The Okoboji Project

The Okoboji Project Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Okoboji Project, Podcast, Okoboji, IA.

Uncovering the rich history of the Iowa Great Lakes region through local voices and legends.

🎙️Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music
đź“ş Watch Fireworks of Okoboji on Youtube đź’Ą

What did the last days of summer look like in 1911? 🌻This episode is a love letter to August in the Iowa Great Lakes. We...
08/30/2026

What did the last days of summer look like in 1911? 🌻

This episode is a love letter to August in the Iowa Great Lakes. We take you back 115 years ago this week: sailboat races on West Lake, packed dance floors at The Inn, and seventy teachers filing into Spirit Lake High School. (All the photos below are from 1911, too!)

🎧 Listen here: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-the-last-days-of-summer-1911
📸 Postcards from our personal archives; Arnolds Park High School courtesy of the Dickinson County Museum - Iowa

Have you ever heard of the Raebel murder? ⚖️In December 1945, a robbery on the north side of West Lake turned into one o...
08/15/2026

Have you ever heard of the Raebel murder? ⚖️

In December 1945, a robbery on the north side of West Lake turned into one of the most violent crimes in Dickinson County history. A long courtroom drama followed that’s been passed down through three generations of local lawyers.

We sat down with Judge John Sandy, who inherited the case file and knows it inside and out. Fair warning: this one’s heavier than our usual episodes. We think it’s worth it.

🎧 Listen here: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-the-raebel-murder
đź“· Photos compiled by John Sandy and Jim Ladegaard

What do you know about The Seemann Chateau? 🍾This week, we dug into the history behind Okoboji’s most gossiped-about sum...
08/01/2026

What do you know about The Seemann Chateau? 🍾

This week, we dug into the history behind Okoboji’s most gossiped-about summer home. We follow the families who’ve spent generations transforming and protecting the Givens Point cottage, from Civil War veterans to a not-so-secret dinner club.

🎧 Listen here: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-the-seemann-chateau
đź“· Seemann Chateau photos courtesy of Debbie Parks

Guys... we have hats! 🧢We designed these with 70s lake life in mind — and to wear in like a gooood pair of jeans. Availa...
07/29/2026

Guys... we have hats! 🧢

We designed these with 70s lake life in mind — and to wear in like a gooood pair of jeans. Available in White, Navy, and Cardinal.

Snag one (or two!) here: https://buymeacoffee.com/okobojiproject/extras

The story of Arnolds Park is really a family affair.In this episode, we’re tracing the surprising path that brought the ...
07/18/2026

The story of Arnolds Park is really a family affair.

In this episode, we’re tracing the surprising path that brought the Arnolds to West Lake, where they started a campsite that became a hotel, a city, and an amusement park. (Hint: it’s a longer road than you’d think.)

🎧 Listen here: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-meet-the-arnolds
đź“· Photos Courtesy of the Dickinson County Museum - Iowa

07/09/2026

"When you're trying to start something, you do whatever it takes to make it work."
The story of the Okoboji Summer Theatre — from a Depression-era airplane hangar to one of Iowa's most beloved summer traditions — is out now. 🎭
Words from Michael Burke, Director of Production and Operations at OST. Full episode linked in the comments.

A Depression-era airplane hangar, a women's college from Missouri, and one of the Iowa Great Lakes’ most beloved summer ...
07/01/2026

A Depression-era airplane hangar, a women's college from Missouri, and one of the Iowa Great Lakes’ most beloved summer traditions. 🎭 The story of the Okoboji Summer Theatre is even better than you think. New episode out now! 🎧 Listen here: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-the-okoboji-summer-theatre

06/30/2026

Meet Tal, the pyrotechnic who makes the magic happens 🎆

Watch our 8 min short documentary on the Fireworks of Okoboji on YouTube. Link in bio đź”—

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