Corps of Engineers to reopen Lock and Dam 1 visitor center

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is reopening its Lock and Dam 1 visitor center May 26.

Corps staff will be reopening the doors to the public from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., seven days per week. The visitor center is located at 5000 W River Parkway in Minneapolis along the Mississippi River. The visitor center is free to visit and is a self-guided experience that allows the public to get a hands-on perspective of a working lock and dam as well as amazing views of the Mississippi River. The visitor center was closed during COVID-19.

Richard Weitzel, Corps of Engineers lockmaster for Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, and Lock and Dam 1, said he’s excited to reopen the visitor center to the public. “We had to close the visitor center during COVID-19 to ensure the staff remained safe,” said Weitzel. “We are now in a position where we can safely reopen the visitor center and let the public enjoy all of the sights, sounds and views that are unique to Lock and Dam 1.”

The St. Paul District navigation program provides a safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation system on the Upper Mississippi River for the movement of commercial goods and for national security needs. To do this, the district maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy. Nearly 13 million tons of commodities passed through Lock and Dam 10, in Guttenberg, Iowa, in 2021. This included nearly 8.5 million tons of farm products such as corn and soybeans. The industries making these shipments saved approximately $430 million by using the inland waterways instead of overland shipping methods.

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