It’s hard to mention Cedar Rapids without talking about the painter, Grant Wood (1891-1942), who lived and worked here. You can visit the studio where he painted his masterpiece, American Gothic in 1930.

That building is owned by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, which has the largest collection of Wood’s works in the world.

In 2008 the Cedar River burst its banks, devastating the city. But this event has given rise to exciting new development, in particular the cross-river Czech Village/New Bohemia area, known as The District.

1. Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Source: ericjames / Wikimedia | CC BY 3.0

In a building by Postmodern architect Charles Moore (1925-1993), the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is an essential first stop, housing the largest collection of works by Grant Wood in the world.

This includes important paintings like Woman with Plants (1929) and Young Corn (1931), while you can also visit the studio where he painted American Gothic (1930) at a separate site.

Although mainly dealing with other early 20th-century Midwestern artists like Marvin Cone, the museum’s collection is diverse and features a remarkable lineup of 21 Ancient Roman busts, and modern art by Japanese ceramic artist Jun Kaneko whose giant heads greet you at the museum’s 3rd Avenue side.

2. Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street

Source: Rosemarie Mosteller / shutterstock

Southeast of downtown is a captivating area made up of two distinct neighborhoods, Czech Village and New Bohemia.

Combined, the pair is known as The District. Straddling the river, this part of town was devastated by the Iowa flood of 2008, but the transformation since then has been astonishing.

This is down to a not-for-profit organization, which has helped entice visitors to discover a multitude of exciting small businesses, from boutiques to home design stores, stylish bars and contemporary restaurants.

There are two great museums, more than 40 stores, almost as many restaurants, an arts center, and the paved Cedar River Trail, connecting with downtown.

3. NewBo City Market

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Central to NewBo’s revival is this flourishing indoor market at a former warehouse site. The showpiece for the NewBo City Market is the Rotary Hall, with its many independent food and craft vendors, commercial kitchen and a space for special events.

The market serves an entrepreneurial incubator, helping small businesses develop their products and skills as they scale up.

This is great news for visitors who can browse all kinds of little specialty stores, and choose from a dazzling array of cuisines, whether you’re in the mood for artisan pizza, Caribbean food, shawarma, quality Mexican street food, Mediterranean, rice bowls, fresh roasted coffee or sweet treats.

4. National Czech and Slovak Museum

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On the Cedar River’s south bank in Czech Village is a superb museum celebrating Czech & Slovak culture and immigration to Cedar Rapids from this region.

The museum building was inundated in 2008, but within three years the main building had been moved 480 feet to a new spot with an elevated, flood-proof foundation.

The multi-sensory permanent exhibit, Faces of Freedom, examines the journey made by Czech and Slovak immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries.

You’ll see traditional puppets, porcelain and glass, visit the replica of a ship’s steerage section, check out a Tatra car used by the secret police, and feel what it was like to be in Prague’s Wenceslas Square during the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

There are multiple temporary exhibits to peruse, usually rich with art and traditional workmanship, from metalwork to folk dress.

5. Brucemore

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This magnificent Queen Anne-style mansion was built in the mid-1880s for Caroline Sinclair, the widow of the trailblazing industrialist T. M. Sinclair.

On 26 acres of parkland, Brucemore, has been home to three important local families and was donated to the National Trust for preservation in 1981.

You can admire the opulent residence, packed with interesting stories, on a guided tour, and if you want to go into even more detail there’s a “Nooks and Crannies” tour.

The grounds are an attraction in their own right, with an idyllic wooded trail, pond, swimming pool, garden house, carriage house, servants’ village and greenhouse. Brucemore has a lively calendar of events, staging theatre performances and concerts all year round.

6. Paramount Theatre

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This sumptuous movie palace continues to be a performing arts hub for Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa, close to a century after it was built. Early Art Deco on the outside, the Paramount Theatre’s interior was modeled on Baroque palaces like Versailles.

Although much of the decor was stripped in the 1970s, the sense of grandeur lives on. With supreme acoustics and a capacity of more than 1,900, the venue hosts opera, symphony, touring recording artists, dance, live comedy, children’s entertainment and much more.

The Iowa Flood of 2008 badly damaged the theatre’s historic Wurlitzer organ, but this was fully restored and had its first concert in 2014.

7. Grant Wood Studio and Visitor Center

Source: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art / Facebook

A perfect complement to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is the studio personally modified by Grant Wood in the early 1920s.

This served as his studio from 1924 to 1935, and it was in the light-filled loft that the artist painted some of his most famous works, including American Gothic in 1930, but also Woman with Plants (1929) and Daughters of Revolution (1932).

You can visit the studio for free on weekends April through December, admiring Wood’s unique interior design and learning about some of his quirks.

8. African American Museum of Iowa

Source: Griot2012 / Wikimedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

This statewide institution, preserving Iowa’s African American history, is based right here in NewBo, with an extensive artifact collection and archives.

The permanent exhibition, Endless Possibilities, touches on a variety of themes including slavery, the Underground Railroad, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.

You’ll discover the unique story of Iowa’s African American communities, find out about the diversity of Western Africa and the dismal conditions aboard a slave ship.

At the time of writing there was an important exhibition for redlining, a process in which people from specific neighborhoods are excluded from services by government agencies and private companies.

9. Bever Park

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This sizable park in the east of Cedar Rapids has been on the map since 1893 and has a long history of keeping animals, going back to a zoo that opened in 1901.

That tradition survives today at Old MacDonald’s Farm, open May through mid-August and home to lovable farm animals like goats, lambs, chickens, ducks, cattle and more.

Also open during the school summer break is the Bever Pool with zero-depth entry, six 25-yard lap lanes and a water slide.

Elsewhere you’ll find shelters and a large pavilion that can be rented for big picnics and family reunions, as well as a trail through the woods, flower gardens and playgrounds.

10. Cedar Rapids Kernels

Source: David Lee / shutterstock

Southwest of downtown Cedar Rapids, Veterans Memorial Stadium is home field for the city’s own minor league baseball team, affiliated with MLB’s Minnesota Twins.

In various guises, the Kernels have been around since 1890. When we wrote this article the franchise was playing in the 12-team High-A Central, made up of teams from the Midwest. The current stadium opened in 2002 and can seat 5,300.

You get large, comfortable seats, a wide choice of beer and food vendors, regular post-game fireworks and the crazy antics of the mascot Mr. Shucks.

11. The History Center

Source: The History Center / Facebook

Since 2018 this museum covering the history of Linn County has been housed in the historic Douglas Mansion, a Colonial Revival residence dating back to 1897.

Within walking distance of several landmarks relating to the county’s past, The History Center gives you a chronology of Linn County from perspectives such as education, immigration and transportation. To keep things fun for smaller visitors there are regular “Did You Know?” stations.

This permanent exhibit is combined with changing exhibitions dealing with specific themes or important events. Upstairs you’ll come to the elegant Round Room, recounting the story of the mansion and the prominent Douglas and Sinclair families who lived here.

12. Indian Creek Nature Center

Source: Indian Creek Nature Center / Facebook

On reclaimed farmland along the banks of Indian Creek is more than 500 acres of woodlands, wetlands and prairies waiting to be discovered on five miles of trails. Indian Creek Nature Center is the first and only private, nonprofit nature center in the state.

At the very heart of all this is a spectacular Amazing Space building, part of a campus that opened in 2016 and officially one of the most sustainable buildings on the planet.

Here you can check out exhibits, take part in a wealth of programs including yoga classes, catch a concert, learn about our winged friends at the Bird Room and visit the excellent Creekside Shop for cute gifts, maple syrup and raw honey.

13. Ushers Ferry Historic Village

Source: Ushers Ferry Historic Village / Facebook

This outdoor museum in the west of Cedar Rapids, offers a glimpse of village life in Eastern Iowa at the turn of the 20th century. June through October there are ten historic, ADA accessible buildings to tour.

A mix of civic buildings and residences, these structures are authentic and have been relocated to this spot by the Cedar River, known to have been a key campsite for Native Americans.

Ushers Ferry harks back to the days of township governments, when farmers laid out their own roads, and communities were anchored by school, a handful of businesses and a church.

This attraction can be rented for private events, and hosts seasonal festivals, including family-friendly fun at Halloween.

14. Palisades-Kepler State Park

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A few miles down the Cedar River is a state park preserving spectacular riverfront bluffs and branching ravines, couched in deep hardwood forest.

The exposed limestone lining the river at Palisades-Kepler State Park is rich with fossils, and offers some of the only outdoor rock climbing to be found in Iowa.

You can fish the Cedar River and hike the rugged terrain along more than five miles of trails. There are also four cabins, 44 campsites (26 with electrical hookups) and a rustic stone lodge that can be rented.

The latter was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCP) in the 1930s, one of a number of Depression-era projects in the park.

15. Bloomsbury Farm

Source: MNStudio / shutterstock

Homesteaded as long ago as 1856, Bloomsbury Farm is now in its fifth generation and lies in the open countryside just past Cedar Rapids’ western outskirts.

This is a functioning farm with a wonderful farm market that showcases a host of local growers and vendors.

The big date in the calendar is the Harvest Festival every fall, with an 18-acre “pick’em” pumpkin patch, corn mazes up to ten acres in size and more than 20 extra attractions, from a petting zoo to hayrack rides.

A little earlier in the year is the Sunflower Festival, for U-Pick sunflowers or a stunning photo opportunity. In October, Scream Acres, is the farm’s haunted attraction, with three immersive indoor haunts and a sinister haunted cornfield.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Cedar Rapids (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through in July and August of 1804, pausing to lay to rest Sergeant Charles Floyd, whose grave is marked with a grand monument.

In the early 20th century Sioux City was a key railroad hub, home to the busiest stockyards in the nation.

Now one of the Midwest’s top metro areas, Sioux City is the urban center for shopping, culture and entertainment in the tri-state region.

There’s a wonderful abundance of free attractions, at the Sioux City Public Museum, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the excellent Sioux City Art Center.

1. Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Source: Sioux City Lewis and Clark Center / Flickr | CC BY

While charting the new lands acquired by the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through what is now Sioux City in the summer of 1804. This history is marked by a 20,000 cultural complex that opened in 2007.

Enthralling exhibits bring to life the expedition’s time in the area, including the untimely passing of Sergeant Charles Floyd, who was the first U.S. soldier to die west of the Mississippi.

There’s also plenty of detail about this historic adventure, before and after it reached the confluence of the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers.

Kids will find a lot of interactivity here, with computers, flip books, stamping stations and a brass-rubbing station, while Keelboat Theater shows the 15-minute film, “A Visit with William Clark”.

