Riverfront teems with Sioux City history

On the Riverfront’s 2-plus-mile path, hikers and bikers can ride a trail hugging the Missouri River and catch views of the Mighty Mo.

Plan for additional time on the Riverfront, though, to take in the many nods to the Sgt. Charles Floyd and his role in the Louis and Clark Expedition.

Here are some of the sights riders can expect to see on the Riverfront.

Chris Larsen Park

Chris Larsen Park practically marks the beginning of the river front path. The park features a children’s play area and includes access to a public boat ramp and the Anderson Dance Pavilion. A 3-mile scenic trail branches off from the park and hugs the Missouri River. The Riverfront trail also leads to access of the Floyd Trail, a 4-mile trail that overlooks the Floyd River.

Where: 1280 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City

Anderson Dance Pavilion

The Anderson Dance Pavilion plays host to weddings, concerts and dances during the summer. When it’s not the scene of entertainment and gatherings, summer days at the dance pavilion boasts an abundance of fragrant blossoms. The color compliments intricate construction of the pavilion and the surrounding walkway, terraces, gardens and benches.

Spirit of Siouxland Sculpture

Across the street from Anderson Dance Pavilion is a humbling tribute to the first responders, victims and survivors of the United Airlines Flight 232 crash at Sioux Gateway Airport on July 19, 1989. The Spirit of Siouxland Sculpture depicts Sioux City Air National Guard Lt. Col. Dennis Nielson carrying 3-year-old survivor Spencer Bailey. Sculpted by Black Hills-area sculptor Dale Lamphere, the statue’s inspiration was drawn from a photograph taken by former Sioux City Journal photographer Gary Anderson. The image, published the day after the crash in newspapers and magazines around the world, came to symbolize the compassionate response to the crash.

Where: Chris Larsen Park on Sioux City's waterfront, west of Anderson Dance Pavilion

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Betty Strong Encounter Center

The centers detail Sioux City’s connection to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s. History shows the expedition lost its only member, Sgt. Charles Floyd, in Sioux City. Visitors can learn about Floyd, as well as the sights encountered by the expedition on its journey. The center will roll out two unique exhibits during RAGBRAI. “Sense of Place” shows off the black and white catalogue of Iowa’s disappearing rural landscape as captured by documentary photographer David Plowden. “Creatures of the Missouri” takes a look at what inhabits the Mighty Mo’s waters and banks through photographs taken by Sam Stukel, a fisheries biologist from Yankton, S.D.

Where: 900 Larsen Park Road

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center

This boat may look out of place on land, but inside, visitors can see the role of the Missouri River in the development of the West. Exhibits and artifacts tell stories of the early days of Sioux City and the region, all displayed on the unique riverboat. Dubbed the Sergeant Floyd riverboat, it served as a floating bicentennial exhibit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was later obtained by Sioux City and converted into the museum.

When: Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Where: 1000 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City.

Sergeant Floyd Monument

The 100-foot-tall sandstone obelisk overlooks the Missouri River from Floyd’s Bluff. While not on the riverfront, the monument sticks out from the hillside to passersby on Interstate 29. The monument was constructed in 1901 to honor Sgt. Charles Floyd, the only man who died on the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Atop the bluff, visitors can see a history of Floyd’s life and catch a bird’s eye view of the Missouri River.

Where: U.S. Highway. 75, one mile north of Interstate 29 Exit 143 in Sioux City; west side of Lewis Boulevard, near the intersection of Glenn Avenue