Captain Meriwether Lewis

Captain Meriwether Lewis is an 88-yard steam-powered side-wheel dredge permanently beached along the Missouri River's banks. The vessel preserves its original machinery and multiple decks that house exhibits about river history and operations.

Built in 1931, the vessel spent decades working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep Missouri River shipping channels clear. It was retired from service in 1976 and later preserved as a museum.

The vessel reflects how riverboat culture shaped daily life for people who worked and lived along the Missouri. The exhibits inside tell stories about relationships between settlers, traders, and Native American communities who relied on this river for generations.

Access to the vessel is by guided tour organized through the Nebraska State Historical Society, with informational displays and preserved machinery on multiple levels to explore. Allow enough time to visit several decks and understand the complex systems that powered the ship.

The vessel bears the name of a historical figure from the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, yet it was built as a machine for river maintenance, not exploration. This naming choice connects two very different chapters of American river history.

Location: Brownville

GPS coordinates: 40.39472,-95.65056

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:22