2. Sioux City Public Museum

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In 2011, this local institution moved into a sleek modern building downtown. Until that time the Sioux City Public Museum had been housed in the 23-room Peirce Mansion (1893), which it continues to manage, along with the Sergeant Floyd River Museum, which we’ll talk about later.

The HQ is a state-of-the-art attraction, with plentiful interactive displays like the Time Machine and Innovation I-Wall informing you about the city in fresh ways.

A good starting point is the opulent Corn Palace Theatre, screening a 12-minute orientation film about the “Spirit of Sioux City”.

The Big Dig replicates one of the active fossil digs in the area, and the Sioux City Stockyards bring to life what were once the busiest stockyards in the United States, explaining their relationship with the railroads.

3. Sioux City Art Center

Source: Sioux City Art Center / Facebook

With a formidable collection that has taken shape since the 1930s, the Sioux City Art Center is in an award-winning modern building that opened in 1997.

While the focus is on artists from Iowa and the Midwest, the collection also features work by a contingent of national and international artists, among them Salvador Dalí, Dale Chihuly, Claes Oldenburg, Käthe Kollwitz and Jun Kaneko.

On show in a special room is Grant Wood’s Corn Room mural, which was commissioned for Sioux City’s Martin Hotel in 1927.

This work was actually papered over in the 1950s before being rediscovered in 1979. There’s always something new to see at the five galleries, while the center has a slew of programs for young people and adults to flex their creative muscles.

4. Sergeant Floyd Monument

Source: Andrew B Hall / shutterstock

Sioux City is the burial place of a young member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Charles Floyd (1782-1804). He died on the upstream voyage, mostly likely from appendicitis, and was buried at the place that would become Sioux City.

He was the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die on the expedition. Due to erosion, his grave has twice been relocated east of the original site, while the memorial’s solemn Kettle River sandstone obelisk was erected in 1901 and stands at 100 feet high.

The monument is in a 23-acre riverside park, just downstream from downtown Sioux City, and with an arresting view of the Missouri River valley.

5. Sergeant Floyd River Museum

Source: Ammodramus / Wikimedia | CC0

Catching your eye in a dry dock next to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is the restored MV Sergeant Floyd towboat.

Launched in 1932 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, she was built for the United States Army Corps of Engineers to help manage the nation’s inland waterways, and is one of just a handful of USACE vessels from that period to survive to the present day.

On a self-guided tour you can pick up fascinating titbits about Native American history and culture, fur trapping, the Lewis & Clark Expedition and steamboats on the Missouri River.

One compelling exhibit is a facial reconstruction of Charles Floyd based on a plaster cast of his skull. Also inside is a handy Welcome Center for the tri-state area.

6. Sioux City Railroad Museum

Source: Sioux City Railroad Museum / Facebook

First arriving in 1868, the railroads played a big role in the development of Sioux City and the tri-state area in the late 19th century.

At their peak, there were eight railroads serving Sioux City making this country’s 10th-largest railroad center in the United States in the 1920s and 30s.

The site of the Sioux City Railroad Museum is fascinating, at the once giant engine terminal and repair shops built for the Milwaukee Road in the 1910s. By WWII the shops employed more than 500 workers, overhauling 35 steam locomotives and servicing 70 trains every day.

Exploring the museum’s 32 acres, you can check out these old buildings and marvel and grand pieces of machinery like Steam Locomotive No. 1355 – “Ironhorse” (1909).

There’s also a motor car ride along ¾ of track, the Grand Scale Train for 32 passengers and an impressive model railroad.

7. Woodbury County Courthouse

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A marvelous sight in downtown Sioux City is the Prairie School-style, Woodbury County Courthouse, completed in 1918. Dubbed the “Jewel of the Prairie”, this four-story brick building is considered one of the county’s finest Prairie School edifices.

The courthouse was designed by George Grant Elmslie, along with his partner, William Gray Purcell, and Sioux City architect, William L. Steele, and replaced an older courthouse from the 1870s.

On the street, take a look at the sculptural elements by Alfonso Iannelli over the doors, and the intricate grillwork above the northern entrance, by Elmslie.

The interior abounds with marble, delicate metalwork and murals, and if you’re interested in a tour, you can contact the Board of Supervisors’ office via the Woodbury County website.

8. Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation

Source: Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation / Facebook

In a hangar at Sioux Gateway Airport is a museum guiding you through the modern history of aviation and surface transportation.

There are 30,000 square feet of displays and exhibits, with a wide array of preserved aircraft, among them a Boeing 727-200 and a Huey helicopter that served in Vietnam.

One memorable sight is an intact Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, the largest-displacement piston engine to be mass-produced in the United States.

For earthbound vehicles you’ll find a fleet of motorcycles and historic cars, including a ‘41 Cadillac Fleetwood “60” Special Sunroof Sedan ridden by President Truman in a parade in Omaha, and a road grader from 1913.

In 1989, Sioux City was the scene of the United Airlines Flight 232 disaster, and there’s a moving tribute and memorial garden.

9. LaunchPAD Children’s Museum

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Just across from Pearl Street Park in downtown Sioux City is an acclaimed children’s museum, full of smartly designed interactive exhibits for kids aged from 6 months to 10 years.

LaunchPad has plenty of attractions rooted in local farming, such as a big red barn, hog pen, grain bin, milking cow and an agriculture zone, where kids can find out about crops grown in the area and what life is like as a farmer.

Other spaces like the Build Zone, Wind Zone and the wonderful Water Table, introduce young minds to science and engineering concepts, while there’s ample opportunity for roleplaying at the Market and Cafe.

10. Palmer Candy Company

Source: Joel McCartan / shutterstock

With humble beginnings as a wholesale grocer, the Palmer Candy Company has had a long presence in Sioux City going back to 1878. You can find out about this history and choose from a big selection of treats at Palmer’s Old Tyme Candy Shoppe.

This is in an elegant Art Deco-style building on the edge of downtown Sioux City, with a delectable array of snacks and confectionery including sea salt caramels, gourmet truffles, roasted nuts, Swedish fish and homemade brittle.

Keep an eye out for classics like the Twin Bing (cherry nougat coated with chocolate and chopped peanuts), first introduced in the 1920s. Also worthwhile is the small museum inside, displaying old-time candy making equipment and photos from the company’s distant origins.

11. Stone State Park

Source: Ken Schulze / shutterstock

There’s a number of picturesque natural spaces on the city’s doorstep, and one of the prettiest is this 1,000-acre state park against the Iowa-South Dakota border.

Still within Sioux City’s limits, Stone State Park is on the northernmost of Iowa’s Loess Hills, with steep slopes cloaked in hardwood forest, and fragments of prairie on the highest ridges.

Here and there you’ll come across exposed bedrock composed of shale, lignite, sandstone and limestone, dating back some 100 million years to the Cretaceous period, and loaded with marine fossils.

Stone State Park has an extensive trail system catering to hikers, as well as horseback riders, mountain bikers and, in winter, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.

The park’s campground is in a peaceful wooded hollow, offering 30 campsites (ten with electrical hookups).

12. Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

Source: Natalia Kuzmina / shutterstock

While you’re visiting scenic Stone State Park it’s well worth stopping at this free nature center, hiding in the woodland off Sioux River Road.

Here you can acquaint yourself with the natural habitats of northwestern Iowa, checking out interactive wetland, woodland and prairie exhibits.

There are also compelling displays about the area’s rich natural history, as well as tanks and terrariums with live fish and reptiles.

A special bird-viewing area shows off the winged wonders at the state park, and in late spring and summer the wildflower and butterfly gardens are a joy.

A series of trails will lead you from the center into the park’s woodland and to spectacular vantage points over the prairie.

13. Anderson Dance Pavilion

Source: Sioux City, Iowa Government / Facebook

If there’s an outdoor show taking place in Sioux City, chances are it will happen at this classy riverside venue embedded in formal gardens.

Easily spotted for its Neoclassical colonnade, the Anderson Dance Pavilion gave a new purpose to the riverfront when it opened in the early 90s, and has a fine view over the water. No surprise then that this is a go-to spot for wedding photos.

The lineup of events held at this scenic spot include Cinco de Mayo, Summertime Mardi Gras (early July), ArtSplash (late August), and a slew of music festivals and outdoor concerts.

14. Cone Park

Source: tammykayphoto / shutterstock

Come winter there’s tons of fun to be had at this park in the south of the city. The highlight is a 700-foot tubing hill, but there’s also a skating rink, outdoor fire pit, day lodge for warming and a smaller “Bunny Hill” ideal for littler thrillseekers.

A ticket offers unlimited access to the main hill for three hours, and tubes are provided. The rest of the year, Cone Park attracts walkers on its two-mile trail loop, and when things heat up in summer the ice rink becomes a splash pad, open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

15. Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve

Source: Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve / Facebook

Across the border with South Dakota, minutes from downtown Sioux City, is a beautiful parcel of land on the Missouri River.

On 1,500 acres, the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve dates back to 1872, and was donated to the people of South Dakota by the grandchildren of the original homesteader in 1984.

This is a stunning natural escape, with 10 miles of limestone trails winding along the riverbank and through prairie and forest.

You can look around a series of preserved historic buildings, and take part in a host of activities including birdwatching (100 species recorded here), archery, biking and cross-country skiing, with rentals available in winter.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Sioux City (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

The University of Iowa imbues the city with culture, style and a sense of fun, unmistakable in the pedestrian-friendly downtown area.

This institution has high-ranking programs for law, the fine arts and healthcare, and for visitors has some monuments and attractions that are not to be missed.

The graduate-level Iowa Writers’ Workshop here is widely celebrated, with 17 Pulitzer Prize winners among its alumni. That literary connection saw Iowa City designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008.

Iowa City was the state capital until 1857, and the historic capitol building is preserved at the center of the campus.

1. University of Iowa

Source: Ken Wolter / shutterstock

With more than 30,000 students and a 1,900-acre campus that mingles with downtown, daily life in Iowa City revolves around the University of Iowa.

The 75-minute guided tour is aimed mainly at prospective students, but still gives an insight into the history and day-to-day of this august institution.

Many of the items in this article are on the campus, like the Old Capitol and the new Stanley Museum of Art, while game day Kinnick Stadium is an experience no sports fan will want to miss.

The Iowa flood of 2008 was a big blow to the campus, but over a decade later many of the buildings affected have been rebuilt or relocated.

This includes the marvelous Hancher Auditorium, housing a 1,800-seat proscenium, bringing cutting-edge culture to the campus, with opera, music, dance and theatrical performances.

2. Old Capitol Museum

Source: David Harmantas / shutterstock

In the heart of the University of Iowa Campus is the building that served as the seat of government for the state of Iowa from 1846 to 1857.

A U.S. National Historic Landmark, the Old Capitol has a Greek Revival design with a signature dome that appears on the University of Iowa’s logo.

