St. Louis and the surrounding metro area have been used as a city for thousands of years due to the convergence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. The National Great Rivers Museum highlights the impact and value of the both the rivers, as well as river ways throughout the world. The museum is located in Alton, IL right along the Mississippi before the two rivers come together. Entrance to the museum is free, and since the museum is an extension of the Melvin Price Lock and Dam that is located on the river, visitors may have the opportunity to visit the lock and dam on a tour. Visitors can explore a variety interactive exhibits, a theater, and tours that all discuss the impact of water ways. When we visited we spent about an hour and a half at the museum. We opted out of the tour, but watched the film and read through the exhibits. The museum was quite interesting and demonstrated the ways rivers impact people, animals, and places.