​The Cresco Area Chamber of Commerce’s Welcome Center is conveniently located in the center of town at the corner of Highway 9 and Elm Street overlooking the skyline of businesses located downtown. The Welcome Center is your total information resource for the community of Cresco and the surrounding northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota region. Here you can find the information you may be looking for such as a local business directory, maps, brochures, tour information, new business resources, new resident packets, phone numbers, souvenirs, tickets to special events and so much more.

Here you will learn about Cresco’s past, including our five WWI Admirals, the World’s First Stewardess, Ellen Church, and Dr. Norman Borlaug, world renowned and recognized as the Father of the Green Revolution and humanitarian who has saved over a billion lives from starvation. Norman Borlaug grew up just South of Cresco and graduated from Cresco High School. Also located here are friendly people to assist you and information on the area’s attractions like the Upper Iowa River, a popular canoeing river, plus the paved bicycle trails (over 25 miles stretching out from Cresco to the surrounding rolling hills and prairies), statues, caves, golf courses, campgrounds, local businesses, antique and specialty shops, and restaurants.

Within the Cresco Welcome Center you will find the Cresco Area Chamber of Commerce Office, Howard County Economic Development Office, Cresco Industrial Development Corporation (CIDC), the Chamber of Commerce Board Meeting Room (available for use by Chamber members at no-charge) and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame was established in 1970 and honors Iowa natives who made significant contributions to amateur wrestling. You are invited to review the ongoing tradition of wrestling in Iowa through photographs and descriptions of the inductees’ accomplishments.