Mississippi River Basin Model

★★★★Kate P

The park where the model is is rather derelict. The entry road includes a half washed out bridge and the road is full of serious pit holes if you try to drive around the whole park. There are also no bathrooms. The actual model was very cool, it's very much abandoned but we enjoyed walking around it for an hour and climbing the observation tower. Sturdy shoes are a must.

★★★dave gunn

The aerial view on Google Maps shows how big this was, but up close it’s now just a lumpy surface. The park it’s in, which is hilariously named Butts Park, is quite spooky and surrounded by acres of abandoned property, including some buildings, a water tower, and a bathroom. I went and explored all over here alone, and didn’t feel all that safe; slow creeping cars with tinted windows kept coming and going, and the park itself is way outside of town. I left unscathed, though, and judging from the blunt and condom wrappers strewn about it’s likely this place is just for weed and BJs now. The basin model itself can be access by a short stroll through any of the blocked entries you’ll see on either side of the abandoned buildings. If you continue far enough on the dirt road, you will be met with some very serious craters that you might wanna avoid.

★★★★Theresa Gabriel

They have started to clean it up. The middle part is still not very pretty, but if you go off to the left, which is where the Delta is and off to the right way back in the trees, you will find lots of great places to explore. Neat tributaries. This would be great for kids to learn about rivers. Just find it a opening in the gate.

★★★★★Melani Babi

A unique piece of history. I highly recommend it if you are into ruins, water systems, or obscure exhibits. The lower Mississippi is pretty clear and easier to navigate - farther upstream the trees are denser and the model is covered in pine needles. The model has a side walk for some parts, but in general it is not accessible or good for small children.

★★★★★P. J. Murray Jr.

Not a stop for everybody. As an engineer I was amazed at the scope of the place and the insane amount of work it took the construct it. Buildings are heavily vandalized and the site is starting to show years of abandonment but still a cool place.