Exploring Sioux City, Part I
Sioux City’s stockyards rivaled its regional neighbors when it came to processing cattle, hogs and other critters. Meatpacking plants were natural offshoots. Times change. The stockyards and meatpacking plants are in Sioux City’s past. Today, Sioux City offers visitors a look at history, including agribusiness, as well as the Lewis and Clark expedition.
But, it offers much more. Visitors can spend the weekend, partying and gambling to their delight at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel. The hotel/casino opened a couple of years ago and has been a popular attraction.
During our weekend in Sioux City, we took in history museums, casino activity, the symphony, great food, and cultural attractions. We actually ran out of time before completing our to-do list we developed before the trip. I guess that just gives us another reason to return to Sioux City.
The Hard Rock Casino and Hotel is located in the old Battery Building. Each room has exposed brick and wooden beams. Rooms have photos and posters of recording stars. The doors have an iconic photo on them. Room numbers are in the shape of a guitar pic.
As you check in to the Hard Rock casino and Hotel, visitors are offered a free drink. The lobby is an impressive attraction, itself. With bottles of liquor lining the counter to ceiling shelves, you’d think you were in a nightclub. It’s decorated with typical hard Rock accessories – instruments, props and larger than life posters.
Walk the main floor between the hotel and casino, and you’ll see nods to music’s great history – the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Prince and more are on display through outfits, albums and instruments. It’s easy to see why people could check in and spend an entire weekend without leaving the building.
But, alas, there is more to Sioux City than a casino. Historic Fourth Street offers a look at some of the area’s oldest architecture. There about 25 buildings that attract attention for their age and design in the district.
Sioux City has joined other Midwestern cities that accent their downtown areas with public sculptures. One in particular stood out to us – a dragon puffing on a cigar following a “knight meal.”
Staying downtown, we took in some culture. We visited the Orpheum Theater, which is home to the Sioux City Symphony. The symphony celebrated its centennial this year. The concert we watched was a combination of traditional concert tunes mixed with some high tech music.
The first half of the show took place in the theater, and then moved to a series of tents outside for a nightclub feel, where the symphony “collided” with computer-generated tunes to celebrate the music of some great musicians, including Frank Zappa. It definitely had a night club vibe to it.
We spent a full day running from museum to museum, enjoying every minute of it. We started with a quick stop at Palmer Candy. Palmer produces the Bing candy, a cherry nugget filling surrounded by chocolate and nuts. It was my dad’s favorite candy. I celebrate his life annually with one on the anniversary of his passing.
The candy store and visitors center offers a look at the company’s history by sharing some of the old equipment they used to make candy treats by hand. We left with some Bings and chocolate-covered pretzels. You try going into a candy store and leaving empty-handed.
Staying in the fun food arena, we stopped at the Jolly Time Pop Corn museum. It’s actually connected to a warehouse used to store the popcorn. The museum is also part of a store, where you can buy traditional Jolly Time Pop Corn or contemporary flavored Koated Kernels.
The museum features the founder’s work desk, advertisement posters, and some of the old signage used to market the treat. It’s operated by a third generation member of the family.
A trip to the Mid-America Museum of Aviation and Transportation offers a look at one of the most tragic events to occur in Sioux City. United Flight 232 had to make a crash landing at the airport in 1989. The plane lost its navigational system and had to perform a crash landing. It did a cartwheel down the runway. Of the 296 aboard, 111 people died. Most of the 185 survivors credited pilot Al Haynes with their survival.
The museum also gives visitors a chance to look at older airplanes and automobiles. From a French airplane to a DeLorean, visitors will not be disappointed.
Sioux City offers visitors entertaining and informative looks into the city’s history and culture. We enjoyed our visit to the fourth largest city in Iowa. We will continue our look at Sioux City in an upcoming story.
For more information on Sioux City and its attractions, please visit www.visitsiouxcity.org or www.traveliowa.com.
Disclaimer: Thank you to the Sioux City Visitors Bureau for arranging a complimentary stay at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the symphony concert. However, all opinions and views are ours.
