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.

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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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