Shot towers are historic relics of days gone by, when the ammunition used in shot guns (“shot”) was formed by dropping bits of hot lead down a chute for a long free-fall, allowing gravity and surface tension to form these droplets into perfectly shaped balls. These days, the shot formation process has been modernized, and there aren’t many of these archaic shot towers left in existence. There is, however, one in Iowa, and it’s located right along the Mississippi River in Dubuque.

One of the most unique structures in Iowa is the Dubuque Shot Tower.
Photog1955 / Tripadvisor
You can't go inside this shot tower perched on the Mississippi River any longer, but you can drive up to it, view the outside, and learn all about the history of this unique process from the plaques posted outside the tower. 
Eric G / Tripadvisor
This structure on the National Register of Historic Places was built in 1856. It is just over 120 feet tall. To form the shot, molten lead was poured through a fine grate at the top of the tower.
Eric G / Tripadvisor

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The lead dripped through the grate, and these droplets were just the right size for use in shot guns.
Biff Simpson / Tripadvisor
The shape of the droplets perfected as they fell toward a pool of water below, and they also began to harden as they fell. They finished hardening and cooling once they hit a pool of water at the ground level of the tower, retaining their spherical shape throughout the finishing process.
Kelly B / Tripadvisor
One thing to note before you visit: some have reported that the route to the base of the tower is a little hard to find. It's located in an industrial complex at 600 Commercial Street in Dubuque. You can also see it from the Mississippi Riverwalk nearby. 
Eric G / Tripadvisor
Although this site was used as a shot tower when it was first built, it was also used later as a fire watch tower by a lumber company. Ironically, the interior burned in 1911 (along with the adjacent lumber company) and the tower was abandoned.
Eric G / Tripadvisor

Have you ever taken time to notice the Dubuque Shot Tower? Did you know its history? Learn more and see tips from those who have successfully located this hard-to-find attraction on Tripadvisor here. For another one-of-a-kind Iowa attraction, try a trip down Snake Alley in Burlington.

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Dubuque Shot Tower, E Commercial St, Dubuque, IA 52001, USA