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.
Wild Rose Casino moves inland in Iowa
September 1, 2008
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