At the end of our month in Iowa we decided to spend a couple of days in Dubuque so that we’d have time to ride the Fenelon Place Elevator there.
The Fenelon Place Elevator is a funicular, but it’s not just any old funicular. At only 296 feet long and with a 41° angle, it claims to be the world’s shortest and steepest funicular. We love quirky stuff like that, so there was no way we were passing up on the opportunity to ride something that puts the fun in funicular.
The funicular has both an upper and lower station which, while making sense, we hadn’t realized when planning our visit. We’d arranged to meet a friend at the Fenelon Place Elevator and Shae sent him the address, while I looked it up on Google Maps and drove us there.
It turned out that I’d selected the lower station while Shae had sent our friend the address for the upper station, so upon realizing this we drove up and around to meet him up top.
There wasn’t a long line on the day we visited, so we were able to buy our round trip tickets immediately and hopped on the cable car after another couple of people rode down first.
Although the funicular goes up and down the hill at a steep angle, it’s not a scary ride whatsoever. The funicular uses cable car technology – similar to that used in San Francisco – and it continues at a steady pace.
Despite the angle, you’re not leaning downhill as you ride down because the seats inside are set at an angle relative to the floor to ensure you remain upright, with room to comfortably seat eight people facing each other. Given how quick the ride is though, there’s not really any need for them to pack people in tightly as you can just take the next car a few minutes later.
There are two cars that counterbalance each other. That means one sets off from the top at the same time that the other one sets off from the bottom, meeting in the middle where the track is a little further apart to allow both cars to pass each other.
After riding to the bottom, we decided to wander around Dubuque a little in search of a coffee shop or an ice cream parlor. Unfortunately we decided to visit on a Sunday afternoon and, with it being Iowa, most places were closed. Thankfully we came across a perfect spot to have a drink – Monks Kaffee Pub. As the name suggests, it was both a coffee shop and a pub, so it has something for everyone.
The seating on the patio out front was taken, so we were happy to discover that they had an outdoor seating area out back seeing as we had our dog Truffles with us.
After having a drink at Monks, we decided to ride the funicular back up hill. Although there’s the lower station at the bottom, there isn’t a ticket booth down there. That didn’t matter for us seeing as we’d already bought our tickets before heading down, but it’s also not a problem if you want to start your journey at the lower station.
That’s because the Fenelon Place Elevator lets you ride it up and then buy your ticket once you reach the upper station. To ride the Fenelon Place Elevator from the lower station whether you have a ticket or not, all you have to do is wait until there’s a car available, get on and then pull the bell cord. That lets the operator at the upper station know there’s someone ready to ride at the lower station.
After ringing the bell, it was time to ride up – here’s the view from the front of the cable car.
At the top, be sure to take in the beautiful views over Dubuque with the Mississippi River in the background separating Iowa from Illinios.
How Long Does It Take To Ride The Fenelon Place Elevator
The entire journey lasts about 2 minutes 15 seconds.
Is The Fenelon Place Elevator Pet-Friendly?
Yes, it is pet-friendly. That meant we were able to bring along our pup Truffles to ride it with us. She’s only 10 lbs and so it was easy to ride with her. Larger dogs would fit inside, but it might be a tighter squeeze if there are more than 3-4 people in there with you and your pup is large enough to have to sit on the floor during the ride.
How Much Does It Cost To Ride The Fenelon Place Elevator?
Not only is the Fenelon Place Elevator the world’s shortest and steepest funicular, but it’s incredibly cheap too. When we visited at the end of July 2022, it cost:
- $2 each way for adults
- $1 each way for children 5-12
- Free for children under 5
- $3 each way for riders with a bike
Something important to note is that they don’t accept credit or debit card for payment – it has to be paid for with cash.
When Is The Fenelon Place Elevator Open?
You can ride the funicular from April 1 to November 30 and it’s open 8am to 10pm each day.
We spent a night in Dubuque and decided to ride the Fenelon Elevator the morning that we were leaving. it was fun-you are right about the nice views. Dubuque seemed to us as though it was a city in transition. We had a great dinner at Brazen Open Kitchen and great takeout/pastries at Cahrlottes’s.
A city in transition seems a good way to put it. We didn’t get a chance to explore much, but it was a pretty city that didn’t seem overly vibrant, but it didn’t seem run-down either.
I visit Dubuque often. It borders Illinois and Wisconsin…the white bridge goes to Illinois, the green one to Wisconsin. My visit often involves crossing the river, so I can visit Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin all in a matter of minutes.
I think that’s what happened to us on our way out of Dubuque!