America's Heartland
Coursing nearly nine hundred miles from Minnesota’s Chippewa country to the confluence of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, the Upper Mississippi flows through the pages of U.S. history. A working river, tamed by ingenious man-made lakes and locks, it wraps you in a colorful patchwork quilt of urban and frontier vistas. High bluffs and rolling farmland, wild wetlands and neat prairie farms instill the same sense of wonder and adventure that inspired early pioneers to put down roots and call the heartland home.
Dates & Rates
Prices: Contact Us
2008 Dates:
Saint Louis – CincinnatiJune 29
July 5, 13, 15, 19, 27
Aug 2, 10, 12, 16, 24, 30
Sep 7, 13, 27
Oct 11, 25
St. Paul – Saint Louis
July 6, 12, 20, 26
Aug 3, 9, 17, 23, 31
Sep 6, 20
Oct 4, 18
Ships: Delta Queen, American Queen, Mississippi Queen
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The Upper Mississippi awakens childhood memories—catching tadpoles, skipping rocks and counting clouds in a summer’s sky. Wonder comes anew as you run your hand along Aunt Polly’s fence in Mark Twain’s hometown, as you listen to the clip-clop of an Amish horse carriage, and as you tie up under the shimmering Gateway Arch, with all of St. Louis at your feet.
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| SAINT LOUIS | Missouri | |
| The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 introduced thrilling new inventions like electricity and automobiles as well as the first ice cream cone, hot dog and hamburger. The Eads Bridge, the first major steel bridge in the country and Lock No. 27 on the Mississippi rival the city's most famous landmarkthe legendary Gateway Arch. | |
| PADUCAH | Kentucky | |
| The site of a Chicasaw village, Paducah was named for its chief. It became a bustling river port and a Union stronghold from which 42,000 Union soldiers aboard 173 steamboats and 12 gunboats traveled to their fate at Shiloh. | |
| HENDERSON | Kentucky | |
| The 'Birds of America' paintings by naturalist John James Audubon are re-created in bronze statues located throughout Henderson. The music of another famous resident is celebrated at the yearly W. C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival. | |
| MADISON | Indiana | |
| This colorful, once bustling river port, known as the '19th-century Williamsburg of America,' is a veritable who's who of historic places and intriguing Federal and Greek Revival-style architecture. | |
| CINCINNATI | Ohio | |
| With the largest collection of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture in the country, primarily concentrated in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, you can see one National Historic Site after another. |
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| SAINT LOUIS | Missouri | |
| The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 introduced thrilling new inventions like electricity and automobiles as well as the first ice cream cone, hot dog and hamburger. The Eads Bridge, the first major steel bridge in the country and Lock No. 27 on the Mississippi rival the city's most famous landmarkthe legendary Gateway Arch. | |
| CAPE GIRARDEAU | Missouri | |
| Once home to the Ozark cliff dwellers and the Mississippian tribe, Cape Girardeau became a French trading post and a lively river port. Today it boasts Civil War sites and a tranquil setting commemorating the Trail of Tears, a tragic chapter in Cherokee history. | |
| PADUCAH | Kentucky | |
| The site of a Chicasaw village, Paducah was named for its chief. It became a bustling river port and a Union stronghold from which 42,000 Union soldiers aboard 173 steamboats and 12 gunboats traveled to their fate at Shiloh. | |
| NASHVILLE | Tennessee | |
| Named for an American Revolutionary War hero, Francis Nash, the thriving capital of Tennessee burst upon the scene with the emergence of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925. The city's fortunes are tied to Music Row, the second biggest music production center after New York, but attractions like Belle Meade Plantation, a re-creation of the Greek Parthenon, keep visitors attuned to a rich heritage. | |
| NASHVILLE | Tennessee | |
| Named for an American Revolutionary War hero, Francis Nash, the thriving capital of Tennessee burst upon the scene with the emergence of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925. The city's fortunes are tied to Music Row, the second biggest music production center after New York, but attractions like Belle Meade Plantation, a re-creation of the Greek Parthenon, keep visitors attuned to a rich heritage. |
| St. Louis - St. Paul |
| SAINT LOUIS | Missouri |
