Mississippi River

About The Mississippi River
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Visit Vicksburg war memorial on your Mississippi River cruise

Ports-of-Call on the Mississippi River

Here you can find a list of some of the more common river cruise ports along the Mississippi River as it flows through the nation’s Heartland.  These may be the most common, but there may be others that can be found on select river cruises.  Your River Cruise Artist can provide you with the full itinerary and all ports for any river cruise that you may be interested in, on any river cruise operator. Explore the Mississippi River further and learn more about it’s ports-of-call.

Baton Rouge

Louisiana

The city name was coined over 300 years ago when on 17 March 1699, Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville, led an expedition along the Mississippi River. The early French explorers found a pole stained with the blood of fish and animals that served as the dividing line between the Bayougoula and Houmas Indians. It is from this “red stick” that Iberville christened the city “le Baton Rouge”, French for “red stick”. Today, Baton Rouge offers the Louisiana State Museum, the LSU Rural Life Museum, African American Museum, the Baton Rouge Zoo, a popular farmers market, Alligator Swamp tours and an Old Governor’s Mansion. Baton Rouge is a great port on your Mississippi River cruise vacation.

Burlington

Iowa

Burlington was the second territorial capital of Wisconsin Territory and later the first capital of the Iowa Territory. It is located on the West bank of the Mississippi River in southeastern Iowa. While you port in Burlington on your Mississippi River cruise take in the Des Moines County Historical Society to learn about local history. Visit Crapo Park for some R&R outdoors. Spend some quarters at the Catfish Bend Casino. Or just stroll this quaint small city and do some shopping or people watching at a local café or coffee house.

Cape Girardeau

Missouri

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is named after Jean Baptiste de Girardot, a French soldier, who established a temporary trading post in the area around 1733. The ‘Cape’ in the city name was a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River, later destroyed by railroad construction. See Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Cape Rock Park, or stroll down Riverfront Park in Downtown Cape Girardeau. Enjoy some of the best pizza around and perhaps a tall one at the local pub. This quaint and friendly stop on the Mississippi is sure to please.

Dubuque

Iowa

Dubuque is the oldest city in Iowa founded in 1833 along the upper Mississippi River. Prior this scenic bluff on the river was a mining a trading settlement established by Julien Dubuque in 1788. Today Dubuque is a popular port town on Mississippi River cruises where cruisers enjoy visiting St. Raphael Cathedral with its jewel-like Bavarian stained-glass windows, or St. Luke’s Methodist Church with its collection of Tiffany-designed stained-glass windows in the striking Romanesque structure. Don’t miss Cable Car Square, Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the Grand Opera House or the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

Hannibal

Missouri

Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, Hannibal, Missouri is a small city about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis. Hannibal is most known as being the boyhood home of author Mark Twain with today’s Hannibal celebrating this throughout the town. While in Hannibal visit the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum; Molly Brown Birthplace & Museum, Rockcliffe Mansion or the Mark Twain Cave Complex. Perhaps a bit to eat at Mark Twain Dinette. Perhaps you can see a theme! Regardless of your interest in the life and writings of Mark Twain, this quaint Missouri town is sure to please your senses.

La Crosse

Wisconsin

The largest city, although still quite small, on the western border of Wisconsin, La Crosse is a pleasant stop on your Mississippi River cruise vacation. Originally a fur trading location on the river, today La Crosse offers visitors a rejuvenated downtown with a nice collection of restaurants, shops, brew houses, pubs and hotels. The Riverside Park is a nice place for a summer-time stroll along the Mississippi. Or visit Hixon House – a Victorian style home of a former lumber baron from the area.

Memphis

Tennessee

Memphis, the second-largest city in Tennessee, with a storied history with various claims to fame most notably the home of Graceland, the mansion Elvis Presley lived during his later years. While visiting Memphis on your Mississippi River cruise take in Beale Street – “Home of the Blues”. South Main, a historic and charming neighborhood downtown is also a pleasant place to visit. Various museums are available including the National Civil Rights Museum built on site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. There is much history and culture to Memphis your port time likely won’t be long enough to take it all in.

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Such a magnificent skyline jutting out of the expanse of mid-western plains – Minneapolis is like a mirage in the distance with glass skyscrapers towering over a bustling and vibrant American city. While in Minneapolis visit The Walker Art Center or the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for some culture. Stroll the parks that have formed around the 22 lakes that occupy downtown. Take in a theater show or a sports event in this world-class metropolis. There are plenty of shopping venues throughout the downtown area as well as cafe’s, restaurants, bars and pubs.

Natchez

Mississippi

Natchez, Mississippi, is a historic town high on a bluff along the Mississippi River about 100 miles upriver from New Orleans. Its history is storied with evidence being its grand collection of antebellum homes. There is a nice visitors center in Natchez, to welcome you. Many of the antebellum houses are open for tours including Auburn; House on Ellicott Hill; Longwood; Magnolia Hall; Melrose; Monmouth; Rosalie; Stanton Hall; Briars; Dunleith; Concord Quarters; and The Towers. You can explore the houses and town on a horse-drawn carriage tour. Don’t forget a stop at the Old South Winery for a taste before you return to your river cruise ship.

New Orleans

Louisiana

The city of New Orleans in Louisiana is unlike any other in the United States. It lies at the mouth of the Mississippi River as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It has a unique culture rooted in the birth of Jazz. Founded in 1718 New Orleans is a mix of French, Creole, African-American, Caribbean, Irish, Haitian, German and Vietnamese residents leading to an experience not found anywhere else in the world. Visit the famous French Quarter, taste some beignets, explore the unique architecture, stroll the historic cemeteries, enjoy many museums and the Aquarium in the Central Business District, or take in the new National WWII Museum that is very popular with travelers. Don’t forget to hop on a historic street car for a ride through time.

St. Louis

Missouri

The Gateway Arch, the world’s tallest man-made monument, is the iconic formation of the St. Louis skyline that is known around the world to travelers. Enjoy the arch on the open park with its reflecting pools that lead to the historic court house where the Dred Scott decision was made. St. Louis, Missouri, was named after King Louis IX of France and played an important role in history as a key trading site along the Mississippi River, as well as the last stop before new settlers and explorers embarked on their voyages to the far west. Visit the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, the City Museum, and of course ride to the top of the arch for an amazing view.

Vicksburg

Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi lies at the confluence of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers and is a well-known landmark in American history. It is home to the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, Vicksburg Military Park and the Lower Mississippi River Museum. Once part of the Natchez Native American’s territory, European immigrants began to settle the site in the early 1700’s. The cotton trade led to the expansion of Vicksburg where today quaint old shops selling a bit of history of the south can be found throughout downtown.

Your Mississippi River Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Mississippi River Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.