Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
With breathtaking scenery and riveting history, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin is the oldest settlement on the Upper Mississippi River. Take a 2 hour Wildlife Eco-Tour and you'll see Effigy Mounds National Monument, majestic Pike's Peak bluff, and the mouth of the Wisconsin River - just as the early explorers Marquette and Jolliet did in their 1673 expedition!
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
The name of Prairie du Chien came from the French for Prairie of the Dog, an early Fox chief who lived on the prairie. French Canadians, engaged in the fur trade, settled on St. Feriole Island by the river.
Gradually the British took over much of the fur trade centered in Prairie du Chien. In the early 1800s, the Americans asserted their presence with the building of Fort Shelby. During the War of 1812, the British and Americans skirmished for control of the fort and the prairie. July 1814, the only battle of the war fought in Wisconsin happened here and is known as The Battle of Prairie du Chien. The fort was burned. In 1816 Fort Crawford was built.
Today St. Feriole Island hosts several major annual attractions and is home to Mississippi Explorer-Prairie du Chien.
CARRY-ONS ALLOWED
We do allow our passengers to bring onboard their own beverages and snacks. We also permit coolers to be carried on, but we ask that you keep them on the small side.
If you have any questions regarding any of our cruises, please contact our Main Office at 877-647-7397 Ext. 1 or 563-586-4444. Thank You!
Cruises and Rates (May - October)
Private Charters will be available for groups of 25 or larger beginning Mid-April and continuing through early November. Call for more information.
Saturday
2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 11 am - 1 pm (May - October)Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free
2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 2 - 4 pm (May - October)Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free
Sunday
2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 11 am - 1 pm (May - October 23)Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free
2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 2 pm - 4 pm (Sept. 25 - October 24)Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free
Specialty Cruises for 2010
August 28 & 29Wildlife Eco-Tours2-hr Wildlife Cruise, Saturday departing at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm; Sunday departing at 11:00 am. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99.
September 3Music on the River2-hr Cruise, departs at 5:30 pm. Adults: $24.99, Youth (4-11) $19.99.
September 4Effigy Mounds National Monument River Tour to Sny Magill Mounds5-hr Cruise, departs at 8:00 am. Adults: $49.99, Youth (4-11) $37.50.
September 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, & 19Wildlife Eco-Tours2-hr Wildlife Cruises, Saturdays departing at 11:00 am& 2:00 pm; Sundays departing at 11:00 am. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99.
September 5Black Hawk War & The Treaty of 18052-hr Cruise, departs at 2:00 pm. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99
September 12Life on the Mississippi2-hr Cruise, departs at 2:00 pm. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99
September 18Music on the River2-hr Cruise, departs at 5:00 pm. Adults: $24.99, Youth (4-11) $19.99.
September 25 & 26Scenic Fall Foliage2-hr Cruise, Saturday and Sunday both departing at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99.
October 1Music on the River2-hr Cruise, departs at 5:00 pm. Adults: $24.99, Youth (4-11) $19.99.
October 2Effigy Mounds National Monument River Tour to Sny Magill Mounds5-hr Cruise, departs at 8:00 am. Adults: $49.99, Youth (4-11) $37.50.
October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 & 24Scenic Fall Foliage2-hr Cruise, Saturday and Sunday both departing at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm. Adults: $19.99, Youth (4-11) $14.99.
October 16Music on the River2-hr Cruise, departs at 5:00 pm. Adults: $24.99, Youth (4-11) $19.99.
Please note: All of our cruises venture off of the main-channel of the Mississippi River and into the scenic and wild backwaters. Extraordinary wildlife can be seen on each and every one of our cruises. However, in order to give you the best "Mississippi River" experience, we'll visit the unique natural events that occur at certain times throughout the year. This is why we feature "Bald Eagle Watching", Lotus & Lily", "Nesting Bald Eagles", "Fall Foliage" and other exciting cruises periodically. They're still our fantastic Wildlife Eco-Tours, but with a different spotlight angle!
