Fort Madison: Rodeo, History, and Hotels

A stay in Fort Madison can be planned around an annual event or focused on historic sites and trails. Museums, architecture, and recreational trails offer other themes to consider when planning your trip. Check the event date or schedule the tour you want before setting your travel dates.

Events to Plan Your Trip Around

Fort Madison has hosted the Tri-State Rodeo every year since 1948. During the rodeo, the 1812 siege of Old Fort Madison is reenacted each year. The reenactment is part of the same event, so if you want to see it, you can plan around the rodeo. Before booking a hotel, it’s a good idea to check the rodeo’s specific dates.

The Mexican Fiesta is another annual event. It has been part of the community for more than 90 years. If you plan your trip around either event, check the dates for your intended travel period. This lets you coordinate the reason for your stay with your specific travel plans.

Bridge, Museums, and Transportation History

The BNSF Swing-Span Double-Decker Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the world’s longest double-decker swing bridge. The bridge was completed in 1927, is 3,140 feet long, and has a 525-foot swing span. These two measurements distinguish the bridge’s overall length from the length of its swing span and give a concrete sense of its construction.

The North Lee County Historical Society museums offer tours of their exhibits, as well as visitor information for the city, region, and state. They are open 360 days a year. Check current hours before your visit if you’d like to include the tours or information in your plans.

You can book a tour of the North Lee County Jail through the North Lee County Historical Society by making an appointment in advance. This requires different planning from a visit to the museums: a Jail tour must be scheduled ahead of time. The CB&Q Depot houses a transportation museum on railroad history, as well as information about travel on the Mississippi River.

Architecture and Recreational Trails

Fort Madison’s Park-to-Park Residential Historic District is easy to explore on foot and showcases Victorian-era architecture. Visitors interested in architecture will find a focus here distinct from the sites devoted to the bridge and railroad history. The district thus combines a historic part of the city with a specific architectural style.

The Bluff Road Trail is a multi-use recreational trail along Bluff Road from Crescent Lane to 48th Street. The Rodeo Park Connector Trail runs north of Fort Madison High School to Rodeo Park. Its route goes from 21st Street to 18th Street, follows Avenue B to 15th Street, and then continues along 15th Street to Rodeo Park. There, the trail connects to the south side of the Fort Madison Rodeo Arena.

The two trails differ in their described routes: for the Bluff Road Trail, the road and endpoints are specified; the Rodeo Park Connector Trail follows several streets before connecting to the arena. If Rodeo Park or the arena is part of your planned visit, this connection is a useful point of reference. The Park-to-Park Residential Historic District, by contrast, offers its own reason to take a walk, with Victorian architecture as its focus.

The rail route also provides a geographical link to the area: Amtrak’s Southwest Chief crosses the Mississippi River at Fort Madison. When planning a hotel stay, you can weigh a specific event date, a tour that must be scheduled in advance, or a focus on architecture, museums, or trails.

Discover more destinations: Keokuk

Go to the regional travel overview: Lee County.