The Village of East Davenport was founded in 1851 and prospered from the logging industry along the Mississippi River, playing a significant role in western migration. Today, the village is 60 square blocks of more than 500 preserved and redeveloped homes and businesses; small shops, new businesses, and one-family residential homes are combined in a variety of historical styles. An elaborate recreation of nineteenth-century America at Christmas time takes place in the village each year on the first Friday and Saturday of December.
Among other historic sites are the Buffalo Bill Cody homestead in nearby McCausland, the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire, and the Rock Island Arsenal, where Colonel George Davenport's home is located. The Davenport House is open for sightseeing from May to October on Thursday through Saturday. Attractions on Arsenal Island include the National Cemetery and the Confederate Cemetery, both dating back to the Civil War. The Vander Veer Botanical Garden, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a 33-acre park with annual and perennial beds, a formal rose garden, and a conservatory. The Conservatory is renowned for its floral shows and tropical plants. Another sightseeing attraction near Davenport is located on a 1,000-acre site that overlooks the Rock River Valley in Moline, Illinois, where the Deere & Company Administrative Center—the company's world headquarters—was designed by Eero Saarinen, the celebrated Finnish architect.
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1914, is housed in the Adler Theatre, a restored Art Deco movie palace; the orchestra performs a six-concert season with international guest artists. The Adler is also the home of the Broadway Theatre League, which hosts touring shows. Other organizations that sponsor musical events are the Friends of Chamber Music, the Handel Oratorio Society, and the American Guild of Organists. New to Davenport's performing arts scene are the Cassandra Manning Ballet Theatre and Ballet Iowa. Additional restorations to the Adler will be carried out under funding from the River Renaissance initiative.
The Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, houses exhibits on natural science, tribal cultures, ancient civilizations, and the Mississippi River valley. The permanent exhibit, "River, Prairie and People," illustrates the history of the Quad Cities from prehistoric times to the present. The museum also houses an IMAX theater and the Heritage Theatre. The Figge Museum, formerly the Davenport Museum of Art, is Iowa's first municipal art museum. It is located next door to the Putnam at the entrance to Fejervary Park and contains more than 13,000 square feet of gallery space, as well as five fully equipped art-making studios and an auditorium. The Winter Garden, a glass-walled structure on the top level of the museum, provides a beautiful view of the Mississippi River. The museum's s Regionalist Collection includes the Grant Wood Display, a permanent collection of the works of Iowas most famous artist. Other collections include European Old Masters, Mexican Colonial Art, and Haitian Art.
The Hauberg Indian Museum, part of Blackhawk State Historic Site in Rock Island, Illinois, preserves the heritage of the Sac and Fox tribes. Local history can be explored at the Family Museum of Arts & Science in Bettendorf. River Music Experience, a museum dedicated to American roots music, opened its doors in 2004. More than a museum, River Music Experience is also an entertainment center, as interactive exhibits expose visitors to the sounds of traditional American music.
The Mississippi River in the summertime is the focal point for many of Davenport's annual events. The Fourth of July holiday features the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The week-long Great Mississippi Valley Fair, featuring a carnival and entertainment, begins in late July. Top Dixieland bands from around the world flock to the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in July. During the festival, a nationally known seven-mile race called the Bix Seven is run. On Mother's Day weekend and the weekend after Labor Day, Midwestern artists and craftspeople display their works on the streets of downtown Davenport. Annually in late July or early August the Quad Cities host the Great River Tug Fest, where 10-member teams from Iowa and Illinois play tug-of-war across the Mississippi River.
The Quad-City Swing, a Midwest League Class A professional baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins of the American League, play a home schedule of 70 baseball games at the newly-renovated John O'Donnell Stadium in Davenport. The Quad-City Downs in East Moline sponsors televised harness racing year-round. The Quad-City Times Bix 7 Run is held in late July; more than 17,000 runners—including nationally known competitors—challenge the hills of Davenport. The John Deere Classic, a Professional Golfers Association event, is also held locally. Basketball action is provided by the Quad City Thunder, members of the Continental Basketball Association, who play 28 home games from November through March at the Mark of the Quad Cites in Moline. The Quad City Mallards United Hockey League team also plays at the Mark. Cordova Dragway Park offers drag-racing events throughout the summer, and stock car racing is available at several area tracks.
The Davenport Parks and Recreation Department manages 70 sites, on 2,200 acres of parks and public facilities, for golf, tennis, swimming, jogging, and softball. Scott County Park, 6 miles north of Davenport on more than 1,000 acres of land, features picnic grounds, an Olympic-size pool, and an 18-hole golf course. Davenport's proximity to the Mississippi River provides easy access for boating and various other water sports; riverboat casino gambling out of Daven-port and Bettendorf is offered November through March. Wacky Waters is a 30-acre amusement park with water rides and a 5-acre swimming lake. Skiing is possible from December to March in Taylor Ridge.
Davenport's Northpark Mall is Iowa's largest mall; anchored by five major stores, it houses more than 165 specialty shops. A variety of specialty and gift shops, clothing stores, restaurants, and taverns are located in the historic Village of East Davenport. American and family dining is the focus of the majority of local restaurants, with a sampling of Chinese cuisine, pubs, and delis also offered.
Visitor Information: Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, 102 S. Harrison St., Davenport, IA 52801; telephone (563)322-3911; toll-free (800)747-7800; email cvb@quadcities.com