"Wildlife Eco-Tours"
Spend an afternoon on America's River with our signature backwater cruise designed specifically for nature lovers and sightseers. Explore a variety of wetland habitats including open water, narrow backwater sloughs, and side channels along riverside bluffs and floodplain forests. Highlights include up close views of Bald Eagle nests with Baby Eaglets, Beaver Lodges, sunning Turtles, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Red Fox, playful River Otters, and much more!
Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax; Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax; Child (3 & under)/free.
"Music on the River Cruise"
A popular new edition, these cruises combine the scenic beauty of the backwaters with great live music. Musicians include: Jon Stravers & Big Blue Sky, the Bottom of the Barrel String Band, the Beef Slough Boys, and Sweet Mississippi. Bring your own food and drinks to complete the experience!
Adults (12+)/$24.99 + tax; Youth (4-11)/$19.99 + tax; Child (3 & under)/free
"Effigy Mounds Nat'l Monument Cruise to Sny Magill"
Join us as we cruise down river through the magnificent backwaters to visit an area of the Effigy Mounds National Monument seldom visited!
Our onboard Effigy Mounds Park Ranger will describe the history and intrigue of these numerous mounds onboard and ashore. This is the ultimate Effigy Mounds tour for explorers of all ages! Keep your eyes peeled for Bald Eagles and other wildlife along the way.
Adults (12+)/$49.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$39.99 + tax
Child (3 & under)/free
"Steamboats on the River Cruise"
Join Villa Louis Director, Michael Douglas, and Smithsonian Archivist, Captain Jack Libbey, as stories are shared of yesteryear's romantic steamboat era. Cruise back in time, as we ply a river rich in history onboard the Mississippi Explorer III. Our storytellers will weave intriguing tales of famous rivermen and their mighty steamboats that helped build a new nation! Not without tragedy as we learn of wrecks, explosions, and human sacrifice.
Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax
Child (3 & under)/free
"Marquette & Joliet's Voyage of Discovery Cruise"
Join Historian Michael Douglas, and Smithsonian Archivist, Captain Jack Libbey, and explore the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Learn the fascinating story
of the remarkable explorers Marquette and Joliet. This two-hour cruise is a must for river
and history buffs alike.
Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax
Child (3 & under)/free
"Pearl Buttons on the Mississippi Cruise" w/ historian & storyteller Michael Douglas
Buttons ! Buttons! Buttons! Come cruise onboard the Mississippi Explorer III as Michael Douglas [Site Director of Villa Louis] explains the history of buttons! Once a major industry along the Mississippi River, clams [mussels] were harvested from the river's bottom and made into magnificent buttons. The industry had a major influence on the river's history and no one tells it better than Michael Douglas.
Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax
Child (3 & under)/free
"Life on the Mississippi Cruise" w/ Captain Jack Libbey
Captain Jack, a noted Smithsonian Archivist, will share his personal life experiences onboard
various Mississippi River modes of transportation which include: keelboats,
steamboats, towboats and barges. This cruise will transit the navigation channel, backwaters and view massive barge loading and unloading facilities. You'll never have a better opportunity to learn the ins and outs of Mississippi River transportation!
Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax
Child (3 & under)/free
"Scenic Fall Foliage Cruises"
Forget New England! Travel less and discover more by taking a cruise through our endless Mississippi River backwaters. View the spectacular fall foliage colors on the towering bluffs surrounding the river valley inside or outside of our heated sightseeing riverboat cabins. A very popular cruise for autumn color sightseers with great photo opportunities for everyone! Adults (12+)/$19.99 + tax; Youth (4-11)/$14.99 + tax; Child (3 & under)/free.
"Fall Migration Cruise"
Our last cruises of the year! These cruises offer an extended, first-hand birding experience in key Mississippi Flyway habitats.Experienced birders and river naturalists will accompany each cruise and provide interpretation and assistance. Visitors will experience amazing close-up views of thousands of elegant Tundra Swans and hundreds of thousands of a wide variety of other waterfowl plus numerous Bald Eagles and other wildlife. Cruises will explore Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and will embark from the waterfront in Lansing, Iowa.
Reservations need to be made in advance, and cruises will be filled on a first come - first served basis. Adults (12+)/$39.99 + tax
Youth (4-11)/$34.99 + tax
