Five things to do in LeClaire, Iowa, one of America’s coolest small towns

Tour the Lone Star Stern Wheeler, included in the Buffalo Bill Museum admission.  The Lone Star was the last running wood hull paddlewheel boat plying the Mississippi River.  Decommissioned in 1968, the Lone Star sat rotting, until in 2008 a glass and steel structure was constructed over and around the Lone Star and restoration began.  Bob Schiffke, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum, said that one couldn’t step on the deck before for fear of falling through the rotted wood.  Today, the deck has been reconstructed, and efforts to restore the rest of the riverboat continue.  The Lone Start was awarded National Historic Landmark status in 1989.Named the Buffalo Bill museum after LeClaire’s favorite son, the museum includes exhibits not only on Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show, but also on other famous residents, like Professor James J. Ryan II, who invented the flight data recorder.Buffalo Bill moved away from the area with his family as a young boy.  The home he lived in was sold and moved to Cody, Wyoming.  Bob Schiffke, Executive Director of the museum, says future plans include building a replica of Cody’s log cabin home on the lot on which the original stood.Steventon’s, overlooking the Mississippi River, offers fine dining menus for dinner or Sunday Brunch.  For dinner try Bison Short Ribs or Confit Chicken and Duck.  For Sunday brunch, choose a savory dish like crab benedict, or go for a sweet option.  The Banana Bread French Toast with caramelized bananas and pecans is almost like eating dessert.  In fact, some guests order a savory meal and then split the Banana Bread French Toast or Red Velvet French Toast for dessert.View the list »
Visit the shop that the American Pickers call home.  You may get lucky and find the stars hanging out there.  A half block off of Cody Road on Davenport Street, behind a gas station, the shop is easy to find.  Just look for the Antique Archaeology car in the parking lot.  Then browse through some of their finds or purchase logo memorabilia.

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LeClaire, Iowa, birthplace of Buffalo Bill Cody and home to reality television show American Pickers, was a booming river town in the early to mid-1800s. Then nearby Davenport put a bridge over the river, railroads became the preferred transportation method, and LeClaire’s prosperity came to a halt. Today LeClaire is booming again, with a 32% increase in population in ten years and a thriving tourism industry. In 2012 LeClaire was named one of 15 finalists in Budget Travel’s “America’s Coolest Small Towns” contest.

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Located just across the Mississippi River from Illinois on I-80, LeClaire is a must-see stop whether you’re driving west on I-80, traveling the Great River Road National Scenic Biway or looking for a day trip from the Quad Cities. Most of the attractions are along Cody Road, the historic stretch of U.S. Route 67 that parallels the river. Visit the Buffalo Bill Museum, tour the Mississippi River Distilling Company, sip wine at the Wide River Winery, and enjoy a casual meal at one of several eateries. If you prefer fine dining, try Steventon’s, either for dinner or Sunday brunch. Browse antique shops, boutiques and gift shops, or choose from over 30 sweet or savory popcorn flavors at Kernel Cody’s Popcorn Shoppe.

Buffalo Bill Museum, LeClaire, Iowa
41.598499298096 ; -90.343193054199

No matter what time of year you visit, check the LeClaire event calendar. A major event is the summer Tug Fest, a festival built around a tug-of-war across the Mississippi River. In winter, eagle watch at Locks and Dam 14, and in spring and fall watch for pelicans.

LeClaire, Iowa, is about a two-and-a-half hour drive west of Chicago, off of I-80.

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  • Visit the shop that the American Pickers call home.  You may get lucky and find the stars hanging out there.  A half block off of Cody Road on Davenport Street, behind a gas station, the shop is easy to find.  Just look for the Antique Archaeology car in the parking lot.  Then browse through some of their finds or purchase logo memorabilia.
  • Steventon’s, overlooking the Mississippi River, offers fine dining menus for dinner or Sunday Brunch.  For dinner try Bison Short Ribs or Confit Chicken and Duck.  For Sunday brunch, choose a savory dish like crab benedict, or go for a sweet option.  The Banana Bread French Toast with caramelized bananas and pecans is almost like eating dessert.  In fact, some guests order a savory meal and then split the Banana Bread French Toast or Red Velvet French Toast for dessert.
  • Named the Buffalo Bill museum after LeClaire’s favorite son, the museum includes exhibits not only on Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show, but also on other famous residents, like Professor James J. Ryan II, who invented the flight data recorder.Buffalo Bill moved away from the area with his family as a young boy.  The home he lived in was sold and moved to Cody, Wyoming.  Bob Schiffke, Executive Director of the museum, says future plans include building a replica of Cody’s log cabin home on the lot on which the original stood.
  • Tour the Lone Star Stern Wheeler, included in the Buffalo Bill Museum admission.  The Lone Star was the last running wood hull paddlewheel boat plying the Mississippi River.  Decommissioned in 1968, the Lone Star sat rotting, until in 2008 a glass and steel structure was constructed over and around the Lone Star and restoration began.  Bob Schiffke, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum, said that one couldn’t step on the deck before for fear of falling through the rotted wood.  Today, the deck has been reconstructed, and efforts to restore the rest of the riverboat continue.  The Lone Start was awarded National Historic Landmark status in 1989.
  • Tour the Mississippi River Distilling Company to see how small batch spirits are made, “from grain to glass.” After the tour move into the tasting room to sample your choice of two liquors, including bourbon, rye, vodka and more, with mixers if you prefer.  Tours are conducted every hour, from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m.
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, Chicago Travel Examiner

Connie Reed, a lifelong Chicago area resident, loves to explore new places and share her stories. She recently began her own blog, www.midwestwanderer.com, and has been named as an Enjoy Illinois Mile Marker Ambassador for the Illinois Office of Tourism web site.

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