Dubuque

Dubuque grew rapidly during the 19th century, due to its lead-mining, lumber-milling, brewing, metal-working, and river-trade-related industries. It was Iowa's largest city for most of the 1800s, and as a result contains many historically significant structures, many of which have been carefully maintained or restored.

Much of the city's character was established by heavy German and Irish immigration from the 1840s to the 1890s, with the Germans tending to settle in the "North End" and the Irish in the "South End." Large Catholic parishes associated with each group were established, and large, impressive 19th-century church buildings remain to this day. The large Catholic presence caused Dubuque to be elevated to the status of a Catholic archdiocese in 1893, and it is still the smallest US city to hold this distinction.

Noteworthy church buildings include St. Raphael Cathedral, St. Mary (with its jewel-like Bavarian stained-glass windows), Sacred Heart, Holy Trinity, Holy Ghost, St. Columbkille, and the Basilica of St. Francis in nearby Dyersville. St. Luke's Methodist Church contains a significant collection of Tiffany-designed stained-glass windows in a striking Romanesque Revival structure.

Dubuque, as a small industrial center, saw its economy falter in the 1980s as industries downsized or relocated. The city has made a concerted effort to attract tourists, with the establishment of historic districts, museums, a greyhound racing park, a casino, a riverside hotel and conference center, and a Smithsonian-affiliated museum devoted to the history and biology of the Mississippi River. In 2009, IBM named Dubuque one of its "Smarter Cities", and planned to move 1,500 jobs into the restored Roshek building downtown.

Once in Dubuque, most people travel by car as public transport is limited. There are a handful of major car rental offices in the city.

• Cable Car Square. At the base of the 4th Street Elevator. Contains many historic Victorian-era buildings housing coffee shops, restaurants, and specialty shops. Centered on 4th and Bluff Streets. 
• Crystal Lake Cave. Limestone cavern discovered by early lead miners. 
• 🌍 Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. 52-acre (21 ha) garden with emphasis on irises, dahlias, lilies, dwarf and unusual conifers; rose and herb gardens. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 Dubuque Museum of Art, 701 Locust St. Four separate galleries featuring regional and national art. 
• Fenelon Place (4th Street) Elevator. Historic cable-car ride from Dubuque's river level to top of bluff. 

• 🌍 Field of Dreams. Movie site 19 mi (31 km) west, just northeast of Dyersville. The actual movie site remains basically the same as in Field of Dreams, but Major League Baseball has since built a separate ballpark about 500 feet (i50 m) away on an adjacent property, which it used for regular-season games in 2021 and 2022. Future MLB games at the adjacent site are on hold while a youth baseball facility is being built on that property. 
• 🌍 Five Flags Center. Hosts the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Dubuque Fighting Saints professional hockey, and various touring theater productions. 
• 🌍 Grand Opera House, 135 W. 8th St, ☏ +1 563 588-1305. Dubuque's oldest theater, built in 1890 and restored, hosts community theater productions including plays, musicals, and ballets. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a Richardson Romanesque architectural style. Coordinates with several downtown restaurants for dinner/theater specials. 
• Grand River Center. Port of Dubuque. Convention center along the Mississippi containing 115,000 square feet of room for meetings, conventions, and other social functions. Connected by skywalk to the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark. 
• Mathias Ham House Museum. Preserved Italianate mansion of early river baron, with period furnishings. 
• 🌍 Mines of Spain State Recreation Area. Nature trails and an interpretive center. 
• National Farm Toy Museum. 30,000 toy tractors and other farm toys, in Dyersville. 
• 🌍 National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and owned by the Dubuque County Historical Society, the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium features six aquariums and the history of the Mississippi River. It is the only museum along the entire length of the river solely devoted to its history. 
• Park Farm Winery, ☏ +1 563 557-3727. Bankston, IA; Built in 2001, the Park Farm Winery is 17 miles west of Dubuque in the rolling hills of northeast Iowa. It features a chateau and several award-winning wines. 
• 🌍 Shot Tower. Port of Dubuque. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Shot Tower is one of the last standing such towers in the country. It stands 120 ft 5 in from base to peak, and is a recognized symbol of the city. It is undergoing renovations and is part of the city's master plan to revitalize the harbor area. 

