The Four Mounds Inn and Conference Center is an inn that can be found on the west side of the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. The property is just a short walk to the river and has access to a number of popular hiking and biking trails. The Four Mounds Inn is set on the northern outskirts of Dubuque, putting it out of the way of most of the city, but to reach most parts of the town is usually not much more than a 20-minute drive. The inn doubles as a place to stay for guests as well as a conference center for businesses that need a place to have a corporate meeting or retreat with their employees.
The Four Mounds Inn and Conference Center is owned by the city of Dubuque, Iowa, but it is managed by the Four Mounds Foundation. This means that the buildings on the property are maintained by a portion of the community and the locals.
On the property, there are three buildings that are available to the public for vacationing in The Grey House, The White House, and The Marvin's Gardens Cabin. Each building is rented out separately so that everyone who rents a room will always have access to the bathrooms in the buildings. The White House has four guest rooms, and The Grey House offers seven guest rooms, while The Marvin's Gardens Cabin has enough space to fit four people. The Grey House is the oldest building of the three, dating back to the late 1910s, and has been preserved of its look of "a masculine Lawrence Buck design." The White House is said to have a more refined look than the others, one that has a general colonial appeal to its style.
No matter how many rooms are required by the guests, each stay has a number of amenities included, such as Wi-Fi, a television, central air conditioning, bathroom supplies, a kitchen, and outdoor fire pits, as well as a view of the Mississippi River. Breakfast is also provided, which typically consists of dishes such as muffins, homemade bread, scones, juice, and locally grown coffee. Additionally, the inn serves a homemade quiche that has won an award from the state fair.
The owner says her favorite building of the multiple options for visitors is The Grey House due to the fact that it has many windows that give a view of the surrounding wildlife, nature, and sky. The Grey House offers a large front porch as well as a common room so that guests can enjoy their surroundings indoors or outdoors. The inn sells a variety of souvenirs from the store, including t-shirts, water bottles, mugs, and, as of recently, hand-made wooden bowls. On the property, The Four Mounds Inn also has a few of their own activities to do, like a ropes course and, according the manager of the property, "an excellent view" for bird watching and seeing the bird migrations. Gardens can be found on the property that grow different kinds of vegetables.
The Four Mounds Inn and Conference Center is located on the east edge of Iowa, next to the state of Wisconsin. Since the inn is on the brink of the city, Dubuque, the property has access to many popular trails that guests can take walks on. The Mississippi River is less than a quarter-mile away from The Four Mounds Inn. The river offers a variety of attractions as well, such as boat cruises that go down the river, recreational centers a short drive south, and many restaurants that can be found within the city limits.
The manager of The Four Mounds Inn says that the aspects they try to give off with their property are ones that relate to the local history as well as remaining "a home away from home" for the guests that visit. In fact, The Four Mounds Inn and Conference Center was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn is positioned out of the way of most of the city, meaning there is notably less light pollution from neighbors and the town itself. As one recent guest put it, "It's a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, as well as proprietors who make us feel completely at home."
The City of Dubuque owns the property, making the inn a very community-driven place. With over 60 acres of land, there are many outdoor activities that are available to all. When it snows, there are many activities that people have done, such as sledding and snowshoeing, but when the weather is sunny, the hiking trails remain a local favorite regarding activities to enjoy outside.
Since The Four Mounds Inn doubles as a community service, they also help local businesses wherever they can. This is usually in the form of providing an area for business owners to meet with their employees and discuss important things regarding the company, although many times The Four Mounds Inn and Conference Center will cater for them, providing the business a place to hold a retreat for their employees. The manager says that good, homemade food is a part of their culture and highly recommends a local chef who won "40/40", a competition between 40 professional chefs who are below the age of 40. He can be found at a restaurant called Brazen Open Kitchen, less than a 15-minute drive south to Downtown Dubuque.
The Four Mounds Inn first opened its doors to the public as a bed and breakfast 35 years ago in 1986. However, the buildings that can be found on the property date back much further than that. Construction of the cabin finished back in 1953, making it 68 years old, and the cabin is the youngest of the three available buildings. Next in line would be The White House.
The White House was finished just under a century ago in 1924, making the building 97 years old this year. Finally, there is the oldest one of the bunch: The Grey House. This one has been around for 113 years, making its completion date all the way back in 1908. The rest of the buildings on the property, such as the barn, gardener's house, and root cellar, were built around the same time, just after The Grey House had finished construction.
Initially, The Grey House was built by the first owners, George and Viola Burden, to be a home for them to raise their children. Later, in 1925, a man by the name of Bill Burden married Elizabeth Adams, and they went about building what is now known as The White House on the property. When Elizabeth Adams Burden eventually died in 1982, she willed that the estate should be given to the City of Dubuque to help preserve the history and culture and allow the community to learn of the local history.
According to the current manager of the property, the past can be traced back further than just the established time of construction. The name, Four Mounds, is in relation to four ancient burial mounds from an old Indian culture that dates back further than most known Indian tribes that resided in the nearby forests and plains, like The Cherokee Indians. If guests ever wish to learn more about the history of the rest of the town, there are several notable museums in the vicinity that have an extensive account of the surrounding land and what kinds of people used to live in the area. One museum that the owner has recommended that interested guests could visit is The Mississippi River Museum, which is linked to the Smithsonian Museum.
4900 Peru Road
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Four Mounds Foundation
Elizabeth Adams Burden
