Try your hand at lock control.
Explore how a boat moves between different water levels at the museum’s lock-control exhibit. The gauges and buttons turn an engineering process into something you can follow.
Try the lock online
Back to the museum
SMALL MODELS. BIG CONNECTIONS.
A barge. A train. A line of trucks.
One exhibit makes the connection.
1barge
One barge holds the entire 1,500-ton load in the museum’s comparison.
Using the museum display’s 1,500-ton comparison.
Still making connections.
TAKE A TURN.
TOUCH HISTORY.
This wheel has a story of its own.
The Mixing of Waters exhibit holds the christening wheel from the waterway’s June 1, 1985 opening ceremony. Waters brought together for that celebration became a symbol of the connection the Tenn-Tom made possible.
At the museum, the wheel brings that moment within reach.
What was being connected?
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway connects the Tennessee River system with the Tombigbee River, creating a navigable route toward the Gulf. The museum’s maps and models help put those connections in place.
LET YOUR CURIOSITY TAKE CONTROL.
Gauges, switches, and a waterway to figure out. Some stories make more sense when you try them.
Find your place on the waterway.
Ten locks form a series of steps along the Tenn-Tom. Find them on the museum’s map and connect each name to its place on the route.
Why does a waterway need locks?
A lock is a water-filled chamber that raises or lowers boats between stretches of river at different elevations. Water does the lifting; the boat floats with it.
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER.
The large story lives in the small details.
A riverboat in miniature.
Look for the decks, railings, and paddlewheel on the Vienna model. The surrounding timeline follows the long journey from the idea of a waterway to its opening.
A golden beginning.
A ceremonial shovel makes an enormous undertaking tangible. Nearby photographs and records tell the story of the people behind the project.
The day it became history.
Newspaper pages, photographs, and dedication memorabilia preserve the moments that brought the waterway into public life.
Bring a few curious minds.
School groups, civic organizations, and community groups are welcome. Arrange a group visit by appointment.
Ask about a group visitCOME SEE IT.
Columbus, Mississippi
318 7th Street North (opens in a new window)Free admission
Mon–Thu 9–4 · Fri 9–2
Group tours by appointment