The National Great Rivers Museum is located only eight minutes south of Alton, adjacent to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam and part of the remarkable complex.

The Museum is located almost a the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and, thus, very close to the winter encampment of Lewis and Clark, where they prepared for their great exploration of the western interior of the United States. 

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The museum is concerned with the ecology, geography, cultural history, and evolution of commercial boat traffic on the Mississippi River. These themes are treated with varying degrees of emphasis. Given the location of the museum, adjacent to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, it is not surprising that boat traffic (starting paddle boats and dredges in the nineteenth century) and the navigability of the Mississippi River (particularly the towboats and barges with their cargos) are a key concern — and are very well presented.