Central Emporium — Preserving Valuable History
If the walls could talk! What would we hear? For almost 125 years, the Central Emporium has overlooked West Lake Okoboji and been a place where laughter and fun are standard. The ballroom was built in 1901, where people danced to music like Louis Armstrong and dined in fabulous restaurants like today’s Prime Boji. Stores were added in the 1970s, and even today, the Central Emporium continues to be a popular local gem for visitors and locals alike.
New Ownership
On January 31, 2025, local real estate broker Michael Jensen purchased the Central Emporium from Parks Marina, Inc., taking the baton from Butch and Debbie Parks. The Parks had acquired the property in 2016 to preserve the historic building and prevent it from being turned into condominiums. Jensen shares a similar vision, with a strong desire to see the building restored and preserved for generations to come.
“I have a passion for the Iowa Great Lakes area! My whole career has been Okoboji focused, from selling boats at Okoboji Boats to purchasing the Nutty Bar Stand to selling real estate here,” Jensen shared. “My great Grandma Anna Dorgan also had a home on Sunset Beach where my grandma also lived, and my dad was born. We live in an uniquely beautiful area and my family’s desire is to protect local gems like the Central Emporium for another 100 years.”
Because of the work of previous owners, the building is structurally sound. However, Jensen is taking the building to another level with the overall thought of preservation. This family destination is being renovated from inside out in three phases. By Memorial Day 2025, the entire outside of the Central Pavilion will have experienced a facelift, returning to how the building once welcomed couples for a night of dancing.
Leiss Builders is heading up the restoration and returning the Central Emporium to it’s original appearance. Jensen has done considerable research on how the building once looked and a brick front is returning to the outside, with Kingdom Masonry overseeing that process.
“It was in the late 1970s when the front of the building was painted over,” he explained. "Kingdom Masonry of Fairmont has handled the brickwork by meticulously tuckpointing each 100-year-old brick, restoring them to look brand new. The entire team has done a tremendous job."
New windows have been added throughout the building, including Prime Boji, where the original ballroom was once located. Old wood has been replaced on the outside of the building and the deck is now level. Kirk Studer’s crew has helped add an elevator in space near the Sugar Shack and Dellapina, making the building more handicapped accessible. Both bathrooms have been renovated and improved, with the one near the new restaurant Mullets, Lake Okoboji made available to everyone in the building.
This first phase of renovation is extensive, but Jensen and Leiss’ goals are to protect the building for the long run. “We don’t want to do anything to it for another 50 years,” Jensen said with a smile.
The next stage will take place in the fall, fixing any wood issues on the east and west sides of the building as well as improving hallway aesthetics on each floor and opening up the ceilings. The last phase will improve the landscaping around the building, including adding a play area on the west side and creating a good buffer between nearby businesses and residents in the area.
“The Central Emporium is a hub of activity all summer long. It features a variety of remarkable stores and restaurants, including clothing boutiques, jewelry shops, and the iconic Sugar Shack,” he said. “This building is important for the area and it is a tradition we want to protect for generations to come”
All the stores remain in the building—from the Animal House and Palm at the Park to Brad’s Bungalow and the Okoboji Canning Company—offering something for every visitor. Boji Divers is set to open this season, which Jensen said brings things full circle: “The Diver’s Den was one of the first stores in the Emporium, and now a dive shop is returning!”
Mullet’s, Lake Okoboji completely renovated the bottom floor, and the new restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kitchen was completely changed for efficiency, the backbar was removed, and new paint and televisions were added. “They renovated to streamline the process to get more food and beverage out in a timely fashion,” Jensen explained.
He also shared appreciation for the City of Arnolds Park and the overall community in sharing his family’s passion for the Central Emporium and keeping this precious piece of history live and well.
Central Emporium is located at 144 Lakeshore Drive and open for business! Dine and shop, visit and laugh – you will become a part of Arnolds Park’s rich history and tradition!
Remembering the Past
The Walker family of Charles City built the Central Pavilion in 1901, along the bank of West Lake Okoboji and behind the Okoboji Hotel, which was owned by the Milwaukee Railroad. The Arnolds Park depot was located just up the road and pulled up close to the ballroom, bringing travelers from all over the country.
In 1910, Adolf Becker, who also owned vacation cottages nearby, purchased the Central Pavilion and owned the popular attraction until the 1960s. After the Okoboji Hotel burned to the ground on August 5, 1911, Becker was proactive and traded Canadian wheat land to purchase this land and used it to expand the Central Pavilion. One popular addition was an ice cream parlor.
Renaming the Pavilion to the Central Ballroom Nite Club, the attraction was a grand place in the 1920s and provided countless opportunities for people to dine and dance until dawn. Hollywood came to Iowa, and some of the biggest musical acts in the United States were featured at the ballroom – Count Basie, the Dorseys, Glenn Miller, Louie Armstrong, and Woody Herman. The talk is Lawrence Welk even visited for a time, pitching a tent on Becker’s lawn.
In 1967, Okoboji native Wayne Eves purchased the building and used it as boat storage for his marina. His son Bob decided he wanted to preserve the history of the Central Ballroom and purchased the building from his father in 1971, quickly beginning an extensive remodeling project. Eves renamed the building to the Central Emporium and began leasing out space for stores, such as The Diver’s Den, the Outrigger and a jewelry store.
Lee Hesse of Newton purchased one of the first leases and his wife Kay and him opened popular stores like Kay’s Beach Boutique, Resort Footwear and a coffee shop called Java Boji. In 1973, Boyle Company of Sioux City purchased the building and finished the restoration project on the bottom floor.
In the late 1990s, Boyle Company contacted Sioux City native Dick Brown about purchasing the Central Emporium, who had recently retired but still had his hands in several entrepreneurships. One space he leased was the Bavarian Gardens on the lower floor of the Central Emporium.
In September 2003, Brown began renovating the 100-year-old building and discovered disastrous news underneath the footings. Brown suddenly had to decide, “tear down the historical building or spend the time and money to salvage it!” He chose to save the piece of Iowa Great Lakes history, and one load at a time, skid loaders moved in 800 tons of dirt to push the building back 90 feet and save the building. They also replaced the pillars with steel, as well as other necessary restoration needs.
In 2016, Parks Marina, Inc. bought the Central Emporium and saved the building from becoming condominiums and began immediate changes like adding a new roof, fixing drainage issues and adding new coats of paint. Butch and Debbie Parks also expanded the floating dock system and remodeled the Gardens, updating spaces Butch’s parents once danced on. Several of the stores renovated their space like the Animal House in 2018 and Brad’s Bungalow in 2020.
On January 31, 2025, Parks Marina, Inc. sold the Central Emporium to another longtime Okoboji resident Michael Jensen.
Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed
