More Places to See in Dubuque, Iowa

View of Dubuque's Ice Harbor from the top of the Fenlon Place Elevator
The vessel in the foreground of the above picture (with the twin smokestacks) is the William M. Black, a paddle wheel steam --powered dredging ship that worked the Mississippi River from 1934 to 1973. It is now part of the National Mississippi River Aquarium and Museum . . . in our opinion a "must see" attraction for any Dubuque visitor. In the middle of the picture is the riverboat of the Diamond Jo Casino which formerly anchored the southern end of the attractive Mississippi Riverwalk. (The Riverwalk, the Mississippi River Museum, and the downtown arts district are featured on our About Dubuque web page.)
Below are three more travel attractions: The Fenlon Place Elevator (a scenic incline railway), the refurbished Star Brewery complex, and Breitbach's Tavern in nearby Balltown. Also included is a list of upcoming Dubuque events and attractions and Dubuque travel, lodging and visitor links.
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Fenlon Place Elevator
Halloween scarecrows and a bagpiper occupy Cable Car Square and the entrance to the Fenlon Place Incline Railway.

The Fenlon Place cable car holds 4 comfortably for the 300 foot ride up to the top of the bluff overlooking downtown Dubuque. Costs a buck for a one way trip (you walk down); $2 for round trip.
A view from inside the car. One car comes down while the other goes up the hill.
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The station at the top of the bluff offers a panoramic view of Dubuque and the Wisconsin bluffs in the background. |

In the distance, the Julien Dubuque Bridge which connects Illinois and Iowa. |
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Star Brewery Complex - Dubuque, Iowa

At the northern end of the Riverwalk is the restored 1898 Star Brewery building that now houses a brewery museum, the Star Restaurant, and the Stone Cliff Winery.
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From the Star Restaurant's second floor deck overlooking the river walk you can see down the river to the Julien Dubuque bridge and across the river to the bluffs on the Illinois side. |

The Stone Cliff Winery's Tasting Room and retail shop is located at the north end of the Brewery Complex. 
The Wine Bar offers all their varieties plus several craft beers for those not interested in sampling the wine.

They also have a little street cafe outside the shop and a limited menu of appetizers. |
Star Brewery Museum

The brewery museum and historical exhibits are in the atrium accessed from the rear of the complex. |

< < < Some classic beer signs hang from the ceiling.

The bottle and can collection contains not only the Star's labels but labels from many other regional breweries. Beer aficionados will enjoy several minutes perusing this exhibit looking for their favorite long lost brews!
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One exhibit room featured this beautiful old back bar and other old time tavern memorabilia.
See more Beer Memorabilia at the National Brewery Museum in Potosi, WI |
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Dubuque Casinos
Dubuque's Greyhound Racing Park has expanded their gaming area and now offers almost 1000 slot machines, table games, and poker in addition to their racing schedule. Lodging, dining and an entertainment center round out their offering. With the $10 million dollar renovation also came a name change. They are now known as Mystique.
Not to be outdone, the Diamond Jo Casino formerly located at the Ice Harbor built an entirely new facility and moved across the street from the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark. The Casino offers 975 slot machines plus gaming tables that include roulette, blackjack, craps, poker, and mississippi stud. Also part of the complex are four restaurants, an entertainment center, and a bowling facility.
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Dubuque Shot Tower

Dubuque's historic shot tower located at the north end of the Mississippi River Walk is being renovated. It is one of the last remaining shot towers in the US. I don't know if tours are planned following renovation or whether some new use is contemplated. |
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Dubuque, IA Golf Courses
Bunker Hill Golf Course (left) is one of several decent 18 hole courses in the Dubuque area. Scenic rolling hills, tree-lined fairways, and shorter grass in the rough between fairways make a nice compromise between challenge and playability. To date we've played two other golf courses in the Dubuque area. See our blog comments from playing Lacoma Golf Course & The Meadows Golf Club. |
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Eagle Point Park and Balltown Breitbach Tavern
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Dubuque Iowa Area 2012 Events
May 18 - 20 : Dubuque Fest Fine Arts Festival
May 19 - 20 :
Color In Motion Quilt Show
May 25 - 27: Catfish Festival
June 8 - 10 : America's River Festival
June 30 - July 1 : Heritage Days
(Bellevue)
August 25 : BrewFest (Potosi Brewery, Potosi WI )
Sept. 8 - 9 : DragonBoat Festival
Sept. 14 - 16 : Riverfest
Sept. 15 : Oktoberfest
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Dubuque Iowa Travel & Visitor Links
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