Since 1976, this landmark has housed a museum, which was updated in the early 2000s following a fire in 2001.

The galleries are on the ground floor, with immersive hands-free exhibits going into a wide variety of topics relating to the humanities, sciences, the history of the building, the university and Iowa.

When we compiled this list there were exhibits on Anne Frank, the history of campaign buttons, the hydroscience of Iowa and the history of suffragism in the United States.

You can also tour the old Senate and Supreme Court chambers, and the reverse spiral staircase beneath the dome.

3. Downtown Iowa City

Source: Kevin McGovern / shutterstock

One of Iowa City’s big strong points is its downtown area, with scores of independent shops, restaurants and bars, as well as top-notch entertainment venues, hotels and offices.

Some spots, like The Airliner bar and pizzeria, have been around for 80 years or more. Across Iowa this town is known as something of a culinary capital, and this status is reinforced by a flourishing farmers’ market, taking place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, May through October.

One unique feature downtown is the Pedestrian Mall, which was laid out during the city’s urban renewal project in 1979.

Furnished with public art, this is a sociable place to be in the summer when there are free concerts on Friday nights, as well as events like the Iowa City Jazz Festival in July and the Iowa Arts Festival in August.

4. Stanley Museum of Art

Source: guruXOX / shutterstock

Swelled by major donations by the likes of Peggy Guggenheim, the University of Iowa’s art collection is nothing short of dazzling.

Among the important artists represented are Jackson Pollock, Picasso, Braque, Chagall, Kandinsky, Matisse, Mark Rothko, Joan Miró and Max Beckmann.

The museum was founded in 1969 and has always been regarded as one of the best university art museums in the country. Disaster struck with the Iowa flood of 2008.

Although evacuation efforts before and after this event rescued the collection, the building was unusable. So while a new museum was being constructed, the large inventory was moved into storage, and temporarily shown at the Iowa Memorial Union.

5. Devonian Fossil Gorge

Source: Jacob Boomsma / shutterstock

In the north of Iowa City the Iowa River was dammed in the 1950s to create Coralville Lake. This is a prime recreation hotspot in the summer, with three campgrounds, four swimming beaches, 19 boat ramps, 29 miles of trails and 11 distinct recreation areas.

Flooding in 1993 and 2008 caused water to roar over the spillway and into the valley, washing away many tons of vegetation, silt and sand to reveal an ocean floor dating back to the Devonian Period 375 million years ago.

Under your feet in the limestone are thousands of easily identified fossils. At the entrance is a plaza with six imposing monoliths, carved from Silurian Anamosa dolomite and clad with interactive panels about this unique setting.

The gorge is a damp environment teeming with life, and it’s not unusual to see frogs, snakes and beavers as you go.

6. Museum of Natural History

Source: Tehhen / Flickr | CC BY-ND

Established in 1858, the Museum of Natural History at UI is officially the oldest university museum west of the Mississippi River.

Starting out as a cabinet in the Old Capitol, the museum’s collections have grown to more than 140,000 items and are particularly rich for ornithology and entomology.

The William and Eleanor Hageboeck Hall of Birds for instance, has specimens of nearly every bird that lives in or visits Iowa, along with the historic Laysan Island Cyclorama, detailing the birdlife of Laysan Island, Hawaii in the early 20th century.

Elsewhere, the Iowa Hall delves into the natural history of this state with impressive dioramas, while the Biosphere Discovery Hub studies human impact on habitats.

7. Antique Car Museum of Iowa

Source: Antique Car Museum of Iowa / Facebook

Not far north of the UI campus is something obligatory for any car enthusiast. Waiting for you at the Antique Car Museum of Iowa are more than eighty vehicles dating from 1899 to 1965.

The museum specializes in cars from the beginning of the 20th century, and a few standout models from this era include a 1908 Cadillac, a 1912 Sears Motorbuggy, a 1915 Milburn, a 1916 Haynes Cloverleaf Coupe and a 1920 Velie Touring Car.

Also noteworthy is an intact, original Skelly Oil gas station, as well as a comprehensive collection of antique Iowa license plates.

8. Englert Theatre

Source: Tony Webster / Flickr | CC BY

Downtown Iowa City features one of the region’s top performing arts centers. The Englert Theater goes all the way back to 1912 when it opened as a vaudeville stage, welcoming the likes of Sarah Bernhardt, Ethel Barrymore and Lynn Fontanne.

In the modern era, the Englert has been restored and runs as a non-profit venue, hosting live events on more than 220 nights a year. There’s something happening all year, be it comedy, dance, plays, live music or community events.

In April this is the anchor for the Mission Creek Festival, combining live music and literature, and in November The Witching Hour is a festival devoted to cutting-edge culture and discourse about the creative process.

9. Kinnick Stadium

Source: Grindstone Media Group / shutterstock

At the time of writing, home field for University of Iowa Hawkeyes football had a capacity of 69,250, making it one of the 20 largest university-owned stadiums in the nation.

The Hawkeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference and are always competitive, producing a fresh patch of NFL players every season and dozens of first draft picks in their history.

For a team going back to 1889 the Hawkeyes have many long-held traditions. But the most heartwarming is a recent one.

The new UI Children’s Hospital overlooks the stadium, and has a special top-floor lounge and viewing area. Since 2017 it has become a custom for the crowd, referees and players to wave in the direction of the hospital for the patients and families at the end of the first quarter.

On game day the city is awash with black and gold, with tailgating and food vendors on Melrose Avenue.

10. Plum Grove Historical Site

Source: Iowa Culture / Facebook

Tucked into a residential neighborhood in the south of Iowa City is a thrilling piece of state history.

Built in the Greek Revival style in 1844, Plum Grove was the retirement home of Robert Lucas (1781-1853), who from 1838 to 1841 served as the first governor of the Iowa Territory. When the Lucas family lived here in the mid-19th century, the Plum Grove estate covered 360 acres.

The family sold the property in 1866, and it passed through numerous owners before being purchased by the state, restored and opened to the public in the 1940s.

July through Labor Day you can pay a visit on weekends to find out more about Lucas, and admire the restored interiors furnished with authentic items from the 1840s and 1850s.

11. Iowa Avenue Literary Walk

Source: Faisal Oddang / Facebook

One way to get to know Iowa City’s literary heritage is simply by strolling along Iowa Avenue.

Embedded in the concrete sidewalk since 2001 are a series of 49 bronze relief panels, each devoted to a different author born in Iowa or involved in the internationally acclaimed Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Some of the many household names are Kurt Vonnegut, Josephine Herbst, Tennessee Williams, Mildred Benson and Bill Bryson.

The decorative panels, running from Clinton Street to Gilbert Street, are connected by a series of quotations about books, and text stamped into the sidewalk.

The Iowa City of Literature website has an interactive map displaying each panel with a photo and description of the featured author.

12. City Park

Source: Benoit Daoust / shutterstock

Iowa City’s largest park is on a bend in the Iowa River, and covers more than 100 acres. City Park also adjoins the UI campus and can be accessed without a car via the Iowa River Corridor Trails, which extend for 13 miles through the city.

Understandably, City Park is a popular spot for outdoor gatherings and, as well as numerous shelters, is home to the remarkable Riverside Festival Stage, which we’ll talk about below.

Also here is the City Park Pool, open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, as well as a wealth of recreation amenities like basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball/softball fields, horseshoes, a boat ramp, bocce courts and lots of play equipment for kids.

13. Riverside Festival Stage

Source: Riverside Theatre / Facebook

Iowa City is an appropriate place for some Shakespeare in the park, and at Lower City Park there’s a spectacular venue designed specifically for this.

Able to seat 470, the Riverside Festival Stage has a wood-framed design inspired by London’s Globe Theatre.

Every summer the professional Riverside Theatre company, founded in 1981, puts on a program of performances here.

These are free to all, and are accompanied by lawn activities and food trucks. When we wrote this article the festival’s plays were The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors.

14. Terry Trueblood Recreation Area

Source: G-Stock Studio / shutterstock

Just down the Iowa River, in the south of Iowa City, is more than 200 acres of scenic riverfront, enclosing the large Sand Lake.

The lake is encircled by a paved trail, which also continues along the riverbank, and is a magnet for recreation in the warmer months.

You can head to the marina to rent kayaks, paddleboards or paddle boats. Also bordering the lake is a stunning wood and copper lodge that has a patio over the lake and can be rented for events.

In addition, there’s a playground with an engineered wood-fiber surface, several picnic shelters and a concession stand.

15. Hickory Hill Park

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Within a mile northeast of downtown Iowa City is a sprawling natural space, and a peaceful place to hike so close to the center of the city.

Just shy of 200 acres and centered on Ralston Creek, Hickory Hill Park has been acquired in stages since the 1960s.

On sloping terrain, there’s a mosaic of habitats here, from woodlands to wetlands, restored prairie and abandoned agricultural fields, all speckled with wildflowers in spring and summer.

These environments can all be encountered on a tangle of trails, perfect for some rigorous cross-country skiing in the winter.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Iowa City (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

On this side of the state capital you’re within shouting distance of Adventureland Park, Iowa’s top theme park, with a world-class water park attached.

Ankeny is also minutes from some of central Iowa’s top recreation areas, at the massive Saylorville Lake and Big Creek State Park, where you can rent kayaks, paddleboards and more in summer.

Close to home, uptown Ankeny is a lovable central commercial district, with a smattering of restaurants and breweries and a popular farmers’ market on Saturday mornings.

1. Adventureland Park

Source: TheCatalyst31 / Wikimedia | CC BY-SA 4.0

The largest theme park in Iowa is a matter of minutes from Ankeny, featuring dozens of rides, shows and other attractions.

Adventureland opened in 1975 and has steadily added new themed areas and attractions over the last 45+ years.

If it’s thrills you want, look no further than The Monster, with five inversions and a top speed of 65mph, or Dragon Slayer, a 4D free spin roller coaster, opened in 2021.

There’s a huge choice of classic amusement park attractions, from a miniature train to a swinging ship, log fumes, a carousel, ferris wheel, bumper cars and a hatful of kiddie rides.

Adventureland also encompasses the Adventure Bay water park, with tube slides, a six-lane racing slide, a splash pad and the largest wave pool in Iowa.

2. High Trestle Trail

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Uptown Ankeny is the southern trailhead for a 25-mile rail trail that leads all the way to the town of Woodward, crossing four counties.

On the course of the old Union Pacific Railroad, the High Trestle Trail is named for the bridge that crosses the Des Moines River just outside of Woodward.

Standing 13 stories high and spanning more than half a mile, this mammoth structure was built for the Milwaukee Road in the 1970s but was stripped of its bridge deck when the line closed down.