| The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 introduced thrilling new inventions like electricity and automobiles as well as the first ice cream cone, hot dog and hamburger. The Eads Bridge, the first major steel bridge in the country and Lock No. 27 on the Mississippi rival the city's most famous landmarkthe legendary Gateway Arch. |
| ALTON | Illinois |
| Located 13 miles south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, Alton figured prominently in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and the Underground Railroad. It also lays claim to the title of the most haunted city in America. It is the site of the impressive Clark Bridge. |
| HANNIBAL | Missouri |
| When Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, moved to Hannibal in 1839, it bustled with steamboats, flatboats, and packet steamers traveling the Upper Mississippi. Its colorful characters and all-American flavor inspired the author's greatest novels. Reminders of Tom, Huck and Becky can be found around every corner. |
| DUBUQUE | Iowa |
| The flags of five nations have flown over a city that lives and breathes river lore. The connection of natural and human history is woven throughout the Smithsonian-affiliated National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium-a destination in itself. |
| LACROSSE | Wisconsin |
| Step into 19th-century America in La Crosse, located on the banks of three great rivers. You'll find a gem of Victorian and Art Deco architecture laced with parks and an inviting Riverwalk. Travel down country roads to discover authentic Amish shops and farms. |
| RED WING | Minnesota |
| Celebrating its 150th birthday in 2007, this charming city of just over 16,000 people welcomes you with quaint flower-bedecked streets and 35 immaculate city parks with winding river-view trails. |
| ST. PAUL | Minnesota |
| The Twin Cities are a thrilling place to begin or end your Mississippi adventure. They present a heady mix of modern-day skyscrapers and historic architecture, colorful Native American culture and pristine natural wonders. Transiting Lock and Dam No. 1 introduces the impressive engineering that channels the river's awesome power. |
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| ST. PAUL | Minnesota | |
| The Twin Cities are a thrilling place to begin or end your Mississippi adventure. They present a heady mix of modern-day skyscrapers and historic architecture, colorful Native American culture and pristine natural wonders. Transiting Lock and Dam No. 1 introduces the impressive engineering that channels the river's awesome power. | |
| WINONA | Minnesota | |
| Nestled between tall limestone bluffs and the stunning Mississippi River, the city founded by a steamboat captain is filled with the Americana of lumber barons' vintage homes. | |
| LACROSSE | Wisconsin | |
| Step into 19th-century America in La Crosse, located on the banks of three great rivers. You'll find a gem of Victorian and Art Deco architecture laced with parks and an inviting Riverwalk. Travel down country roads to discover authentic Amish shops and farms. | |
| DUBUQUE | Iowa | |
| The flags of five nations have flown over a city that lives and breathes river lore. The connection of natural and human history is woven throughout the Smithsonian-affiliated National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium-a destination in itself. | |
| DAVENPORT | Iowa | |
| Located on a stretch of the Mississippi River that runs east and west and is graced by the Rock Island Centennial Bridge, Davenport maintains the authentic character of the river with open vistas and accessible riverfront parks. Also notable is the River Music Experience, a renowned attraction celebrating the American songbook. | |
| BURLINGTON | Iowa | |
| The ancestral home of the Sauk Indians, Burlington became a bustling river port during the steamboat era, a railway center for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and the Iowa Territory's seat of government. | |
| HANNIBAL | Missouri | |
| When Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, moved to Hannibal in 1839, it bustled with steamboats, flatboats, and packet steamers traveling the Upper Mississippi. Its colorful characters and all-American flavor inspired the author's greatest novels. Reminders of Tom, Huck and Becky can be found around every corner. | |
| SAINT LOUIS | Missouri | |
| The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 introduced thrilling new inventions like electricity and automobiles as well as the first ice cream cone, hot dog and hamburger. The Eads Bridge, the first major steel bridge in the country and Lock No. 27 on the Mississippi rival the city's most famous landmarkthe legendary Gateway Arch. |
