AttractionsSt. Francis Xavier: Twin-spired church with 64 windows. One of only a few churches in the world given the rank of Basilica, which comes from the Greek work Basileus, meaning a royal or kingly building. It earned its name on May 11, 1956. It is an example of true Medieval Gothic architecture. Sites include a painting on the ceiling over the main altar, the pavilion and bell, a rose window, a pipe organ and a coat of arms, all of which signify the basilica honor. Open daily. Handicap accessible. Call 563/875-7325. Becker Woodcarving Museum and The Inwood Exhibit: Located four miles northeast of Dyersville. One of Iowa's unique carving museums. Sculpture, plaques and clocks. By appointment only. Call 563/875-2087. Dyer/Botsford Doll Museum: 331 First Ave. Home to more than 1,000 dolls, the house was built by James Dyer, founder of Dyersville. Displays include porcelain dolls, German dolls, a wax Charlie Chaplin, "soft" dolls and collector dolls, along with buggies, tables, chairs, cabinets, toys and cradles. Cost is $5. Open May through October Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Call563/875-2414. Dyersville Area Historical Society: 120 Third St. SW. Office open Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dyersville Family Aquatic Center: Adjacent to Commercial Club Park. A 150-foot body slide, drop slide, children's play area, zero depth swimming,sand volleyball and park are. Open noon-9 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Call 563/875-8675. Field of Dreams Movie Site: 28963 Lansing Road. Go the distance and visit this quiet, quaint century old family farm with a baseball diamond carved into its heart. It is the original baseball field and house where the movie was filmed. There are no organized activities on the field. Bring your favorite baseball equipment and hit a few balls, play a little catch, run the bases or just sit and dream in the bleachers. Souvenirs available. Free admission. Open April-November 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. Located 3.3 miles northeast of Iowa 136. Call563/875-8404. Heritage House: 7396 Columbus St., New Vienna. A former convent, converted to a German museum. Open daily 1-4 p.m., or by special appointment. Call 563/921-2620 or 921-3775. Heritage Trail: Running from Sageville to Dyersville, 563/556-6745. A 26-mile-long, 100-foot-wide conservation and recreation corridor along an abandoned railroad in the scenic Little Maquoketa River Valley. Recreation includes hiking, bicycling, nature study, cross-country skiing and more. National Farm Toy Museum: Located one block east of the intersections of U.S. 20 and Iowa 136. Known as the number 1 experience for farm toys in the world, featuring two floors filled with history. Open daily from 8 a.m.to 7 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $1 for children 6-11. Children5 and younger free. Call 563/875-2727 to verify prices. Plaza Antique Mall: At U.S. 20 and Iowa 136. Call 563/875-8945. Home for more the 200 dealers offering a variety of antiques and collectibles and farm toys. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. History* Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is one of only 37 in the United States. The twin-spired church with 64 windows, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Midwest, was given the rank of minor basilica, a distinction offered to few churches in the world. Open daily. Group tours available by appointment. Call 563/875-7325. * Becker Woodcarving Museum and the Inwood Exhibit, four miles northeast of Dyersville, is one of Iowa's unique carving museums. The handiwork of Jack Becker, native-born Iowa woodcarver of Austrian descent, includes sculpture, plaques and clocks. Open May-October. Call 563/875-2087. * National Farm Toy Museum, located at the intersection of Iowa 136 and U.S. 20, contains 30,000 toys and displays. Farm scenes illustrate the importance of agriculture throughout history to the present day. Call 563/875-2727. * Historical Society, 120 Third St. SW, is open for tours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. The historical society operates a genealogical library consisting of 25,000 obituaries. The obituaries were obtained from the Dyersville Commercial dating from 1900 to the present. Memberships are available for $5 per year. For information, call 563/875-2504. * Dyer/Botsford Historical House and Doll Museum, 331 First Ave. The prestigious two-story house was built in 1850 by James Dyer, the English founder of Dyersville. The Dyersville Area Historical Society has restored the house, featuring Victorian architecture and antique furnishings. It now houses a collection of more than 1,200 dolls, a hand-carved circus display, a rare feather Christmas tree and a miniature replica of the Hue deBourgh castle. Also on display are soldiers uniforms, antique farm tools, memorabilia significant to past Dyersville history and much more. The museum is open May to early November. For more information, call 563/875-2414 or 563/875-2504.