The piers remained intact and formed the foundation for a new crossing for pedestrians and bicycle traffic, offering a breathtaking view of the Des Moines River Valley.

Overhead is a spiraling steel structure resembling cribs in a mine shaft, and illuminated after dark by ethereal blue light.

3. Uptown Ankeny

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Just where the High Trestle Trail sets off there’s a compact commercial district that merits a little exploration.

Uptown Ankeny has a clutch of locally-owned establishments, including two craft breweries, a much-loved pizzeria (Leaning Tower of Pizza), a bicycle shop and a full-service bar with great pub grub (Yankee Clipper).

This is also the setting for Ankeny’s Farmers’ Market, open Saturday mornings, late May through September.

The venue is the trailside Ankeny Market & Pavilion, which sits in three acres of grounds and hosts the Summerfest event every July.

4. Cascade Falls Aquatic Center

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One way to escape the famous Iowa humidity in summer is at this excellent public water park, open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Something out of the ordinary at Cascade Falls is a FlowRider surf machine, allowing you to ride waves more than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean.

There’s a zero-depth entry pool for leisure, an eight-lane lap pool for exercise, along with a lazy river, diving well, a “Swirl Bowl” water slide and a splash area with water cannons and floor geysers.

The center has plenty of room for sunbathing, and ample shade, both in the water and out.

5. Firetrucker Brewery

Source: Firetrucker Brewery / Facebook

While most craft breweries are found in industrial parks on the edge of town, the leading brewery in Ankeny has a great location, at the old Ankeny fire station uptown.

Among the beers on tap when we wrote this list were Burnout Brown, Iowa IPA, Pumpertruck Porter, 2 Alarm Red, Arson Oatmeal Stout and Tropical Burn (DIPA).

To continue the fire theme station’s old interiors have been preserved inside, while there’s local art on the walls, and a packed schedule of events including live music on weekends. On Wednesdays there’s a $1 discount on all beers for First Responders.

6. Iowa Culinary Institute

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One of the country’s premier culinary arts programs is based at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) campus in Ankeny.

In 2016, the Iowa Culinary Institute’s home, the Albaugh Family Center, was given a state-of-the-art makeover, putting it among the top culinary facilities in the nation.

It’s all great news for anyone with a taste for French-style cuisine. September through May you can come to experience world-class dining.

This could be a five-course Gourmet Dinner or a lighter lunchtime Bistro experience, all prepared by the skilled culinary arts students at DMACC.

7. Ankeny Area Historical Society Museum

Source: Ankeny Area Historical Society / Facebook

Although Ankeny is now a suburb of Des Moines the city has well over a century of history. If you’d like to find out more, there’s a fine local museum staffed by friendly and informative volunteers.

This attraction is in an historic house from the early 20th century and the neighboring replica barn with a traditional Iowan design.

Displays shine a light on topics like the WWII-era Des Moines Ordnance Plant, mining and farming, while period rooms bring to life settings like a country store.

One endearing exhibit is the puppet beagle, Floppy, a children’s TV star on the Des Moines NBC affiliate, WHO-TV, from 1957 to 1987.

8. Otter Creek Golf Course

Source: Kati Finell / shutterstock

There’s a host of superb golf courses in the Des Moines area, but Ankeny is home to one of the best public courses in the state.

Designed by respected architect Paul Miller, Otter Creek has a links-style layout, with multiple sets of tees accommodating players of all skill levels.

The greens are smooth and fast, there’s a host of bunkers and water hazards to keep you on your toes, while the fairways are bordered by tall grasses and landscaped mounds.

The carts are equipped with GPS, and there’s a comprehensive practice facility with a driving range, two putting greens and a pitching area with a bunker.

9. Big Creek State Park

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If you want to escape to the outdoors, you have no shortage of options close to Ankeny. The 3,550-acre Big Creek State Park is less than ten miles away, and encloses the majestic Big Creek Lake, 866 acres in size.

This space is part of the same flood control project as Saylorville Lake (more next), and is a delightful place to spend a summer’s day.

There’s a 1,300-foot beach on the lake, while you can head for the 88-berth marina to rent a variety of vessels, from paddleboards to pontoon boats and sailboats. If you have your own boat, there are five boat ramps around the shore.

On dry land there’s an 18-hole disc golf course, 13 picnic shelters and a number of trails, including the 25-mile Neal Smith Trail, which starts at the park. In winter, one of the top snowmobile trails in Iowa encircles the lake for 11 miles.

10. Saylorville Lake

Source: Jason Patrick Ross / shutterstock

This scenic reservoir on the Des Moines River was built in the early 1960s as part of a vast flood control system. Saylorville Lake is a recreation hotspot for central Iowa, and lies just five miles west of uptown Ankeny.

The shoreline is dotted with boat launches, beaches, campgrounds and recreation areas for hiking, biking and wildlife watching.

Traveling from Ankeny, the most convenient is the Cherry Glen Campground, with 125 electrical sites on 13 acres, and access to the Cherry Glen Boat Launch, open all year round. The nearest spot for swimming is a little way north, at the sandy Oak Grove Beach.

11. Ankeny Miracle Park

Opposite Ankeny City Hall is a unique, all-access playground on more than 14,000 square feet. An estimated 3,500 children in the Des Moines metro area have special needs.

With that in mind, the Ankeny Miracle Park has been designed to allow children who may have challenges to play with their able-bodied friends.

This is divided into two spaces, for smaller and larger children. All of the equipment is at wheelchair height, sitting on a safe, rubberized surface. Among the many features there’s an Omni Spinner, a Sensory Play Center, Sway Fun Gliders and Roller Tables.

12. Prairie Ridge Sports Complex

Source: David Lee / shutterstock

On vast landscaped grounds, the Prairie Ridge Sports Complex is a sports destination for the Des Moines area, but also stands as a fine public park.

The facilities are world-class, featuring 15 baseball fields, 6 softball fields, 9 soccer fields and 5 football fields, many of which are lighted.

To accommodate the huge volume of visitors there are no fewer than four concession stands at the complex, and a parking lot that can accommodate more than 1,200 cars.

But in addition to all this, there’s a lot of open space, with walking trails, two fishing ponds and play equipment for the youngest members of the family.

13. Brass Armadillo Antique Mall

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With six locations across the United Stations, Ankeny is the headquarters for a chain of antique malls that was founded in 1992. This 36,000-square-foot showroom features more than 450 dealers, on long, neatly organized aisles.

There’s enough to keep you occupied for hours, whether you have something specific in mind or are happy to wander these treasure-filled corridors aimlessly.

Some of the many specialties include primitive art, antique furniture, quilts, collectibles, sports memorabilia, glassware, china, lighting, toys and home appliances.

14. Ankeny Art Center

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With humble origins as a local arts program in the early 1980s, the Ankeny Art Center was established as a full-fledged facility in 2002.

The center supports artists from across Iowa through exhibitions, art classes, receptions, camps, workshops and exciting annual events.

For visitors, this is a fine place to take the pulse of Ankeny’s arts scene, and all shows and artist receptions have free public admission.

A big date in the calendar is Santa’s North Pole Village Craft Show, one of the most attended craft shows in the state, with 300 vendors attracting some 5,000 shoppers.

15. Prairie Meadows

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Sitting next to Adventureland Park is a giant racetrack, casino and hotel complex serving the Des Moines area.

April through October the track at Prairie Meadows stages quarter horse and thoroughbred racing. A couple of prestigious events are the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap ($300k purse) at the end of June and Iowa Oaks in early July ($225k).

Slot machines, gaming tables and the Caesars Sportsbook have been added in phases since the 1990s, while the spectacular 1,200-seat concert hall, The Meadows, opened in 2007. There’s also a choice of eateries, from quick bites to something classier at AJ’s Steakhouse.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Ankeny (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

Waterloo is known for its industry, which developed in a sudden burst at the turn of the 20th century, and counts the agricultural multinational, John Deere among its biggest employers.

There’s a great museum detailing the evolutions of John Deere’s tractors and engines, and you can also visit three different factories in the city for guided tours.

The metropolitan area has a 100-mile trail network, which encompasses both banks of the Cedar River, leading from downtown areas to peaceful natural areas like George Wyth State Park.

1. John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum

Source: Kathleen Huser / Facebook

The world-renowned agricultural machinery company, John Deere, has a history in Waterloo going back to 1918 when it purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, famed for its Waterloo Boy tractors.

The brand is still one of Waterloo’s main employers, producing tractors, engines and components at high-tech facilities that are open for guided tours.

In 2014 John Deere opened a new museum on the site of the old Waterloo Tractor Works, which became John Deere’s first tractor factory.

Inside is a beautifully presented timeline of the company, its technology and Iowa agriculture in general, loaded with machines from the company’s storied past.

The museum has volumes of compelling historical snippets, alongside interactive exhibits to pique the interest of younger family members.

2. Waterloo Riverloop Bike Trail

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Something special about Waterloo & Cedar Falls is just how easy it is to get around by bike or on foot. There are dozens of miles of multi-use trails extending to all corners of the metro area, and the Cedar River banks are particularly accessible.

Waterloo’s riverfront industrial area is served by the Riverloop, more than 16 miles long and connecting downtown Waterloo with downtown Cedar Falls.

There are three convenient river crossings allowing you to make shortcuts whenever you need. In the southeast of the city you can join the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, a pioneering 52-mile rail trail as far as Hiawatha on the old corridor of the Illinois Central Railroad, which closed in the 1970s.

3. Waterloo Center for the Arts (WCA)

Source: Waterloo Center for the Arts / Facebook

Waterloo’s impressive riverside art museum has a series of indoor exhibition spaces, combined with the outdoor Riverloop Sculpture plaza.

The wide-range collection is particularly strong for American Decorative, Midwestern, Folk and Caribbean art, with what is the largest inventory of Haitian art outside of Haiti itself.

On a typical visit you can check out traveling exhibitions, works by Grant Wood and other eminent Iowa artists, Guatemalan textiles and wonderful selections from that large reserve of Haitian art.

The WCA also hosts a wide range of classes and workshops for a variety of skills and ages, while the complex houses the Waterloo Community Playhouse and the Phelps Youth Pavilion, which we’ll talk about next.

4. Phelps Youth Pavilion

Source: Phelps Youth Pavilion / Facebook

This multimillion-dollar expansion to the Waterloo Center for the Arts opened in 2007 and has a small world of hands-on experiences for younger children.

There are more than 40 interactive exhibits at the Phelps Youth Pavilion, with an emphasis on art, culture and fun.

Children can take part in simple drawing and painting projects or embark on high-tech adventures. For example, when we made this list the featured exhibit was Dinosaur Ruckus.

