Port of Dubuque facts for kids
The Port of Dubuque is a special part of downtown Dubuque, Iowa, right next to the mighty Mississippi River. People also call it the Ice Harbor, 4th Street Peninsula, or simply the Riverfront. This area was one of the very first places settled in what is now Dubuque and the state of Iowa.
For a long time, the Port of Dubuque was a busy place for factories and industries. But recently, it has been completely changed with lots of new buildings and projects. Now, it's one of the most popular spots for tourists in Dubuque and even in Iowa!
The Port of Dubuque covers the area north of the CCPR rail yards and south of East 9th Street. It's east of the railroad tracks and west of the Mississippi River. The area is split into two main parts: the North Port and the South Port, with the Ice Harbor in between.
Railroad tracks and an expressway separate the Port area from the rest of Downtown Dubuque. You can get to the North Port using East 5th Street and the East 3rd Street overpass. The South Port is reached from Jones Street and Ice Harbor Drive, which also connects the North and South Ports.
Most of the new buildings and changes have happened in the North Port. The South Port is still mostly industrial or not fully used. This might change when a new bridge over the Mississippi River is built near the Julien Dubuque Bridge.
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A Look Back at the Port of Dubuque
The Port of Dubuque was one of the first places settled in what is now Downtown Dubuque. Being so close to the river made it perfect for many different industries. These included building boats, moving and storing lumber, and even harvesting ice.
When the first Dubuque Railroad Bridge opened to Illinois in 1868, it made the Port even more important for heavy industries. The Port was also a major stop for many steamboats traveling on the river. However, for most of its history, the low-lying Port area often flooded when the Mississippi River rose in spring. Because of this, most of the city's shops and businesses were built further inland.
The Port area was a great spot for some of the city's early manufacturing companies. In the 1800s and early 1900s, Dubuque was a big center for boat building on the Mississippi River. This industry was mainly in the Port area and the Ice Harbor. Besides boat building, the Port had lumber yards, the Dubuque Star Brewery, and a Shot Tower from the Civil War era.
The Port has always been a major transportation hub in Dubuque. Several U.S. highways, like 20, 151, 61, and 52, all meet here. Also, the Chicago Central and Pacific and Iowa, Chicago and Eastern railroads run through the Port. The current Dubuque Railroad Bridge, built in the 1890s, connected the city to places further east. The Ice Harbor and riverfront were where steamboats arrived and departed. Three of the city's four train stations were also located in or near this area.
In 1943, the Julien Dubuque Bridge was finished. This bridge carried car traffic over the Port instead of through it. After a huge flood in 1965, Dubuque started building a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) flood protection wall. This wall protects the city's riverfront from seasonal flooding and was finished in 1973. Boat building stopped in the early 1970s, and brewing also ended soon after.
The Port of Dubuque stayed mostly quiet until 1990. That's when Iowa allowed riverboat gambling, and the "Casino Belle" opened in the Ice Harbor. This boat was later replaced by the Diamond Jo Casino in the mid-1990s. It was named after a famous Dubuque boat builder, "Diamond" Joe Reynolds.
In the late 1990s, Dubuque saw a chance to grow its tourism by adding a big river-themed museum. Along with the new museum, the city planned a new hotel, an indoor water park, a large convention center, a riverwalk, and other fun things. This was all part of the "America's River Project," a huge $188 million plan to make the North Port new again. In the early 2000s, the city received a large $40 million grant to help build these attractions.
The Port Today
Today, the Port of Dubuque is changing very quickly. Many new buildings have been constructed, and most of the empty land is already planned for more new projects. While the area focuses a lot on tourist attractions, there are also plans for shops, offices, and homes. For example, The McGraw-Hill Companies built a new office headquarters here.
With all the different attractions, the Port has become a natural gathering place for people. In the summer, the area hosts events like the annual America's River Festival and the Taste of Dubuque.
The changes in the Port of Dubuque have also helped other parts of Downtown Dubuque. Buildings and shops along Main Street have been updated with restaurants, stores, and fun nightspots that appeal to tourists. This area, known as "Historic Old Main," along with the city's Cable Car Square Historic District, is becoming a lively shopping and entertainment area. Tourists are also visiting cultural spots in Downtown Dubuque, like the Grand Opera House, the Five Flags Center, the Fourth Street Elevator, and the Dubuque Museum of Art.
Major Attractions and Sites
Port of Dubuque Marina
The City of Dubuque finished a $4.1 million project to build a new marina with 78 boat slips and a building with facilities. The Port of Dubuque Marina opened on June 1, 2013. It's a marina mainly for visiting boats right in the heart of Downtown Dubuque.
The marina can hold boats up to 90 feet (27 m) long. It offers slip rentals, fuel sales, and pump-out services. Besides the docks, the marina has private restrooms with showers and laundry for boaters. There are also public restrooms and a convenience store with many items. The Port of Dubuque Marina is in the historic Ice Harbor, south of the Dubuque Rail Bridge.
Diamond Jo Casino
The Diamond Jo Casino has 777 slot machines, 17 table games, and several restaurants. The casino is one of the biggest attractions in the area.
Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark
The Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark is a hotel with 193 rooms, designed for families. It is connected to the Grand River Center. The main attraction is a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) water park. Many of its rooms offer great views of the Mississippi River and Downtown Dubuque.
Grand River Center
The Grand River Center is Dubuque's largest convention center. It has 86,000 square feet (8,000 m2) of meeting space. It often hosts weddings, car shows, and big meetings. It is connected by a skywalk to the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark. It also has underground parking and catering services.
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is the most important attraction in the Port of Dubuque. It is connected with the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is the largest of its kind and has many interactive, family-friendly exhibits.
The complex also has a large aquarium with turtles, otters, fish, and other animals found along the river. In addition, the museum has theaters, a working wetland, and the restored William M. Black Dredgeboat for visitors to explore.
McGraw-Hill Companies Office
In October 2007, The McGraw-Hill Companies opened their new $32 million, 140,000-square-foot (13,000 m2), 4-story office building in the Port. This new building is the main office for the company's Higher Education Division and has 400 employees. It is located at the corner of East 5th and Bell Streets.
Mississippi Riverwalk
The Mississippi Riverwalk is a 1/2 mile long path along the Mississippi riverbank in the Port of Dubuque. It goes from the Ice Harbor in the south to the Dubuque Rail Bridge and Alliant Energy Amphitheater in the north. The path is on top of Dubuque's flood protection levee. It gives great views of both the Mississippi River and Downtown Dubuque. It includes a plaza, benches, and many signs explaining the history of the Port of Dubuque.
The Riverwalk is part of a system of trails and walkways recently finished by the City of Dubuque. This trail system will connect all the different parks and tourist attractions along Dubuque's Mississippi Riverfront.
Shot Tower
The Dubuque Shot Tower is a National Historic Landmark. It was first used to make lead shot for the U.S. military's muskets. After many years of use, including making ammunition during the American Civil War, it later became a fire watchtower for a lumber yard nearby. It was built in 1856 and is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Dubuque. It is located near the Dubuque Railroad Bridge.
After being neglected for many years, the tower is now being studied for repairs. It will likely get major repairs and be restored as part of the riverfront's revitalization.
Spirit of Dubuque Paddlewheeler
The Spirit of Dubuque is a real dual paddlewheeler boat. It was designed in 1976 and looks like a Mississippi River steamboat from 100 years ago. It has decorative smokestacks, an open-air deck, and red and gold decorations inside.
The boat traveled 1,385-mile (2,229 km) from Louisiana to Dubuque in spring 1977. Captain Walt and Nancy Webster have owned the Spirit of Dubuque since 1994. They now run the only Iowa-based sightseeing and dinner cruise paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River. This 118-foot (36 m) boat can carry 377 passengers.
The Websters offer cruises from May through October each year. They have sightseeing, lunch, and dinner cruises for all ages. They also provide special cruises for school field trips, fall color tours, and private events. They love meeting people from all over the world who come to see the river.
Besides the Spirit of Dubuque, their company, Dubuque River Rides, also owns the Miss Dubuque. This is a sleek 80-foot (24 m) motor yacht that can seat up to 125 people for private parties. They also own the Ice Harbor Galley, a floating restaurant in the Ice Harbor.
Future Plans for the Port
America's River Project: Phase II
- Diamond Jo Casino:
The Diamond Jo Casino built a new $78 million casino and entertainment complex in the Port. This new complex replaced their old riverboat casino with a land-based 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) casino. The new casino has 990 slot machines, 17 table games, a poker room, a 36-lane bowling and entertainment center, and 3 restaurants. The 175,000-square-foot (16,300 m2) complex opened in the fall of 2008.
- National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium:
The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is planning a $38 million expansion. When the Diamond Jo Casino moved, the museum planned to turn the old Portside Building into the "Great Rivers Center." This center will have a "National Rivers Center," a "Rivers Research Center," more exhibit space, and shops. The museum will also build a new 250-seat "RiverMax Theater" that will show 3-D and 4-D films. Besides museum-related movies, the theater will also show other films. The museum will also take over the Diamond Jo's old riverboat, but they haven't announced what they will use it for yet.
City of Dubuque Projects
- Port of Dubuque Park:
The City of Dubuque is planning to build a new public park in the Port. It will likely be located north of the McGraw-Hill office building.
- Public Parking Ramp:
The City of Dubuque and the Diamond Jo Casino built a new 1,130-space, $23 million parking ramp in the Port. This ramp opened in the fall of 2008, at the same time as the new Diamond Jo casino. It is the largest parking structure in the city.
Durrant Group Inc. Headquarters
The Dubuque-based architectural and engineering firm The Durrant Group is renovating the old Adams Company building to move their new corporate headquarters there. This 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2), $3 million project was finished in December 2007.
Portside Plaza
A group of investors is planning to build "Portside Plaza." This will be a mixed-use development with condominiums, offices, and retail stores in the Port. The complex will include buildings between 4-9 stories tall, costing about $63 million. Shops will be on the first floor, offices on the next few floors, and condos on the top levels. Construction was planned to begin in late 2007 and be completed in phases.
Star Brewery Building
The old Dubuque Star Brewing Co. building is being renovated for businesses, shops, and offices. This $6.5 million project includes the winery and wine tasting room for Dubuque County's Stone Cliff Winery. In 2007, a large new restaurant called "The Star" also opened here, but it closed in 2013. The building is located north of the Grand River Center.
