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March 2023 by Sara Moritz
Nothing of importance here but the post office and bank. Wish someone would put a good store in.
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March 2023 by Craig Huizenga
Nice selection of stores for a small strip mall
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March 2023 by Kristi Lauver
Went to the groomers. Great treatment of my pet. Arnold's barkery.
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March 2022 by Tim Renfeldt
The post office has great people!!
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March 2022 by Sam Stoller
Great places store!
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March 2022 by Pamela Peterson
Wednesday. Wings night
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July 2020 by Shawn L.
Awesome place with great things to explore! We appreciated the variety of stores and the restaurant in the back. The dock was easy to walk on and hang out. Great time! We will be back.
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July 2014 by Taylor D.
I enjoy going to the emporium when I come to Okoboji. One particular store that I visited has nail polish and lady things... Well my cousin and I were in there and the lady got irritated and asked us very rudely to leave the store because it was a place for older ladies not children or teens. That was the first store we went in and it sent me bad vibes.. I didn't really purchase anything from any other stores even though they said thank you and were very kind and polite in any other store. I did notice many sales going on and was highly impressed with how calm every one working was acting due to the coming up holiday. There was one fancy women store with great shoes and they tolerated me better that the first store. I will be looking forward to my next visit.
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October 2011 by Stacy P.
Always a fun and nostalgic place to visit. I've been coming to Okoboji since the 1980's, and The Emporium hasn't changed a lot. You can still grab a bite to eat, buy a bag of candy, or load up on all those Okoboji sweatshirts to wear during the upcoming winter. Plus, if you show up just after the summer season has ended, you'll get everything at a great discount.
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September 2010 by Eric B.
In the 1900s, there were 5 ballrooms on West Lake Okoboji: Manhattan Beach, Roof Gardens, The Inn, The Casino and The Central Emporium, then known as the Central Pavilion. The Central Emporium is the only one that remains a part of today's Iowa Great Lakes. It was originally built in 1901 and by the 1960s, the building sat empty until it was purchased in 1967 and used as boat storage. In 1971, the building was remodeled and began leasing out space for stores. During that first year, there were only 3-5 businesses including The Diver's Den, the Outrigger and a jewelry store. I started hanging out at the Central Emporium about that time in the early 1970s. It's gone through ownership changes since then and many shops have also come and gone. The Building itself has also been stabilized from falling into the Lake and at during my visit this summer, the old Girl looks pretty good on the inside as well. There's still the expected collection of tourist based shops, but the Central Emporium also includes a couple nice dining and drinking establishments (with great views), a branch of Hill Avenue Books, and even a few shops (e.g., Life on the Lake) that I enjoy. You can also get here by foot or by boat. I could see how a developer would think of this property as a good condo or other resort opportunity. And I do wonder how the Central Emporium makes money within the confines of a summer vacation season. But as long as this historic Iowa building still stands, I'll be there whenever I'm in town.