This had genuine dinosaur fossils on display, and allowed children to dress up as prehistoric monsters as they learned about natural history, art and math.

5. Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum

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On November 13, 1942 five brothers from Waterloo were all killed in action during the sinking of the light cruiser, USS Juneau, at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

This event gave rise to the Sole Survivor Policy, implemented just after the war. Funded by a citizens’ grassroots campaign the museum in the brothers’ honor opened in Waterloo in 2008.

The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum is dedicated to the state’s veterans for all wars from the Civil War to present day.

You can immersive yourself in their stories through more than 35 interactive stations, artifact-rich exhibits and the stunning, electronic Wall of Honor.

6. Lost Island

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Until 2022 Adventureland in Des Moines was the only full-scale theme park in Iowa. That all changed with the unveiling of Lost Island, set on a parcel of former farmland in the southeast of Waterloo.

The attraction’s roots go back to the adjacent Lost Island Waterpark, which opened in 2001 and has a wave pool, lazy river and a choice of slides including the high-speed Lost Soul Falls.

The theme park, built at a cost of more than $100 million, boasts three roller coasters, and an array of other attractions and shows across five different zones, all infused with a Pacific Island theme.

One of the top thrill rides is the hydraulic launch coaster, at the Yuta Earth Tribe zone, with two inversions and a top speed of 75mph.

7. George Wyth Memorial State Park

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On the north bank of the Cedar River, near Waterloo Regional Airport is 1,200 acres of woodland enclosing a series of scenic lakes.

The park is a haven for white-tailed deer, as well as birdlife, with over 200 species recorded here.

Summer is a fine time to be here, when you can swim at the George Wyth Beach and rent a paddleboard, kayak or canoe from Maxx Rentals Paddlesports.

With several bodies of water to choose from, the park is arguably the area’s best fishing spot, with an abundance of bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow bass, channel catfish, northern pike and white crappie.

There are over 5.5 miles of wooded trails, and these are connected to the 100-mile trail network spreading across Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

8. Young Arena

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If you want to see some of the hottest hockey prospects in action you have to catch a Waterloo Black Hawks game at the 3,000-seat Young Arena.

The Black Hawks compete in the United States Hockey League (16-21), the nation’s highest junior hockey level, and their tally of nine titles is the most since the league was founded in 1947. At the time of writing there were 18 former Black Hawks in the NHL.

Owned by the city, Young Arena opened in 1995 and has come through a number of upgrades since then, including a team store for all kinds of Black Hawks merch and the Coors Light Cold Zone. During the week the rink is open for public skate sessions, open hockey and skating lessons.

9. Riverloop Amphitheater

Source: RiverLoop Amphitheatre & Expo Plaza / Facebook

At the core of Waterloo’s rapidly transforming waterfront is this fantastic outdoor performing arts venue. Right on the slope of the levee, the Riverloop Amphitheater’s seating area has a sensational view across the Cedar River, with the stage set below along the Riverloop.

The amphitheater can hold audiences of up to 600 people, and is complemented by the neighboring Expo Plaza.

In summer this is the venue for the Cinema on the Cedar Movie Nights, showing family-friendly movies, and the Outdoor Concert Series. Both series are free to the public, with food and drinks available for purchase.

10. Bluedorn Science Imaginarium

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Like the Sullivan Brothers Museum, the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium is part of the Grout Museum District and opened in 1993.

Aimed mainly at younger minds, this three-floor science center has exciting interactive exhibits dealing with principles like light, sound, liquids, gasses, electricity and momentum.

Described as a “playground for the imagination” the museum lets children be guided by their curiosity, hopping from station to station.

There’s also a schedule of action-packed science demonstrations bringing scientific concepts to life.

11. John Deere Tours

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The agricultural giant offers guided tours of three of its cutting-edge facilities in Waterloo. Taking place Monday to Friday, these tours are 90 minutes long and completely free to attend.

At the Tractor Cab Assembly Operations, you can see 6R, 7R, 8R/8RT, and 9R/9RT/9RX Series tractors being manufactured (torus at 8am, 10am and 1pm), while there’s also a John Deere shop at this facility.

The John Deere Engine Works produces crankshafts, heads and engine blocks, building diesel engines, as well as power centers for other manufacturers (tours at 9:30am and 1pm).

Finally, Drivetrain Operations makes components like transmissions, gears, axles and shafts, scheduling one tour a day at 1pm.

12. Hartman Reserve Nature Center

Source: William T Smith / shutterstock

The largest untouched wooded area in Black Hawk County sits on the boundary between Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

Along with century-old stands of white oak, bur oak and red oak, the Hartman Reserve Nature Center has important restored prairie, wetland and riparian habitats in its lower portions.

The preserve can be accessed on foot or by bike via the South Riverside Trail. You can encounter these 300+ acres on color-coded trails, and call in at the Interpretive Center, housing interactive nature exhibits, live animals and hosting events like the Maple Syrup Festival in March.

13. Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens

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Laid out on former farmland in the south of the city, the Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens was planted in the early 1990s and opens April through October.

This attraction is inspired by Iowa’s agricultural heritage, and there’s an organic theme tying together the gardens, buildings and the artwork sprinkled throughout.

Among the many individual spaces awaiting you there’s a labyrinth, a rose garden, mosaiculture garden, activity-packed children’s gardens, a butterfly conservation meadow, shade garden and display gardens, bright with annuals, perennials and colorful flowering bulbs in spring.

14. Palmer’s Family Fun

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Near the airport in the north of Waterloo is a classic family entertainment center, open March through October.

So if you’re scratching your head for safe activities for kids during the school summer break you head to Palmer’s Family Fun for mini golf (36 holes), go-karts, batting cages, laser tag & archery tag and a 300-yard driving range with 30 hitting stations.

Younger children will also love the enormous inflatable jumping pillow, surrounded by a safe sandy area.

15. Dan Gable Wrestling Museum

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Sports fans may be interested to know that one of the greatest wrestlers of all time hails from Waterloo. Dan Gable (b. 1948) took gold at the 1971 World Wrestling Championships and gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics without surrendering a single point in all his bouts in either competition.

There’s a museum in Gable’s honor, a branch of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which is based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The museum is hands-on, with electronic kiosks and lots of interactive exhibits, as well as screens showing NCAA Championship matches over the past century.

This attraction also incorporates three halls of fame: The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa and the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Waterloo (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

West Des Moines has humble origins, taking shape around a railroad depot at the turn of the 20th century.

Decades before, the abolitionist and first settler, James C. Jordan had established a station on the Underground Railroad here.

Today the city is Des Moines’ go-to shopping destination, whether you want to shop local at the stylish Valley Junction downtown area, or want to hit the largest mall in Iowa at Jordan Creek Town Center.

1. Historic Valley Junction

Source: Goddesshanna / Wikimedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

This revitalized railroad district in West Des Moines is everything you could want from a hip downtown commercial area.

Growing up around a depot for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Valley Junction harks back to the 1890s and is the soul of West Des Moines.

This is the setting for the summer farmers’ market, and there’s a super choice of independent boutiques, art galleries, antique shops and restaurants for all comers.

At the last count there were more than 160 independent stores, mostly centered on 5th Street and its cross streets.

In the space of three blocks the historic district has more than 50 contributing buildings. Look out for No. 137, the old Engine House, dating back to 1901. The first floor was West Des Moines’ fire station, while the City Hall was on the second floor until 1952.

2. Raccoon River Park

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The star of the West Des Moines Parks system is this marvelous 630-acre park on the Raccoon River.

And the crowning glory has to be Blue Heron Lake, which has a boat launch, beach and a modern boathouse open during the summer for canoe, kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals.

Also worthy of mention is the 225-foot fishing pier, offering superb access for fishing enthusiasts of all abilities and ages.

The playground at Raccoon River Park is touted as one of the most unique in the metropolitan area, while there’s a seasonal ice rink, a 3.2-mile multi-use trail, four picnic shelters, an archery range, a nature center and complexes for softball and soccer.

3. Jordan House

Source: Goddesshanna / Wikimedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

The West Des Moines Historical Society has an apt home, at the residence of the city’s first settler.

This was James C. Jordan (1813-1891), who arrived here from Virginia in 1846. The Jordan House was built a few years later and has a lot of stories to tell. Jordan was a diehard abolitionist, and up to the Civil War, his house was a station on the Underground Railroad.

The abolitionist leader John Brown is known to have stayed here at least twice, and on one occasion in 1858 he was helping a party of 12 former slaves escape to freedom.

The Jordan House’s current appearance dates from an Italianate extension in 1870. On a self-guided tour you can peruse 16 period rooms, adorned with interesting pieces from past times.

Take in the detailed exhibit on the Underground Railroad, but also the regular railroad, which was crucial to the city’s development.

4. Jordan Creek Town Center

Source: VGstockstudio / shutterstock

Leading West Des Moines’ assortment of shopping destinations is the largest mall in Iowa, and the fourth-largest shopping complex in the entire Midwest.

Jordan Creek Town Center had been in the pipeline for a decade before it opened in 2004 with 160+ shops and services across three districts.

Even for jaded shoppers, the mall’s enormous food court is a thing to behold, and has a branch of the beloved Des Moines fast food restaurant, Zombie Burger.

Outside, a cluster of restaurants with patios (P.F. Chang’s, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse), sit around a large ornamental pond.

5. West Glen Town Center

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This huge mixed-use development just off I-35 feels like a trendy city district in its own right. Centered on a plaza, West Glen Town Center blends residential units, offices, stores, bars and entertainment venues.

Aside from the Super Target department store, pretty much all the businesses here are independent or belong to fresh new chains, like the Hurts Donut Company.

For an idea of what to expect, there are boutiques, home design stores, a spa, nail salon, yoga studio, a pinball arcade, escape room, wine tasting station, as well as restaurants for a spectrum of cuisines and bars from a gastropub to a hookah lounge.

6. Brown’s Woods

Source: Stone s Throwe Photo / shutterstock

Iowa’s largest urban forest area is in West Des Moines, across the water from Raccoon River Park. This is a fine place to be at any time of year, but especially in summer when you can hike under a mantle of hardwood forest.

This is made up of hickories and oaks, on a gently rolling landscape laced with little streams. The woods are named for the wealthy Des Moines lawyer, Tallmadge E Brown (1830-1891), who owned this and other big chunks of land edging the city.

There’s a restroom area at the entrance and a network of easy-to-follow trails for walks and cross-country skiing in winter.

7. Des Moines

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You’re never more than a few minutes from the state capital, which comes under the political microscope at the start of the presidential campaign cycle every four years.

On the political theme, a tour of the Iowa State Capitol building is a must. Completed in 1886, it’s the only five-domed capitol in the country, with a central towering dome clad with 23-carat gold.

