April 16, 2011, Saturday - Big River Family Day at Mill City Museum

Time:  Noon-4:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd St.

Fee: Programs included with museum admission of $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17; free for MHS members.

The Mississippi River will be the focus of an afternoon highlighting uses of America’s greatest river, past, present and future. Families can enjoy a performance by a history player portraying William de la Barre, an Austrian-born waterpower engineer; get their hands wet in the Water Lab exploring the importance of the river for the city of Minneapolis; make a bottle of non-toxic cleanser and try basic water quality testing with Mississippi Watershed Management Organization; watch a presentation by Paul Red Elk, Lakota herbalist and advocate of ancient foods, about traditional native foods and herbs of the Mississippi River valley; solve a giant puzzle map of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area with rangers from the National Park Service; become a Junior Ranger by completing activity booklet about the Washburn A Mill or Mill Ruins Park; see a stream table modeling the effects of dam removal with staff from the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory; and view the exhibit “Seeing the Big River: The Eco-Art Work of Peter L. Johnson.”

This program is part of “Greening the Riverfront,” a series of programs exploring our relationship with nature, past, present and future. It is made possible by a grant from the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.