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Iowa, United States

Dubuque

Spend a full day on the river: museum, bluff trails and the elevator, with a side trip to Balltown or Dyersville. Below: 2 sights, 1 activity and 2 outdoor spots, plus how Dubuque fits into a longer trip.

Plan Dubuque with friendsBrowse 8 places
Dubuque, Iowa, United States
Places
8

2 See · 1 Do · 2 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

Iowa Driftless & River Towns

Best season
May – Oct

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

29°C / 84°F avg high

Coolest month
January

-2°C / 28°F avg high

Wettest month
June

about 137 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Dubuque

8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

2 sights worth building a day around across Port of Dubuque and Dyersville.

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Cable Car Square.

  • Fenelon Place Elevator in DubuquePhoto: Dirk · CC BY 2.0
    Do

    Fenelon Place Elevator

    Short 1882 cable railway up the bluff, with views over three states.

    Tip Seasonal, roughly Apr–Nov.

    • Cable Car Square
    • $
    • 20 min
    • Apr–Nov

Outdoors

2 outdoor spots for fresh air in North End.

  • Eagle Point Park in DubuquePhoto: No machine-readable author provided. Jesster79~commonswiki assumed (based on cop · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Outdoors

    Eagle Point Park

    Bluff-top park with stone shelters overlooking Lock and Dam 11.

    • North End
    • $
    • 60 min
    • Sunset
  • Mines of Spain Recreation Area in DubuquePhoto: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Outdoors

    Mines of Spain Recreation Area

    Wooded bluff trails to the Julien Dubuque Monument above the river.

    • Free
    • 2 hr
    • Fall

Eat

Where we would book a table in Dubuque across Balltown and Downtown.

  • Breitbach's Country Dining in DubuquePhoto: Barry Hughes · Google
    Eat

    Breitbach's Country Dining

    Iowa's oldest bar and restaurant (1852), known for its buffet and pies.

    Tip Check hours; it closes early in the week.

    • Balltown
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Lunch
  • L.May Eatery in DubuquePhoto: L.May Eatery · Google
    Eat

    L.May Eatery

    Candlelit Main Street restaurant serving gourmet comfort food since 2007.

    Tip Reserve on weekends.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Dubuque in Port of Dubuque.

  • Stone Cliff Winery in DubuquePhoto: Stone Cliff Winery · Google
    Drink

    Stone Cliff Winery

    Winery tasting room in the old Dubuque Star Brewery building on the river.

    • Port of Dubuque
    • $$
    • 60 min
    • Evening

How to fit Dubuque into a trip

Dubuque is stop 3 of 3 on our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route. Follow it as-is or lift Dubuque into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Dubuque month by month

Average daily highs run from -2°C / 28°F in January to 29°C / 84°F in July. June is the wettest month, with about 137 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Dubuque weather and the best time to visit →

Near Dubuque

8 other destinations from our guides within about 300 km (186 mi), measured in a straight line.

Dubuque questions, answered

How many days do you need in Dubuque?

Our route notes suggest a full day in Dubuque. On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 11 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Dubuque best known for?

Spend a full day on the river: museum, bluff trails and the elevator, with a side trip to Balltown or Dyersville. Standouts on our list: National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (River history museum and aquarium with a historic dredge you can board); Field of Dreams Movie Site (The baseball field and farmhouse from the 1989 film, 25 miles west); Eagle Point Park (Bluff-top park with stone shelters overlooking Lock and Dam 11).

When is the best time to visit Dubuque?

Our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route is best May – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (29°C / 84°F), the coolest in January (-2°C / 28°F) and the most rain in June (about 137 mm).

What are the best things to do in Dubuque?

Start with National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Fenelon Place Elevator, Eagle Point Park, Mines of Spain Recreation Area and Field of Dreams Movie Site. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 2 sights, 1 activity, 2 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Dubuque?

Our picks: Breitbach's Country Dining (Balltown); L.May Eatery (Downtown). Check hours; it closes early in the week (Breitbach's Country Dining).

What is near Dubuque?

The closest destinations in our guides are Decorah (about 128 km / 79 mi), Deer District & Downtown Milwaukee (about 232 km / 144 mi) and Milwaukee (about 233 km / 145 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Dubuque with your crew

Open the Iowa Driftless & River Towns route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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