Have you ever seen a steamboat made into a Welcome Center and Museum? Me neither. So I had to go…read moreinside to check it out. I was met with two of the nicest ladies (working on a Saturday) answering questions and giving directions. Inside the steamboat is a small place to buy souvenirs and snacks as well as a museum on multiple levels. The majority of the museum is accessed up two small staircases. Kids and adults will find this Welcome Center a perfect place to stop in. Restrooms were in a separate building and a playground was available for the kids to get out some energy. There was also a beautiful walking path by the water to walk your dog. Go in and tell the nice ladies Marie sent you!

The last time I was here was 7 years ago. I was here two weeks ago & I had fun with my friend who…read morealso was here with me! A lot of interesting things to see regarding Sioux City & Lewis & Clark voyage!

My boyfriend, my brother & I all had fun here last weekend! I love the different selections of…read moreSioux City history they have here!

A beautifully maintained facility. The greeter at the desk warmly welcomed each visitor this…read moreThursday. The building is large enough to host a huge antique road builder but small enough to see everything in a morning. I'd guess you'll spend two hours looking at fossils and nostalgic Sioux City memories. There's a medium-sized native American; fair exhibit that didn't quite pop. But I'm nitpicking; this 5 star museum is beautifully put together. Then again, not everything can be a life-size tyranasaurous rex skull. That thing kind of steals the show in over in that part of the building. In fact, when I was looking at dino stuff, I wished I'd seen that skull last. I'll put a selfie of it; I look ugly but I need you to see this head. The rex's, not mine. Once you see that, most of the other fossils are forgettable. Except to the 13 year old children who are so knowledgeable about paleontology! Apparently, The Hard Rock Hotel donated some of the coolest pieces, including the t. rex, an unforgettable gift to the Sioux City community. Finally, speaking of community is what I think of as a Community Room. It's a behind the scenes facility, also beautifully maintained, where significant events can be shared. In fact, that was how I wound up at the Sioux City Museum. It was the location for the Juneteenth celebration in Sioux City. As a freedom loving American and a military veteran who believes in "justice for all," I've had an interest in this holiday for years. In most communities I've been to, Juneteenth either doesn't get seriously recognized, it gets a mention in the schools or, at best, it was celebrated in church with prayer, a program and, downstairs at Second Baptist Church of Ottumwa, a feast. In Sioux City, after a multi-year absence, the historic holiday of Juneteenth was celebrated in the museums community room. As a wild guess, at least a hundred people were there to listen and to eat soul food. The program explained how slavery ended in the US after the Civil War. But the landowners of Texas refused to let their slaves hear the news; those victims actually weren't slaves, they were free. The white "slave" holders of Texas kept the secret, working these free people for TWO YEARS, until a Federal military unit showed up to break the news: You're all free.

A passionate group of volunteers make your visit here very special. Between the historic buildings,…read morethe railroad history, the model trains, and the great people volunteering here, spending a couple of hours here is very rewarding. A gem for the community. You'll feel good about supporting this place and learning about railroad history in Sioux City!

I've only been here twice. Once during normal museum hours and once I was a part of a production of…read moreOrphan Train that a local Sioux City theater was putting on, and the lot opened so we could take some really cool pictures in costume. We got some amazing photos. The time I came for the museum I was chaperoning a small group of summer camp kids. Our tour guide was amazing. He let the kids ring the bell, go into some of the train cars, and walked us around the grounds. The kids really seemed to enjoy themselves. Both time the grounds were insanely muddy. But it's outside on actual old rail tracks. I don't quite remember the bathroom situation but I know they gotta have them. I don't think they have any food or gift shop. I know they do events every once in awhile. I see them advertised. Nice little Sioux City treasure tucked away from the city.

We came here on first leg to see Disney on ice. Our science museum reciprocal membership got us…read morefree admission. Our son couldn't have Venn happier on rainy day. So many things to do here and came before and after Disney on ice. Our son loved the market and cafe that he spent most time here. Afterwards, he did some of the other exhibits nearby. Nice that museum had its own parking lot instead of street parking. Also, all bathrooms have changing tables which was nice. Seating for eating was limited but worked. Overall, it's worth a stop over for your little ones to enjoy.

This place is great for children ages 2-12. Our family was visiting my adult son, his wife and our…read moregrand daughter in Sioux City and thought this looked like a fun place for us all to go. It was going to be expensive with five children and five adults, but I thought Gigi could splurge this once. I was so thankful that at the last minute my husband and three older sons (25, 15 & 13) decided to play golf instead. They would have been bored out of their minds! The girls (9 and 11) had a great time. I did not like the fact that my daughter-in-law, my 20 year old daughter, and I had to pay so much to in reality sit and watch the girls play. If I knew the environment, I would have taken the girls alone and let the other two go out, but hindsight is 20/20. So, in conclusion, take the kids - boys and girls- up to ages 13, and only pay for one adult to sit and supervise! Anything else is a waste of money!

I had been to so many other Lewis and Clark sites, and so I did not budget much time for this one…read more I thought it would be the same old, same old, right? Well, about half of the building is dedicated to Lewis and Clark's journey, and the other half is the Betty Strong Encounter Center which has more artwork and local subjects. I spent a surprising amount of time here. I really like how some of the exhibits discusses Sergeant Floyd's death, which was previously glossed over. I only knew that he was the only death on the trial, but I never knew the circumstances. There's a nearby obelisk that also memorializes his death if you want to further explore the history.

