6645).
Scout Programs:
visit our Events page
for more information
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