Also essential is the Governor’s residence, Terrace Hill, dating back to 1866, along with the vibrant Downtown Farmers’ Market, the informative State Historical Museum, Blank Park Zoo, Gray’s Lake Park and the Science Center of Iowa.

The Iowa State Fairgrounds are just east of downtown, and the eleven-day State Fair in August is officially the largest annual event in Iowa, attracting more than 1,100,000 people. Below, we’ll list a couple of other Des Moines highlights that are especially close.

8. Des Moines Art Center

Source: Nagel Photography / shutterstock

Minutes away is one of the region’s preeminent art museums, founded in 1948. In its extensive collection the Des Moines Art Center has works by the likes of Matisse, Rodin, Monet, Gauguin, Grant Wood, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko, and many more than we can list here.

Among the museum’s most important pieces are Edward Hopper’s Automat (1927) and Portrait of Pope Innocent (1953) by Francis Bacon.

This world-class collection has a striking home, in an Art Deco building from 1948, with a Modernist wing added in 1968 and another by Richard Meier from 1985.

The spacious main gallery hosts several shows a year, for themed group displays, traveling exhibitions and solo shows by world-renowned artists.

9. Salisbury House & Gardens

Source: Tfmason1 / Wikimedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

Close to the Des Moines Art Center is another cultural attraction to keep on your radar. Salisbury House was built in the mid-1920s for the cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith Van Slyke Weeks.

The mansion is a near-replica of The King’s House, in Salisbury, England, which was built in stages from the 13th to the 16th century. The Des Moines version faithfully reproduces that blend of styles, incorporating Gothic, Tudor and Jacobean architecture.

In 1922 the architects even purchased authentic period fittings and furnishings from properties in Salisbury for the project.

You can visit Salisbury House for a guided or self-guided tour to appreciate the interiors and a large art collection boasting works by Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), George Romney (1734-1802) and Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), to name a handful.

10. Valley Junction Farmers’ Market

Source: Matej Kastelic / shutterstock

Valley Junction is exactly the kind of place where you would expect to find a bustling farmers’ market.

Taking place every Thursday, 4-8pm May through September, the market offers a range of Iowa-grown fresh produce, as well as specialty ingredients, flowers, baked goods, plants, street food and all manner of cute arts and crafts.

The market coincides with the Music in the Junction, a summer concert series. These shows are free to the public and are accompanied by a beverage garden that opens at 5:30pm.

11. Walnut Woods State Park

Source: christinejwarner / Flickr | CC BY

Just upstream from Raccoon River Park is a 260-acre park preserving an important expanse of bottomland hardwood forest, cherished in spring and summer as a location for birdwatching.

At Walnut Woods State Park you’ll enter the largest single stand of black walnut trees in North America.

The gentle Raccoon River meanders through the park, providing opportunities for boating, paddling and fishing, while on land you can hike or ski along two miles of trails.

There’s a fine old lodge here, built from the limestone during the Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as a small campground.

12. Living History Farms

Source: Kyle Kephart / shutterstock

Next door in Urbandale is a top-notch outdoor museum charting 300 years of Iowa’s agricultural history.

Living History Farms is made up of a series of sites, giving a sense of farming and daily life at different points in the state’s past. So there’s a 1700 Ioway Farm, an 1850 Pioneer Farm and the 1900 Horse-Powered Farm.

You can travel at your own speed through these environments meeting on-site interpreters who put on educational demonstrations throughout the season.

There’s also a replica rural town, Walnut Hill, designed like a Midwestern settlement from 1875, complete with a print shop, general store and blacksmith, as well as the authentic Flynn Mansion and Barn, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

13. Smash Park

Source: Smash Park Des Moines / Facebook

A couple of blocks from Jordan Creek Town Center and a stone’s throw from hotels, is a fresh entertainment attraction.

Smash Park is a few things rolled into one, but at its heart are facilities for pickleball (four indoor, two outdoor courts), cornhole, shuffleboard and darts.

Inside is an arcade with ping-pong, football, eight large HD TVs, a giant Connect Four and a variety of other games for all ages.

This is all complemented by a kitchen serving contemporary, street-style bites, from wraps to bowls, flatbreads, bao buns, burgers and salads.

14. West Grand Golf

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This highly rated practice facility is billed as the best spot in the Des Moines area if you want to work on your swing or fine tune your short game.

West Grand Golf can be a family day out thanks to its 18-hole miniature golf course, in a gorgeous, water-rich setting with fountains, waterfalls and exquisite flower gardens.

The course is fun for kids, but offers great practice for serious golfers. As for the driving range, this has irrigated grass tees and several target greens, all guarded with bunkers.

15. Valley West Mall

Source: Sheila Fitzgerald / shutterstock

To go with West Des Moines’ profusion of shopping options you’ve got this giant enclosed mall that opened in 1975 and has more than 100 tenants. When we made this list the main anchor was JCPenney, which also housed a branch of Sephora.

A few of the many well-known stores on hand at Valley West Mall are Claire’s, Victoria’s Secret, rue21, Kay Jewelers, GNC, Eddie Bauer and Bath & Body Works, along with many independent businesses.

Food-wise you’ve got a Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Chipotle, Jimmy John’s and Blaze Pizza, to name a handful. The mall is also home to the Des Moines Children’s Museum, a fabulous, hands-on learning resource for children and parents.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in West Des Moines (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

With a sprawling, verdant campus, the university contributes museums, impressive architecture, world-class cultural events and a feast of varsity sports action.

There’s a fun, youthful feel to the city, which comes to the fore in the Campustown district, with its many bars and restaurants.

Meanwhile, downtown Ames to the east has its own independent eateries, shops and cultural institutions, many of which have been around for decades.

1. Iowa State University

Source: EQRoy / shutterstock

With more than 30,000 students enrolled each year, Iowa State University is a massive presence in Ames, comprising half the population, and with a green campus considered one of the most beautiful in the country.

There are no fewer than five university museums here, several of which feature in the list below.

And if you’re visiting ISU for a sports or cultural event, chances are you’ll be heading for the vast Modernist complex, Iowa State Center, with five venues built between 1969 and 1975.

For a grand historical landmark you can’t miss the solemn, Neoclassical Beardshear Hall (1906), which houses many of the university’s administrative offices and replaced the Old Main building, which was lost to fire in 1902.

Southeast of the university is the lively Campustown, with restaurants, stores and nightspots catering to a young population.

2. Reiman Gardens

Source: EQRoy / shutterstock

At the south end of the Iowa State Center is the university’s exquisite, 17-acre botanical garden.

This is a year round attraction, with indoor and outdoor spaces. Inside you’ve got the spacious conservatory complex, housing tropical plants and regularly updated seasonal displays.

To one side is the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, another stunning indoor tropical garden home butterflies from six continents, including amazing emergence cases.

Outside there’s a rose garden with 2,000 plants, a herb garden, an Iowa-themed children’s garden, a maze garden and a lot more besides.

3. Jack Trice Stadium

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When the new stadium for Iowa State Cyclones football opened in 1975, it was named for the college’s first African-American athlete who had died more than half a century before.

A highly talented tackle, Jack Trice (1902-1923), died due to injuries suffered in his very first game, following a roll block, a move that has long since been banned.

Currently going through a successful spell under coach Matt Campbell, the Cyclones are founding members of the Big 12 Conference, and always fill their 61,500-capacity home, which was given a state-of-the-art renovation in 2015.

Game day is a colorful experience, and when we wrote this article ISU had hosted ESPN’s signature pregame show twice in just three years.

There’s a buzz around the stadium, with one of the best tailgating atmospheres in the country, and win or lose, the fans in the stadium are noisy and positive.

4. Brunnier Art Museum

Source: guruXOX / shutterstock

Also at ISU’s Iowa State Center is the only accredited museum in the state to be dedicated to decorative arts.

Set up in 1975, the Brunner Art Museum is named for Iowa State alumnus Henry J. Brunnier and his wife Ann, who donated an astounding array of glass, ceramics, jade, enamels, dolls and ivory.

At traveling exhibitions and shows drawn from the rich University Art Collection you can view extraordinary painting, sculpture, textiles, furniture, woodwork, silver, prints and much more.

The museum also organizes an exciting program of talks, gallery tours, conferences and panel discussions.

5. Ames History Museum

Source: Ames History Museum / Facebook

The local history museum in downtown Ames is a Smithsonian affiliate, and offers an insight into the city’s history through excellent temporary exhibitions.

At the time of writing, the feature exhibit was Black Trailblazers, devoted to nine trailblazing African-American figures for Ames, including Jack Trice, as well as George Washington Carver, prominent attorney Walter Madison and Willa J. Ewing, who became the first African-American woman to graduate from ISU in 1926.

The feature exhibit is accompanied by up to six smaller exhibits, touching on subjects as diverse as Ames’ medical history, electricity generation and the history if immigration in Iowa.

6. Stephens Auditorium

Source: Ken Wolter / shutterstock

In the same enormous complex as the Jack Trice Stadium is a Modernist, 2,734-seat performing arts venue that opened in 1969 and stands as one of the state’s great cultural centers.

The Stephens Auditorium bolsters Ames’ cultural scene with a sensational program of shows all year.

This might be opera, performances by traveling orchestras, broadway musicals, plays, famous recording artists, ballet companies, world-renowned comedians or family shows.

The acoustics here are some of the best in the business, and all seats have unobstructed views.

7. Christian Petersen Art Museum

When the Danish-born sculptor Christian Petersen moved to ISU in 1934, he became the first artist in residence at a US college or university.

Petersen would remain in Ames for more than 20 years, teaching and producing a massive body of work, and is regarded as the founder of the university’s Art on Campus Collection.

The museum named in his honor opened in 2007, and displays sculpture by Petersen, as well as a rotating lineup of contemporary art exhibitions.

The venue is the impressive Morrill Hall (1891), built in the Romanesque Revival style and renovated in 2005.

8. Furman Aquatic Center

Source: MAD.vertise / shutterstock

Ames has an exceptional public water park, which has been part of summer life in the city for more than a decade.

On land owned and leased for free by ISU, the Furman Aquatic Center has an Olympic-sized lap pool that merges with a giant recreational pool.

There’s also a play pool for kids aged 6 and younger, tube slides, a drop slide and a long lazy river that feeds a waterfall.

The pool deck has some 200 lounge chairs, and lots of greenery, while the center’s concession stand has four serving windows so you’ll never have to queue for long.

9. Ada Hayden Heritage Park

Source: Natalia Kuzmina / shutterstock

This new-ish park in the north of Ames was laid out on the site of a flooded former gravel quarry.

The eponymous Ada Hayden (1884-1950) was a respected botanist and curator of the Iowa State University Herbarium.