While visiting Sioux City Iowa, I decided to spend half of the day just getting to know the area…read moreand exploring so I ended up over at the Lewis and Clark interpretive center. This was amazing and it is a must see for anyone who is wanting to know a little bit about our history in America and a lot about Sioux City. The exhibits are fantastic, the building is gorgeous as is the setting out on the riverfront. There are also lots of other places surrounding it that are locals and tourists alike. There is a dry docked boat museum next-door and there is also a cultural center attached to Lewis and Clark building that is a must as well!! All the way in addition, multimillion dollar improvement done to their waterfront area here that's in that same section. Park your car in their ample parking lot and start walking.

Driving north, I stopped at the Sioux City Art Center to see the Corn Room Murals from 1927 by…read moreGrant Wood. These delicate oil on canvas mounted on board panels of Iowa cornfields were rediscovered in 1979, saved, and removed from the local Martin Hotel in the 1980s. The vibrancy of the panels is no more. Seeing them in the small gallery here is like looking at ancient murals. The viewer is faced with the creamy yellows, tans, and browns but little detail remains. However, sit and gaze at these for a while, let your imagination help you, and you'll get a sense of how lovely these panels must have been. For the local community, this Grant Wood work, even in its diminished state, is an important historic and cultural touchstone. The Art Center itself is a nice space for exhibitions. The few here were more interesting than I expected. I was especially taken with Teo Nguyen's giant acrylic on vellum 'Lotus Pond,' from 2018-22.

Another small city art museum that pleasantly surprised me. It has a small permanent collection yet…read morehas some great pieces; including a Thomas Hart Benton that I wanted to see since hailing from Kansas City. They also had a whimsical temporary exhibit - "The Art of the Brick" with full scale sculptures made with Lego's, and an exhibit of area high school students that was truly awe inspiring with paintings, drawing and sculpture.The price was free, parking was easy and next to the interstate downtown. An easy and rewarding stop for anyone driving I-29. Nice job Sioux City!

Enjoyed my stop at the National Music Museum, prompted on a bitter-cold December day as a result of…read moresome terrific & frequent advertising along my drive on the 29. This site is more about the instruments than the music or the artists, however. Located on the campus of the University of South Dakota, the museum has a lot of exhibits and rooms full of historic instruments such as organs, pianos, guitars, drums, and horns. Liked learning about Johnny Cash, many other items. Enjoyed their interactive videos and music within the exhibits. Lots of parking.

Although a pretty college town, Vermillion is not as colorful as its name. You won't see the…read morescarlet red of cinnabar, but you can see an outstanding museum filled with a wide collection of musical instruments. The guitar collection seemed to attract the most gawking among the visitors, but my favorite gallery held varied configurations of wind instruments that eventually evolved into their current form. Of course, the Italian stringed instruments created in Cremona by Andrea Amati in the mid-1500s and later perfected by Antonio Stradivari were highlights. Wear a jacket and forget the sunglasses. The galleries are cold and dimly light. Our visit took an hour. The parking lot has spaces that are clearly marked for students, metered spaces with no listed hours of operation, and unmarked spaces. According to the person working at the museum, the metered spaces operate on weekends and the unmarked spaces require a parking pass - even when school is not in session. He provided us with a visitor parking pass.

This is my second stay here in 6 months, and once again, hard rock did not disappoint! From the…read morecheck in staff, restaurant servers, and casino dealers and bartenders, all were very friendly and catered to any need I had. In the restaurant I had a great meal once again, the food was served quickly and had good taste. The atmosphere everywhere is clean, friendly and fun, and inside the room it was very spacious, really clean, and very comfortable. If I'm ever back in the area, this one is a no-brainer booking!

I was in Sioux City for a holiday concert . First of all, I…read moream a non-smoker, which is why I am giving this hotel/casino 3 Stars. If it was not for the intense smell of cigarette smoke that has to be endured once you enter the hotel/casino or leave your actual hotel room, I'd definitely give this hotel./casino a five star review if not for the intense smell of cigarette smoke.This review is a not a form of judging anyone that smokes but as I said, I do not smoke and I am not a fan of secondhand smoke. With that being said, the service was FIRST CLASS from start to finish. The decor of the hotel, the rooms had LOTS of music memorabilia and history. The hotel/casino was very clean, parking ok & security present. It was an overnight trip for me so I didn't get to experience their fine dining at Main+Abbey restaurant, which is open 5-10pm. The other smaller restaurant,Fuel American Grill serves burgers/fries, pizza, salads, hot dogs, ect...it was okay. But if you're eating organic, GMO, ect...then this is not the place for you.If you enjoy gambling there's a casino attached for you to try your luck :) I also enjoyed a small intimate concert that featured Luminare in their Anthem theater, which is 21 and over. The group Luminare is a rock 'n' roll band that puts on a Christmas special every year and people travel all over to see them because they are a PHENOMENAL band. The performance was very magical, mystical, and memorable. I would definitely travel to see their performance again. I included some videos, but check them out on YouTube also especially if you like rock 'n' roll