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Mississippi National River and Recreation AreaKids looking though binoculars to see the wonders of the big Mississippi
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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Directions
 

Getting There
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area visitor center is located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota. (There is no admission fee to the visitor center.) The map above shows the visitor center's location. This is a good place to get started with your visit to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

There are, however, many visitor centers, parks, and other places of interest that line the entire 72 miles of river that comprise the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Check out Places to Go for directions to specific attractions within the park.

Plane
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is the hub airport for Northwest Airlines, but is also served by other airlines including Sun Country, Delta, Frontier and others.

Car
Interstates 35 and 94 meet in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Locally, county and state highways as well as city streets all offer access to the river, visitor centers, and parks.

Public Transportation
MetroTransit provides mass transit services throughout the metropolitan area. Bus service is especially convenient to locations and activities near the downtown areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul. MetroTransit also operates light rail service near the Mississippi River between the airport and downtown Minneapolis. Call 612-373-3333 to plan your trip to a particular destination within the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area.

Mussels, One being in a person's hand  

Did You Know?
Under the right conditions, certain freshwater mussel species live for as many as 10 to 100 years. This lifespan is one of the longest for any creature on earth.

Last Updated: April 23, 2009 at 12:03 EST