The lake here is in two sections, and encircled by a multi-use path that crosses a causeway in the middle. That path is a part of a big system that comprises hard-surface and crushed-limestone sections.

Naturally this is all a honeypot for outdoor recreation in the warmer months, whether you’re here for some fishing, hiking, biking or paddling, with kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals available in the summer.

10. Octagon Center for the Arts

Source: Syda Productions / shutterstock

A pillar of Ames’ cultural scene for more than half a century, the Octagon Center for the Arts is set in an historic building downtown.

You can come to sample the city’s abundant creativity at one of the many exhibitions each year, and support local makers purchasing something special at the shop, which represents almost 200 artists from the city and region.

For the community, the center has an important educational role, hosting workshops, classes and camps for a wide range of skills.

The Octagon also has a presence at the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market every second Saturday morning, and puts on the successful Octagon Art Festival downtown every September.

11. Brookside Park

Source: cwwycoff1 / Flickr | CC BY

Next to the ISU campus on Ioway Creek is a family-oriented public park, full of things to do. There’s a beautiful riverside trail here, running down the east side from Furman Aquatic Center.

This is illuminated at night, and crosses the creek on a scenic bridge. The trail leads to a series of covered shelters on the southeast side, as well as the Brookside Park Wading Pool, open for smaller children in the summer.

Among the catalogue of other facilities are ballfields, basketball courts, tennis courts (with pickleball), sand volleyball courts and play areas for wee ones.

12. The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co.

Source: Andrey Armyagov / shutterstock

One of a number of independent businesses lining Main Street in downtown Ames is this pizzeria that has been part of the Amees food scene for more than four decades.

For many, this is the best pizza spot in Central Iowa, using regional ingredients where possible, and baking traditional pies along with less conventional creations.

The dough is made daily, and Monday to Saturday you drop by at lunchtime for pizza by the slice. You can choose from six different crust styles, three thin and three thick.

Something well worth sampling is the unique oat flour crust, while one of the more outlandish specialty pizzas on the menu is the Taco Pizza, with mild taco sauce and crushed tortilla chips.

13. Alluvial Brewing Company

Source: Alluvial Brewing Company / Facebook

Out in the farmland northwest of Ames is a brewing operation surrounded by hop fields. Alluvian Brewing Company deals in small batches, putting a focus on quality and flavor.

You can come to this quaint corner of rural Iowa for a pint at the spacious taproom, which has a stripped-back style.

Some of the 15 brews on tap when we compiled this list were the Japanese-inspired Chuseki Rice Lager, Mosacious Pale Ale, Lontra IPA, Waitoreke NIPA, Moonbelt Immolator DIPA and the Visitor Imperial Stout, named for Iowa’s famous cryptid.

Thursday to Saturday there’s normally live music on the agenda, jumping genres from soul to cowpunk.

14. Ledges State Park

Source: Wildnerdpix / shutterstock

There’s dramatic natural scenery a short drive west of Ames at this state park on Peas Creek where this watercourse flows into the Des Moines River. The creek has carved a gorge through the sandstone bedrock, as deep as 100 feet in places.

Established in 1924, Ledges State Park is one of the oldest in Iowa and remains one of the most popular thanks to those cliffs.

There’s a four-mile trail system weaving along steep slopes, up to majestic overlooks. In summer, a fabulous way to traverse this landscape is on the Streamwalk, literally walking along the shallow streambed, which rarely gets above ankle height.

15. Perfect Games

Source: Aleksandar Karanov / shutterstock

Billed as the top family entertainment center in the state, Perfect Games is off U.S. 30 in the southwest of Ames.

Here you’ve got multiple attractions under one roof, including a cutting-edge, 24-lane bowling alley, a gigantic arcade and a laser tag arena set on two stories.

On top of all this you’ve got the full-service Kingpin Pizza, making stonebaked pizza, from scratch every day and with craft beer on tap.

Across the center are some 30 TV screens, 15 of which are giant screens showing the big game as you play, dine or hang out.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Ames (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

Dubuque is the anchor for the Tri-State Area and a blossoming visitor attraction mixing natural wonder with a captivating history.

This is summed up by the interesting downtown area with its grand mid-19th century architecture, old funicular scaling the bluff and a scenic walk along the riverfront.

Dubuque’s early economy was powered by lead mining, and just outside the city is the place where the lead miner and explorer Julien Dubuque established the first Euro-American settlement in what is now Iowa.

1. National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

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Bringing to life the history, culture and ecosystems of the Mississippi, this attraction on the waterfront in Dubuque combines a history museum, science center and a state-of-the-art aquarium.

There are so many facets to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium that half a day could breeze by in no time.

You can learn about riverboats on the great river, visit an historic train depot, step aboard a preserved steamboat, discover the natural diversity of the Gulf of Mexico, touch the back of a stingray or be dazzled by a 4D presentation.

You can also see the Mississippi live from space, learn about the story of the river as a waterway, see river otters up close, gauge the astonishing extent of the Mississippi’s watershed and find out about the importance of the river to Native American culture.

2. Mines of Spain Recreation Area

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

You can trace the very beginnings of the state of Iowa at this 1,400-acre state park, south of Dubuque.

Mines of Spain Recreation Area is on the rugged and lofty patch of land, once owned by New Spain, where the Quebecois explorer Julien Dubuque (1762-1810) was granted the right to mine for lead in the 1780s.

Dubuque forged close ties with the Meskwaki tribe, who had arrived in the area a few years before and who honored him in death.

Today the landscape is littered with the sites of former trading posts and villages, as well as rock shelters that have stood the test of time.

There are more than 15 miles of trails at the state park, leading up to vantage points posted atop the limestone bluffs. High above the Mississippi there’s a solemn monument for Dubuque, which we’ll talk about a little later.

3. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

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Out on Dubuque’s northwestern outskirts is a breathtaking set of gardens, growing more than 13,000 individual plants from around 700 varieties.

This attraction is on 50 expertly landscaped acres, and is staffed by a small army of volunteers, making it the largest volunteer-run botanical garden in the country.

You can visit year round to admire a mosaic of different spaces, including a Japanese garden, an acclaimed hosta garden, English knot garden, formal rose garden and Children’s flower and vegetable garden, to name a handful.

The best time to come is of course spring and summer, when there are concerts on Sunday evenings.

4. Fenelon Place Elevator Company

Source: D.W / shutterstock

A wonderful piece of late 19th-century heritage in Dubuque is this narrow-gauge funicular railway, helping people up the slope at the end of 4th Street since 1893.

This is in fact the second funicular on the site, and the current Fenelon Place Elevator replaced an earlier funicular in 1882.

Measuring 296 feet long, with a vertical difference of 189 feet, the railway is partly powered by counterbalance, with both cars starting at opposite ends of the track.

There are services 8am to 10pm, April through November, and you can take in sweeping vistas of downtown Dubuque and the Mississippi at the top.

5. Eagle Point Park

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular public parks in the Midwest can be found in the northeast of Dubuque.

On just over 160 acres, Eagle Point Park rests mostly on a bluff high above the Mississippi and Lock and Dam No. 11, first opened in the 1930s. At this height you can see for miles across parts of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

The park was created in the early 1910s and was served by the Union Electric Company streetcar. Today, a multi-use trail follows the route of the old streetcar line, from Shiras Avenue.

The 1930s brought a series of lasting WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects in the Prairie Style made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright.

6. Downtown Dubuque

Source: Sam Wagner / shutterstock

Dubuque has volumes of history, as will become clear as soon as you set foot downtown. There are more than 70 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and among them are several buildings sure to turn your head.

A few sights for amateur historians include one of the country’s last surviving shot towers (1856), the Cathedral of St. Raphael (1861), the Grand Opera House (1890) and Dubuque County Courthouse (1893).

More than a giant museum piece, downtown Dubuque has received a lot of investment in the last 20 years and has a percolating cultural scene, locally-owned restaurants, trendy bars, walls adorned with eye-popping murals and quirky stores unique to this city.

7. Crystal Lake Cave

Source: Pookeesmom / Flickr | CC BY-SA

Southeast of Dubuque, and just past the Mines of Spain Recreation Area, is a spellbinding limestone cave complex, first discovered in 1868 by the lead miner James Rice.

Known for its shimmering aragonite crystals and amazing concretions, the Crystal Lake Cave is the longest show cave in Iowa with more than ¾ of a mile of tunnels.

The cave’s numerous stalagmites and stalactites have been given whimsical names like the Lost Gardens, Soda Straws and The Chandelier.

On a guided tour you’ll learn all about the mind blowing processes that hollowed out the Crystal Lake Cave and created its stunning formations.

8. Julien Dubuque Monument

Source: Eddie J. Rodriquez / shutterstock

Atop a towering bluff in the Mines of Spain Recreation Area is the burial place of the city’s namesake founder, Julien Dubuque who died in 1810.

A Quebecois lead miner, Dubuque married the daughter of the chief of the Mesquakie Indians, and was placed beneath a log mausoleum with full tribal honors.

The current, cylindrical Gothic Revival monument was erected in 1897 and has a commanding view of the Mississippi, and a big parcel of the Mines of Spain property that Dubuque established in the late 18th century.

There’s an interpretive board telling Dubuque’s story, and a magnificent panorama, with modern Dubuque visible a mile or two upstream.

9. EB Lyons Interpretive Center

Source: Mines of Spain / Facebook

For some background when you visit Mines of Spain, you can head for the handicap accessible EB Lyons Interpretive Center.

Exhibits here tell you everything you need to know about this remarkable landscape and its compelling past, but there’s even more on hand.

For one, you’ve got the delightful Betty Hauptli Bird and Butterfly Garden, planted with dogwoods, arrowood, lupines salvia and shasta davies, and growing wildflowers like wild bergamot and blazing star.

This creates a playground for birds like ruby-throated hummingbird and at least seven different butterfly species.

10. Mississippi Riverwalk

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

No surprise that one of the world’s most famous rivers is a big attraction in Dubuque. The Mississippi brings natural majesty to Dubuque, and can be savored along a multi-use trail that links several landmarks and attractions in the city.

Embellished with public art, the Mississippi Riverwalk is just under a mile long, from the historic Dubuque railroad bridge (1868) down to the William M. Black dredge (1934), which is docked on the south side of the Port of Dubuque.

The trail is marked with red-patterned concrete and is part of the 26-mile Heritage Trail, continuing all the way to Dyersville, where the Field of Dreams was built for the namesake movie in 1989.

11. Mathias Ham Historic Site

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

By the entrance to Eagle Point Park is a sumptuous house built for the lead-mining entrepreneur Mathias Ham in 1857.

Maintained by the Dubuque County Historical Society, the Mathias Ham House offers a rare glimpse of affluent domestic life in the Antebellum era.

