"When you’re looking for something new to do in Iowa, head to Dubuque, where you’ll find the Fenelon Place Elevator. It’s been called the shortest, steepest scenic railway in the world, and the views along the short ride and from the cliffside top are so worth the trip!"

"This short, steep railway brings passengers up 189 feet along a 296 foot long track, starting on 4th Street and ending in the Fenelon Place Historic District," the Only In Your State says.

"On a clear day, you can see straight across the Mississippi River into Illinois and Wisconsin! That makes 3 states visible from the top of the Fenelon Place Elevator."

"The Fenelon Place Elevator (also known as the Fourth Street Elevator) is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It was included as a contributing property in the Cathedral Historic District in 1985, and in the Fenelon Place Residential Historic District in 2015.

"The upper station of the elevator is located at 512 Fenelon Place, whilst the lower station is located at the western end of Fourth Street. At the top, there are two observation decks, which offer a commanding view of the downtown Dubuque area. The states of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin can all be seen from the observation decks. The Fourth Street Elevator is run from April 1 to November 30. The hours are from 8 am to 10 pm.

"The funicular is 296 feet (90 m) long, and angles up at 41 degrees with a vertical elevation of 189 feet (57.6 m). The two cars start at opposite ends, passing each other at the midpoint of the elevator. The two cars counterbalance each other, drawing motive power from an engine in the station house at the top of the hill. The engine only needs to overcome inertia and friction and compensate for the varying weight of the passengers in the cars." (Wikipedia)

"Mr. J. K. Graves, a former mayor, former State Senator, also promoter of mines and a banker lived on top of the bluffs and worked at the bottom. Unfortunately, he had to spend half an hour driving his horse and buggy round the bluff to get to the top and another half an hour to return downtown, even though his bank was only two and a half blocks away.

"Mr. Graves liked to take half an hour for his dinner, then a half an hour nap, but this was im-possible because of the long buggy ride. As a traveler he had seen incline railways in Europe and decided that a cable car would solve his problem. He petitioned the city for the right to build. The franchise was granted on June 5, 1882. John Bell, a local engineer, was hired to design and to build a one-car cable modeled after those in the Alps," the official website says.

"The original cable car, which was built for Mr. Graves’ private use, had a plain wood building, that housed a coal-fired steam engine boiler and winch. A wooden Swiss-style car was hauled up and down on two rails by a hemp rope.

Mr. Graves’ cable car operated for the first time on July 25, 1882. After that, he had his gardener let him down in the morning, bring him up at noon, down after dinner and nap, and up again at the end of the work day. Before long, the neighbors began meeting him at the elevator asking for rides..."

"Also known as the Fourth Street Elevator and the world's shortest, steepest, scenic railway - 296 feet in length," the Travel Dubuque says.

"Magnificent views of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Open April through November."

"An incline railway that runs 296 feet up and down a hill. Built as a cable car in 1882 by rich banker J.K. Graves: his house was at the top of the hill, his bank was at the bottom, and he wanted a short-cut so he'd have time to go home for lunch and take a nap.

"We found out that the turnstile was brought back from the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago! The citizens that had taken over the elevator wanted to rebuild it with cutting edge technology, so they went to the Fair and brought back the turnstile, steel cable, and a streetcar motor to run it. It used to be a cable car system where the cars hung above the ground, but after another fire they decided to make it a rail car system with the cars on the ground," the Roadside America says.

"Cheap ride with a great history brochure. Take the kids! You can park and ride from either the top or bottom of the elevator."

"The Fenelon Place Elevator is still in operation each year from April to November and is protected as a National Historic Landmark. Regrettably, the price has been increased to $3 for a round trip," the Atlas Obscura says.

"While it’s hard to confirm if this is the shortest or steepest railway in the world, it may be the quickest way to feel like you are a rich person in the 1800s.

"Admission is paid at the top of the incline. You can get on at the bottom and pay at the top. Round trip admission, as of June 2021is $4 for adults and $2 for children, kids under 5 ride free. Cash only. No debit or credit. The attraction is open from April 1st through November 30th."

"You can start the ride at either end, although most folks start at the lower level on 4th Street. At the lower level, there’s a small booth that you step into. There is no one at this location – but there’s a sign that says to get into the streetcar, then pull the cord, which rings the bell and tells the person at the top that you are ready to be taken to the top," the Iowa Road Trip says.

"The cable car will start to get tugged and start to move away from the base. Typically, the doors that face towards the top don’t fully close – and for me, that adds to the excitement as it gives you a clear view of what’s coming and an opportunity to get some clean-looking photos. As you pass the middle of the ride, the tracks divide, giving space for the two cable cars to pass right next to each other. 

"Once at the top, you’ll have a view of not only Dubuque but also of Illinois and Wisconsin which are just across the river. They have two observation platforms, one on the south side of the track and another on the north side of the track. I’d also recommend taking a walk behind the building, along the street at the top – as the doorway might also be open that shows the motors that run the system."

"One of the biggest tourist draws to Dubuque is the Fenelon Place Elevator, the shortest and steepest funicular in the world," the Iowa PBS says.

"While a fun oddity, the elevator is also a window into the town's unique relationship with its breathtaking landscape."

"Even if you don’t have anywhere particularly important to go, the Fenelon Place Elevator is definitely worth a ride. We opted to park at the top of the hill and ride the elevator back up. No matter the direction you ride, you can’t beat the view of the Mighty Mississippi from the hilltop elevator platform," the Olio In Iowa says.

"Dubuque’s former mayor and Iowa state senator J.K. Graves built the Fenelon Place Elevator in July of 1882. When he lived in Dubuque, Graves grew tired of the lengthy buggy trip up the bluff. He had experienced inclined railways in Europe, and decided to build one of his own for personal use. Initially, Graves’ staff heaved the car up and down on hemp ropes every day.

"After a fire destroyed the original cable car in 1884, Graves rebuilt and opened the elevator to the public. When it first opened, he charged 5 cents per ride. When the cable car burned again less than a decade later, a group of townspeople banded together to form the Fenelon Place Elevator Co. and rebuilt once again. The cable car visitors ride today was completely rebuilt in 1977, and its original gear drive was replaced with a modern motor."

"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 No Home Just Roam says.

"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.

"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."

"The ride already starts quite differently from most of the cable cars in the world. When you board from the bottom, there is no staff. You enter the car on your own, sit tight, and ring the bell to inform mechanics on the top to operate the car. During the ride you see how genius and quiet the car is operated. And at the top you see amazing view of Dubuque city and Mississippi River. he fare is only 3 dollars round trip, paid on the top. With limited tourist attractions in Dubuque, the "Forth Street Cable Car" should be on every visitor's bucket list. Highly Recommended! The car operates daily until 10pm."

"It was very fun and fascinating. It was steep but not scarily so; the whole family loved it! At the bottom of the elevator is a quant little area with amazing architecture. The operator was very friendly as well. Definitely worth the money and the trip."

"The view of the Mississippi was breath taking in the morning. Hawks would fly and glide in the up drafts from the hills creating a serene and lovely experience."

"This was a very pleasant experience while on our visit with our niece who lives in Dubuque. Very easy to get to and fun to ride. Met people from several different states while riding up and coming back down."

"This was a pretty cool spot while in the area. I am not sure I would say that you can't miss this while in town but, if you have time, I highly recommend stopping in. The views were cool and the elevator ride is pretty unique. We were happy that we took the time to visit this location."