• American Lady Yacht Cruises. Yacht cruises on the Mississippi River, featuring happy hour and sunset dinner cruises. Also arrange wedding and event cruises. 
• Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort, 8700 W Chestnut Rd, toll-free: +1-800-798-0098. Galena, IL. South of Dubuque on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi. Nineteen runs and seven-acre terrain park. 450 foot vertical drop. Open during summer months with mountain biking, miniature golf, nature trails, and alpine slide. 
• 🌍 Diamond Jo Casino. At the Port of Dubuque. 
• Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark. Iowa's first indoor waterpark resort contains 25,000 square feet of Mississippi-themed indoor water activities. 
• Great River Wine Trail. A collection of nine vineyards in the Tri-State area (3 in Iowa, 3 in Illinois, and 3 in Wisconsin), promoted as a weekend destination for regional and international wine lovers. Each winery is located within 50 miles of the Mississippi, and tours are organized between the various locations. Individuals visiting and tasting at each winery turn in bottle stickers from each to receive a free t-shirt commemorating their accomplishment. 
• Heritage Trail. Scenic 26-mi (42 km) bike/snowmobile trail from Dubuque to Dyersville, built on old Chicago Great Western railroad bed. 
• Mississippi Riverwalk Port of Dubuque. A 1/2 mile long walkway along the Mississippi River, running from the Ice Harbor in the south to the Alliant Energy Amphitheater in the north, situated atop Dubuque's flood protection levee. Provides excellent views of both the Mississippi and downtown Dubuque. Includes a pavilion, benches, and numerous informational displays on the history of the Port of Dubuque.
• 🌍 Q Casino and Hotel (formerly Mystique Casino). 
• Sundown Mountain, 17017 Asbury Rd, ☏ +1 563 556-6676. Asbury, Ski resort just west of Dubuque, overlooking Driftless Area. Twenty-one trails, 2 terrain parks, and 475 feet of vertical drop. Live music on weekends at the North Lounge. 
• Swiss Valley Nature Preserve & Center, 13606 Swiss Valley Rd, ☏ +1 563 556-6745. Peosta, IA; Interpretive center, hiking trails, trout fishing, and 4 miles of cross country skiing spread out over its 476 acres. 

There are thousands of students who attend colleges in Dubuque. The largest are the city's 3 liberal arts colleges: Clarke College, Loras College, and the University of Dubuque. Collectively, the schools are known as the "Tri Colleges" and enjoy a friendly rivalry with one another. Other students attend the various religious institutions in the city, or Northeast Iowa Community College, which has a satellite location downtown.

• Clarke University 4-year Roman Catholic college
• Divine Word College Roman Catholic missionary college in Epworth
• Emmaus Bible College Evangelical seminary, college
• Loras College 4-year Roman Catholic college
• Northeast Iowa Community College 2-year community college
• University of Dubuque 4-year Presbyterian university
• Wartburg Theological Seminary Lutheran seminary

• Asbury Plaza Corner of Asbury Rd and Northwest Arterial. Outdoor shopping complex in the West End. Home to Kohl's, Sam's Club, Hy-Vee, and Star Cinemas.
• Kennedy Mall, 555 Kennedy Rd, ☏ +1 563 556-1994. Iowa's first enclosed shopping mall. Home to Mindframe Theaters, Dubuque's independent cinema, as well as anchors Sears, Younkers, and JC Penney. 

• Breitbach's Country Dining. A few miles northwest of Dubuque in Balltown. Iowa's oldest food and drinking establishment (opened in 1852), and has seen the likes of the outlaw Jesse James, Brooke Shields, and George Wendt walk through its doors. 
• Pepper Sprout, 378 Main St, ☏ +1 563 556-2167. In the historic Old Main district, and specializing in beef, lamb, veal, and poultry. Large wine selection and fantastic desserts. 

• Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Dubuque, IA, 1315 Associates Dr, ☏ +1 563 583-2500, cx_dubu@countryinn.com. 
• Days Inn Dubuque, 1111 Dodge St, ☏ +1 563 583-3297. 
• Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark, 350 Bell St, ☏ +1 563 690-4000. 
• Hilton Garden Inn Dubuque Downtown, 1801 Greyhound Park Dr, ☏ +1 563 585-5200. 
• Holiday Inn Dubuque/Galena, 450 Main St, ☏ +1 563 556-2000. 
• Holiday Inn Express Dubuque, 2080 Holliday Dr, ☏ +1 563 585-3321. 
• Hotel Julien Dubuque, 200 Main St, ☏ +1 563 556-4200. 
• MainStay Suites, 1275 Associates Dr, ☏ +1 563 557-7829. An extended stay hotel with fully equipped kitchens in every suite. 

Dubuque is a very safe city with a below-average crime rate. By and large, all areas of the city can be enjoyed day or night without fear of robbery or attack. Visitors are very common to the area, with the high number of tourist attractions and the presence of multiple colleges, and attacks on tourists are rare. The main tourist destinations and hotel locations are well-traveled and safe. However, as with any city of a certain size, there are some pockets of crime.

• For emergencies, call: 911
• For non-emergencies, call the Dubuque Police Department: +1 563 589-4410.

Dubuque is home to two major hospitals, and is the region's center for health care. Mercy Medical Center (250 Mercy Dr; +1 563 589-8000) is a 263-bed hospital just west of downtown. It also has received Magnet hospital designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It handles 55,000 patient visits annually. Finley Hospital (350 N. Grandview Ave; +1 563 582-1881) is the Tri-State's leader in cancer care.

Trips along the Great River Road afford an appreciation of the upper Mississippi River valley's natural splendor, as you travel through dairy and corn country, down into tree-lined valleys, along limestone bluffs, all the while getting glimpses of the majestic river. This is not prairie Iowa - there's a great deal of scenic variety and interest. The drive north of Dubuque to McGregor, via Sherrill, Balltown, and North Buena Vista, and the drive south through St. Catherine's, St. Donatus, Bellevue, and Sabula, are especially commendable.

Heading 19 mi (24 km) east on US Hwy 20 to Illinois takes the traveler to Galena, the "town that time forgot" and worth at least a day to soak up the atmosphere of a small town that attracts thousands of visitors each year. The historic former lead-mining and commercial center features numerous antique shops and restaurants, and the Ulysses S. Grant Home.