* The Academy Award-nominated movie, "Field of Dreams," was filmed on two farms north of Dyersville. The farms, which include the ball diamond, are open to the public. Open daily April-November, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For information, call 563/875-2311.
Area FishingDubuque, IA* Dubuque -- Boat ramps, Hawthorne Street Boat Ramp, south of Lock and Dam No. 11, Chaplain Schmitt Memorial Island Boat Ramp on Adm. Sheehy Drive; Upper Sunfish Lake, north of O'Leary's Lake and adjacent to Lock and Dam No. 11, Mud Lake Park, six miles north of Dubuque; Finley's Landing Park, 10 miles north of Dubuque; Massey Marina, six miles southeast of Dubuque, off U.S. 52 South. * Massey Marina, nine miles south of Lock and Dam No. 11, has a concrete boat ramp, gas, oil, ice and live bait during summer. Yearly boatslip rentals available in two deep-dredged harbors. Concession stand is open for breakfast at 7 a.m. and remains open throughout the day. Fishing licenses can be purchased at the concession stand. Daily boatslip rental available for travelers. Large camping area nearby has accommodations for trailers and campers with electric outlets, tent sites, cookouts, picnic tables, drinking water, shower and restroom facilities, and camper dump station. Playground has swings, slides, merry-go-round, softball and volleyball area. * Dubuque Yacht Basin and RV Park, 1630 E. 16th St. (across from Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino) offers a 56-site RV park with pool, showers, coin-operated laundry, playground, a 300-slip marina, transient docks, boat sales and service, inside and outside storage for boats and campers, travel-lift capacity to 60 feet and 55,000 pounds, restaurant and lounge on grounds. Gas dock and pumpout. * Riverview Park, between two marinas on Chaplain Schmitt Memorial Island, has campsites with electrical hookups, picnic facilities, boat launch, good fishing and sandy beach. * Swiss Valley, trout fishing in upper and lower areas of Swiss Valley near Dubuque during spring and fall. * Dubuque Marina, Eagle Point Extension. Facilities for docking 250 boats, travel-lift capacity to 65 feet and 50,000 pounds, sales and service, showers and laundry facility, transient slips, gas dock with three pumpout stations, restaurant and lounge, outdoor storage for all boat makes. * Arrowhead Marina, 11192 Golf Lake Road, six miles north of Lock and Dam No. 11, has accommodations for more than 130 boats, electricity to all covered slips, pumpout for marine heads and private boat ramp. A large service facility offers sales and service for boats, outboards and trailers and carries large parts inventory for products sold. The marina is 500 feet off channel, with well-protected and secure harbor. |
Special EventsDec. 6: Old Fashioned Christmas at Dyer-Botsford Museum, 1 p.m., 331 First Ave. An afternoon of traditional Christmas music readings, refreshments, with the acapella singing group Just Voices. For more information, call 563-875-8912. Parks* Dyersville -- Commercial Club Park offers picnic and playground area, shelter, baseball diamond, aquatic center, tennis courts and pavilion. * City Recreational Park offers playground equipment, lighted softball field, tennis courts, basketball courts and volleyball court. * New Wine Park near the city has camping facilities with electrical outlets, hiking trails, picnic area, playgrounds, shelters and fishing. Open May-October. * Westside Park has two softball fields, tennis court, tot lot and skating rink.
Camping* Dyersville - Camping at New Wine Park, five miles north of Dyersville on Iowa 136, has primitive and modern camping, electricity, dump station and fishing. For information, call 563/556-6745. * Sportsmen's Lake has fishing and camping facilities, camper sites and electricity. * Elkader - Deer Run Resort, 501 High Street SE, off Iowa 13. More than 80 paved sites with blacktop streets surrounding a 5-acre lake and tree-lined hills in the background. A fully equipped cottage, open year-round, also available. A welcome center is available. Call 563/245-DEER (3337). * Osborne Conservation Center, open all year, has camping facilities, live animal exhibit, five miles of trails and visitor center-museum. * City Park has electricity, firewood, showers/rest rooms, tennis/volleyball courts, swimming pool, hiking and fishing.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Top Navigation
Attractions
Dyer Botsford
Tri-County Historical Society
Dining
Country Junction Restaurant
Lodging
Black Horse Inn
The Black Horse Inn
Other
Dyersville Chamber of Commerce
Shopping
Park Farm Winery
Left Navigation
Dyersville Hotels
