of the Patriarchs Militant camp (a subgroup of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows). Established in 1914, turned into a historical eating and lodging venue. Central Gardens of North Iowa, Inc. has over 20 themed gardens on nearly 3 acres of land and is the only free public garden within 90 miles of Clear Lake. It is open daily, dawn to dusk, May 1 through October 31 and offers over 50 free activities, events, and programs each year. Lake Theatre: Historic single screen movie theatre showing current titles. Originally an Opera House, converted to movie theatre in 1935. https://www.clearlaketheatre.com Education There are three schools in the local public school district, Clear Lake Community School District. Clear Creek Elementary School hosts preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1–5; Clear Lake Middle School hosts grades 6–8; and Clear Lake High School hosts grades 9–12. Lakeside Alternative, an alternative school program, is run jointly with the Garner–Hayfield–Ventura Community School District in neighboring Ventura, Iowa. Clear Lake Classical, a preK–8 Classical Christian school, is the only private school in the city. Infrastructure Transportation Clear Lake is located along Interstate 35 approximately halfway between the Twin Cities and Des Moines, Iowa. U.S. Highway 18 runs east–west through the northern side of the city until it meets Interstate 35; at this interchange, Iowa Highway 122 begins and continues to the east. U.S. 18 proper continues to the south, overlapping an approximately 3.5-mile stretch of Interstate 35 and Iowa Highway 27 (part of the Avenue of the Saints). Just south of the city, U.S. 18 and Iowa 27 break from Interstate 35 and continue to the east. The North Iowa Area Council of Governments operates Region 2 Transit, which provides city and regional demand responsive public bus transit. Jefferson Lines, a private intercity bus service, maintains a stop in Clear Lake with service to locations throughout the Midwest. Mason City Municipal Airport is located immediately to the east of Clear Lake. Two freight rail lines run through the city. Canadian Pacific Railway operates a line parallel to U.S. 18, which stops at a minor grain facility; trackage rights are given to the Iowa Northern Railway. Progressive Rail maintains the Iowa Traction Railway, a shortline railroad which runs between Clear Lake and Mason City. Utilities The city's electric power and natural gas utilities are provided by Alliant Energy. Since 2004, Alliant Energy has operated a natural gas—fired electricity generation plant