Attractions & Sightseeing
20 places in Dubuque
Dubuque Fighting Saints
Five-time Clark Cup champions, the Dubuque Fighting Saints are one of the premier franchises in the United States Hockey League — the top junior hockey league in North America and a direct pipeline to the NHL. Home games at ImOn Arena are loud, fast, and affordable, drawing passionate crowds who get to watch tomorrow's professional stars on ice tonight. The Fighting Saints have a reputation for developing elite talent and for winning consistently, which makes attending a game feel like catching something special before it's gone. For hockey fans and families looking for great live sports, this is one of Dubuque's best evenings out.
Cable Car Square
Tucked at the base of the famous Fenelon Place Elevator along Bluff Street, Cable Car Square is one of Dubuque's most charming retail pockets — a Victorian streetscape lined with independent boutiques, gift shops, galleries, and ice cream parlors that feel lifted out of another century. The neighborhood's brick facades, gas-style lamps, and proximity to the funicular make it the perfect place to wander before or after riding to the top of the bluffs. It's the kind of shopping district where you browse for an hour and leave with something you never knew you needed — and something to tell your friends about.
Millwork District
Once a hub of 19th-century furniture and woodworking factories, Dubuque's Historic Millwork District has been reborn as one of the most dynamic urban neighborhoods in Iowa — a walkable blend of restaurants, bars, apartments, event spaces, and creative businesses all housed in stunning rehabilitated industrial brick buildings. The massive Millwork Marketplace anchors the district with multiple bars, restaurants, and a Grand Ballroom, while the Millwork Night Market brings a lively farmers-and-artisan market on the second Thursday of each month from May through October. This is where Dubuque feels most alive and forward-thinking — a neighborhood with a gritty, authentic past and a genuinely exciting present.
Field of Dreams Movie Site
"If you build it, they will come" — and come they do, from all over the world, to stand on the actual diamond where the 1989 Kevin Costner classic was filmed in Dyersville, just 25 miles from Dubuque. The original farmhouse, cornfield, and hand-built baseball diamond are remarkably intact, and there's something genuinely moving about stepping out of the corn and onto the field. Whether you're a lifelong baseball fan or have never seen the movie, the site taps into something universal about dreams, fathers, and second chances. Play catch, walk the bases, and linger — this is one of those rare places that fully lives up to its legend.
Dubuque Riverwalk
Stretching six miles along the western bank of the Mississippi River, Dubuque's Riverwalk is the connective tissue of the entire Port of Dubuque experience — linking the River Museum, Diamond Jo Casino, Grand River Center, Port Marina, public art sculptures, and the American Trust River's Edge Plaza in one continuous pedestrian promenade. Whether you're walking at sunrise watching the river wake up, cycling past public art at midday, or strolling after dinner with casino lights reflecting on the water, the Riverwalk offers a different face at every hour. It's the kind of public infrastructure that makes a small city feel genuinely world-class.
Art on the River
Every spring, Dubuque's Mississippi Riverwalk transforms into an open-air gallery with the arrival of Art on the River — the city's beloved annual outdoor sculpture exhibit now in its 19th year. Eleven large-scale works by Midwest artists line the promenade from the Star Brewery to the River Museum, rotating each year around a fresh theme. It's completely free and accessible to all, making it one of the most democratic art experiences in the Midwest. The sculptures glow beautifully at dusk, giving the Riverwalk a gallery feeling at every hour of the day.
Veterans Memorial Plaza
Set along the Riverwalk at the water's edge in the Port of Dubuque, Veterans Memorial Plaza is a beautifully designed outdoor tribute to the men and women from Dubuque County who served in the United States military. Granite monuments, a circular plaza design, and interpretive elements honoring veterans of multiple conflicts create a place for quiet reflection against the backdrop of the Mississippi River. The location — with the river flowing past and the bluffs of Iowa and Wisconsin framing the view — gives the memorial a grandeur that belies its modest size. A moving stop on any Riverwalk stroll and one of the most thoughtfully situated memorials in the state.
E.B. Lyons Interpretive Nature Center
Nestled at the edge of the 1,380-acre Mines of Spain State Recreation Area — one of Iowa's most ecologically significant natural areas — the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center is the gateway to understanding both the wild landscape and the history of Julien Dubuque's early lead mining operations. Exhibits on native flora, fauna, geology, and Native American culture bring the outdoor experience to life before you step onto trails that wind past bluffs, prairies, and Mississippi River bottomlands. Bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and rare wildflowers make appearances year-round. For hikers and naturalists, this is one of the most rewarding stops in the entire Dubuque region.
Port of Dubuque Marina
Dubuque's full-service marina sits right at the heart of the Riverwalk, offering transient boat slips, fuel, pump-out stations, and easy access to the rest of the Port's attractions. For visitors arriving by car, it's a great launching point for kayak rentals, sunset cruises, and charter fishing trips on the Upper Mississippi. The waterfront setting — with the bluffs of Iowa and Wisconsin framing the wide river — makes it one of the most scenic spots in the city even if you never set foot on a boat.
Breitbach's Country Dining
Iowa's oldest bar and restaurant has been serving home-style cooking since 1852 — a continuous streak of over 170 years through six generations of the same family, two catastrophic fires, and a full rebuild each time. Perched in the tiny hilltop village of Balltown (population under 60), the panoramic views of the rolling Mississippi River valley are reason enough to make the scenic drive, but the all-you-can-eat buffets and scratch-made pies seal the deal. Food Network has taken notice, and once you taste the cooking in this storied dining room, you'll understand why. This is as close to a time capsule of rural Iowa as you'll find anywhere.
Grand River Center
Perched directly on the Mississippi River in Dubuque's Port district, the Grand River Center is a stunning 86,000-square-foot convention and event center that hosts everything from national conferences to community galas, concerts, and public events. Its floor-to-ceiling river views and flexible spaces for groups of 10 to 3,000 make it one of the most architecturally impressive buildings on the Iowa riverfront. Its event calendar brings a constant stream of public happenings to Dubuque throughout the year — check ahead and you may find yourself with a bonus reason to visit.