A new museum in northeast Iowa is getting national recognition. The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, which is part of the America’s River project, has been accepted into the prestigious Smithsonian Institution affiliations program. As an affiliate, the Dubuque museum will have access to the Smithsonian’s vast collection, from cultural artifacts to fine art. Michael Carrigan, director of Smithsonian affiliations, says the Dubuque facility does a splendid job telling the story of the mighty waterway. During a tour of the Dubuque facility this week, Carrigan said he was quite impressed. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex with a collection of 142 MILLION objects in 16 museums and eight research centers. Carrigan says it’ll be a two-way street — items from the Washington D-C area could be featured in Dubuque. The Dubuque museum is scheduled to open next year.