Search results for: ” “

  • Terrace Park’s Casino Ballroom

    Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ In the days when dancing was all the rage, Terrace Park’s Casino Ballroom claimed to be one of the most popular night spots in northwest Iowa. Opened in 1923—the same opening time at Arnolds Park’s Roof Garden Ballroom, ironically—the Casino offered nightly dancing, a bathhouse for changing into…

  • Freda Haffner Kettlehole State Preserve

    Information provided by The Nature Conservancy _ This area contains geological formations known as kettleholes. Historically, these were formed when giant blocks of ice from glaciers fell off and melted, making large bowl- shaped indentations in the ground. These unique geological formations make this preserve one of the more popular in the state. It often…

  • Cayler Prairie State Preserve

    Information provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources _ Standing on a vista overlooking the expansive Cayler Prairie, it’s easy to imagine bison – the icon of the open prairie – at home on this historic area. The 1,200-acre rolling prairie complex in Dickinson County, a short three miles west of West Okoboji Lake,…

  • Camp Foster YMCA

    The oldest YMCA camp in Iowa Camp Foster YMCA is the oldest YMCA camp in Iowa. Under the name Iowa YMCA Camp, Camp Foster was started in 1912 in Iowa Falls by Leonard Paulson. Paulson, Secretary of the Iowa YMCA, enlisted the help of Thomas Foster in finding a permanent site for the camp. In…

  • Path Less Traveled

    Path Less Traveled Take your time.  Enjoy the journey.  Take the path less traveled. Set yourself on a leisurely pace as you navigate the Iowa Great Lakes.  With Path Less Traveled guide you can learn about unique Iowa Great Lakes Area history and see a few sites that many people have forgotten! Download Printed Guide

  • Karaoke with Jason

    Sing your heart out every Friday and Saturday night at Chaplins!

  • Site of Howe Cabin

    Historical information provided by Daughters of the American Revolution _ The family of Joel Howe and his wife and six children were murdered by the Spirit Lake massacre marauders. The cabin was located on the east shore of East Okoboji Lake, about four miles distance from the Gardner site. The marker is placed on the…

  • Spring Run Grasslands and Waterfowl Production Area

    Wetland complexes of this size and diversity give us an idea of how the prairie pothole region may have looked and functioned when Euro-American settlers first came to Northwest Iowa. This site is one of the largest Waterfowl Production Areas in the state. This vast complex has lake, marsh and upland areas that are home…

  • Izaak Walton League

    Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed. _ OKOBOJI’S FORGOTTEN TRAPSHOOTING MASTER Trapshooters Fred ‘Dood’ Gilbert and Johnny Jahn…those are familiar names in the area, and deservedly so. But did you know there was another? Charles W. Budd of Des Moines is now largely forgotten, but he was once an unstoppable force among trapshooters in the…

  • 48th Annual University of Okoboji Youth Soccer Classic

    The 48th Annual University of Okoboji Youth Soccer Tournament will be held this Saturday and Sunday, June 7th & 8th at the Bedell Family YMCA in Spirit Lake Iowa.  The tournament will be played on the seven fields and will be hosting 64 youth soccer teams.  Teams from the Omaha area include:  Christ the King,…