The Wild Rose Casino, Iowa’s last riverboat casino, has landed at a new inland location. The casino’s new $35 million destination resort celebrated its grand opening in July.

“This is the beginning of a new era and tradition for our players and guests,” said Tim Bollman, general manager of Wild Rose Clinton. “Since first dropping anchor as the Mississippi Belle II, this casino has offered a fun place to play. Our new land-based casino takes the experience to the next level by offering amenities such as a single-level gaming floor, Coaches’ Corner Sports Bar, Sawmill Buffet, Wild Rose Hotel and the Oakwood Grand Ballroom.”

The design, which reflects a Prairie-style exterior, highlights the lumber and river town history of Clinton. Vintage photographs create a visual history of the city's progress and development from the early 1880s when the first sawmill was built and grand riverboats ruled the Mississippi to present day. The center bar, called the Round House, conjures images of the old Chicago and Northwestern Railroad round house, once the biggest in the United States, that still exists in downtown Clinton.

The new casino features on-site parking and valet service. At the riverboat, patrons had to park several blocks away. The cruising riverboat casino also had been restricted by limited space and logistical constraints from offering a full-destination gaming experience in terms of dining and entertainment.

The Mississippi Belle II, which first launched in June 1991, took its last cruise on Oct. 10, 2007. When Wild Rose acquired the casino in June 2006, it worked with the city and Clinton County Community Development Association (CCCDA) on a proposal to relocate inland.