The industrialisation exhibit at the museum showcases the significant economic changes that occurred along the inland rivers of the United States. The arrival of the steamboat "New Orleans" in 1811-1812 signalled the beginning of a new era of commercial steamboat navigation on the western and midwestern continental rivers, converting river commerce from a one-way trip downstream to two-way traffic. The "New Orleans" achieved a downstream speed of eight to ten miles per hour and an upstream speed of three miles per hour, becoming the first of thousands of steamboats that opened the Mississippi River and Ohio River valleys to commercial trade.

The exhibit also features the development of levees, which are earthen structures along waterways designed to prevent flood and tide waters from inundating farmland, rural settlements, and urban residential areas. Artificial levees began in the colonial period along most bayous and rivers. After major floods in 1912 and 1913 and the great Mississippi River flood of 1927, the federal government prioritised levee construction to protect life and property. This ambitious program of building modern levees changed the lives of rural people in Louisiana by removing the threat of flooding and opening up new lands for cultivation.

Another essential exhibit feature is the Model T pickup truck made by Ford Motor Company between 1908 and 1927. The assembly line production method invented by Henry Ford made automobile and truck manufacturing more efficient and cost-effective, making the Model T the first affordable automobile for consumers. This allowed many rural residents to purchase trucks for hauling goods and farm supplies and for general transportation.

Additionally, the exhibit showcases the luxurious lifestyle of steamboat travel on the eighth Natchez, which ran the Mississippi River from 1879 to 1889. It features a silver spoon that was used on the steamboat, which had luxurious staterooms and elaborate decorations. Overall, the industrialisation exhibit highlights the significant technological advancements and economic changes that occurred in the United States, transforming the way people travelled and traded goods on the inland rivers.