Sections of southwestern Wisconsin, northern Iowa and eastern Minnesota tied together by the Mississippi River are likely most often associated with the natural beauty and industry the waterway supports, but a handful of organizations are working to make tourism an important part of economic development in the region.
Within the last 15 years, three such organizations have become important cornerstones of their communities and provide diverse day trip destinations.
The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium has undergone a $54 million expansion in the last 13 years. It attracts more than 200,000 visitors to a 10-acre site at the Port of Dubuque, Iowa's oldest city.
"It's part of a greater effort to revitalize Dubuque, especially the Port of Dubuque region," said the museum's assistant marketing manager Andrew Brunner. "We have on average about 220,000 people that come through our facility every year, which equates to over $100 million in economic impact to our region."
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota, has been offering its own historic collection of water-inspired paintings from European and American artists dating to the 17th century for 11 years. The museum and events like the Great River Shakespeare Festival and the Minnesota Beethoven Festival have reshaped the city.
"Traditionally, Winona was known primarily as an industrial town," said Minnesota Marine Art Museum curator Jon Swanson. "But now, there's a lot of different arts and cultural organizations from various sources doing a lot of great things."
And northwest from Winona is the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, which opened in a new building in 2007 — the same year the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list.
Last year, people from 115 countries visited the center, and there are plans to expand the facility in the next five years.
"We are an attraction that brings people from around the world, certainly around the state and around the region," said the center's marketing manager Ed Hahn. "It certainly is an agent of change for the community of Wabasha, but it's a positive change in the sense that we're going to (be) bringing in how many thousands of visitors."
Each museum is a member of the Blue Star Program which offers free admission to military families.