In an Italian Villa style, the residence has a lot of interesting architectural details, from the use of ashlar limestone to the hipped roof capped with an octagonal belvedere.

Inside you can check out the original plasterwork and wooden fittings, including pine flooring downstairs and walnut staircases.

The interior is decorated with elegant, period-appropriate furnishings from the United States and Europe, along with displays of costume from the mid-19th century.

12. Dubuque Museum of Art

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

The oldest cultural institution in Dubuque was founded in 1874 and remains a cornerstone of the downtown commercial district. Housed in a modern building completed in 1999, the Dubuque Museum of Art has a rich collection, comprising some 2,200 works.

This includes a substantial collection of works by famed Iowa artist Grant Wood (1891-1942), thought to be one of the largest in the world.

As well as shows sourced from that collection, the museum’s four galleries put on an intriguing series of temporary exhibits throughout the year, featuring regional, national and international artists.

And like the best museums, this institution schedules diverse classes, tours and other community programs for all ages.

13. Dubuque Farmers’ Market

Source: BePhumirat / shutterstock

Dubuque has had a farmers’ market since as far back as 1858, making it the oldest in the state.

This is a weekly institution in the summer, taking up three city blocks along Iowa Street, every Saturday morning, May through October.

There are more than 125 vendors at the market, representing a staggering 10,000 acres in Dubuque and surrounding counties.

This means certified organic fruits and vegetables, flowers, pastured beef and pork, herbs, free-range eggs, cheeses, honey, homemade sauces, enticing baked goods and crafts.

There are always lots of accompanying activities from children’s entertainment to live music, cooking demonstrations, seasonal events and more.

14. Stone Cliff Winery

Source: PiXel Perfect PiX / shutterstock

An imposing landmark on the riverfront in the Port of Dubuque district is the old Dubuque Star Brewery building, raised in the Romanesque Revival style in 1899. Under various owners, the brewery was in production until the early 00s.

The upper stories are now mostly used for office space, while Stone Cliff Winery moved into the ground floor in 2007.

As a business, the winery goes back to 1995, and you can call in at the charming tasting room for award-winning wines, but also a selection of draft and bottled beer.

The winery has a lunchtime menu, with a tempting array of soups, wraps, paninis and flatbread pizzas made fresh.

15. Casinos

Source: Dirk DBQ / Flickr | CC BY

Underlining the city’s status as a tourist destination, Dubuque has a pair of major casino complexes.

These are Diamond Jo Casino at the Port of Dubuque, and Q Casino on Chaplain Schmitt Island, northeast of downtown.

The former opened at its current home in 2008, with close to 800 slots, 23 table games, three restaurants and high-end entertainment at the Big Wheel Bar.

The Q Casino goes back to 1985 and is a racino, combining a greyhound racetrack with a modern gaming facility.

As well as that track, you’ve got some 1,000 slot machines, over 20 table games, a specialized poker room, 3 eateries and a feast of live entertainment at the Back Waters Stage and Q Showroom.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Dubuque (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

You can reach downtown Des Moines, and its slew of attractions, in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, to the north and west are the big skies of rural Iowa, which you can traverse on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.

There’s plenty to hold your interest right here in Urbandale, not least at Living History Farms, an outdoor museum on a mind-boggling scale.

One of the largest malls in the state, Merle Hay Mall, can be found in Urbandale and will soon be the home ice for the Des Moines Buccaneers, an elite junior hockey team.

1. Living History Farms

Source: Kyle Kephart / shutterstock

One of the premier attractions in the Des Moines Area is an affectionate celebration of Iowa’s agricultural heritage.

Populated with skilled interpreters, Living History Farms brings to life Iowan farming settlements from 1700, 1850 and 1900, presenting changing technology and customs starting with a pre-European farm worked by Ioway Native Americans.

You can observe plenty of demonstrations as you go, for tanning, pottery, plowing, canning and much more.

Walnut Hill is a replica town from 1875, comprising authentic 19th-century buildings including homes, a bank, law office, mansion, general store and schoolhouse.

2. Des Moines Buccaneers

Source: Alexandr Grant / shutterstock

If you want to see the next generation of hockey stars in action, Urbandale is the proud home of the Des Moines Buccaneers. This outfit plays in the United States Hockey League, which is the top junior league to be sanctioned by USA Hockey.

Since they were founded in 1980, the Buccaneers have taken four Anderson Cups (regular season titles) and four Clark Cups (playoff championships), the most recent in 1999 and 2006 respectively.

Home ice is the 3,461-seat Buccaneer Arena, predating the team and built in 1961. With this venue showing its age, the Buccaneers are scheduled to move to a new, state-of-the-art facility on the site of a former department store at Merle Hay Mall.

3. Des Moines

Source: f11photo / shutterstock

It’s worth remembering that Urbandale is little more than ten miles from downtown Des Moines, so there’s an abundance of attractions and sights within your grasp.

Particularly close are the Des Moines Art Center, with one of the Midwest’s great contemporary art collections, and Salisbury House & Gardens (1928), an exact replica of an historic English house, replete with paintings and decorative arts.

The Iowa State Capitol (1886) may well be the finest state capitol in the nation, and is noted for its gleaming central dome, clad with 23-carat gold.

Shoppers will be wowed by the energetic Downtown Farmers’ Market, while Valley Junction in nearby West Des Moines is a stylish shopping district with real history.

Both the Raccoon River and Des Moines River are lined with idyllic parks, as well as the famed Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

4. Merle Hay Mall

Source: VGstockstudio / shutterstock

Until 2004 this large mall on the boundary with Des Moines was the largest in Iowa. Merle Hay Mall is also the oldest in the state, first opening in 1959 and coming through a string of redevelopments in the last 60+ years.

When we wrote this article, the mall was coping with the aftermath of the pandemic, but there was still a healthy lineup of well-known stores like Rue 21, Foot Locker, Old Navy, GameStop and Claire’s.

These stores are matched by some interesting entertainment concepts like the Flix Brewhouse, which is a combined first-run movie theater and brewery, and Gameday, a kind of sports bar with an arcade and kitchen. Merle Hay Mall is also the future home of the Des Moines Buccaneers.

5. Paragon Prairie Tower

Source: Dean Kasal / Facebook

A soaring landmark for Urbandale, this 120-foot tower was erected at the entrance to the Paragon Office Park in 2007.

Climbing above a plaza and reflecting pool, the Paragon Prairie Tower is clad with the largest glass mosaic mural in the United States.

This amazing work of art is made up of almost 1.8 million tiles, depicting a natural Iowan landscape of prairie and native grasses.

At the base and integrating with the mural is a sculpted relief made from terra cotta and glass fiber reinforced concrete. Be sure to come by at night when lighting effects bring out the iridescence of the glass tiles.

6. Raccoon River Valley Trail

Source: Raccoon River Valley Trail Association / Facebook

In the southwest corner of Urbandale you can join one of Iowa’s great long-distance trails leading through farmland, woods, wetlands and huge sweeps of prairie.

Almost 90 miles long, the paved Raccoon River Valley Trail crosses four counties on the right-of-way of the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. In Urbandale the trail hugs U.S. 6 for several miles before dividing into two.

One fork cuts northwest in the direction of Dallas Center, and links a series of lovable Midwestern towns in the Iowa countryside.

Alternatively you could continue west towards Redfield. The two forks meet again near Jamaica, Iowa continuing on to the northern trailhead at the charming town of Jefferson.

7. Walker Johnston Park

Source: JennLShoots / shutterstock

In the heart of the city, next to Urbandale’s police department and public library buildings, is the main community park, brimming with amenities and things to do.

Walker Johnston Park is on a whole network of trails connecting to other parts of the town, and is a veritable wonderland for kids.

One great asset is the story trail encircling the park’s fishing pond. The playground is also one of the best in the Des Moines area, with a gigantic slide that is built into the side of a hill.

Other facilities include a skate park, Pickleball courts, baseball/softball fields, a soccer field, two rentable picnic shelters and numerous picnic tables.

8. Breakout Games

Source: graletta / shutterstock

People from all over the Des Moines area come to Urbandale for this escape room attraction.

For the uninitiated, you and your team will have one hour to make it out of a room by discovering clues, cracking codes, solving riddles and completing puzzles.

At Breakout Games these rooms are totally immersive, with smart puzzle design, a gripping backstory and creative scenarios.

When we compiled this list there were six rooms: The Kidnapping, Undercover Alley, Mystery Mansion, Do Not Disturb, Island Escape and Operation: Casino.

9. Clive Aquatic Center

Source: Sergey Novikov / shutterstock

A big summer attraction for the western Des Moines Area, the Clive Aquatic Center sits opposite Living History Farms, off U.S. 6. This is essentially a mini water park, with two main pools.

The first is a zero-depth pool for leisure, with a large shallow area, perfect for smaller kids. The other pool is a six-lane lap pool, but with a diving well linked with one side and the splash zone for the park’s water slide on the other.

Another great feature is the lazy river, fed by a shallow ramp. The center has a lot of events on the calendar, and closes out the season in late August with a dog party.

10. Saylorville Lake

Source: Jason Patrick Ross / shutterstock

Urbandale is just a few miles from the south shore of a huge body of water, which becomes a recreation go-to in summer.

Covering almost 6,000 acres, Saylorville Lake is a reservoir that was dammed in the mid-1960s, and is one component in a vast flood defense system on the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers.

The lakeshore is ringed with campgrounds, recreation areas, boat launches and beaches. The nearest place to camp is the Bob Shetler Campground, with 67 electric sites, while the Lakeview Boat Ramp, open March through November is a mile or so around the southwest shore.

Head a little further up the lake’s west side and you’ll arrive at the Walnut Ridge Disc Golf Course, with 18 holes in a beautiful waterside setting.

11. Machine Shed Restaurant

Source: Gage Skidmore / Flickr | CC BY-SA

This small, rural chain specializing in American comfort food has just six locations in Iowa and neighboring states.

The Machine Shed abides by a five-word motto: “Dedicated to the American Farmer”, and was born just outside of Davenport, Iowa in 1978.

The breakfast at the Urbandale location has been touted as the Best in America by the Travel Channel.

Among the menu items you simply have to try are the Shed’s famous oven-fresh cinnamon rolls, the Country Market Skillet and the Farmer’s Benedict, with a choice of ham or sausage patties.

And in keeping with the agricultural vibe you can even take a tractor ride while you wait for your table.

12. Iowa Gold Star Military Museum

Source: Iowa Gold Star Military Museum / Facebook

Free to visit, this museum near the Saylorville Lakeshore is Iowa’s premier veterans museum, charting every conflict involving Iowans, from the Mexican War of 1846 to the present.

The name, “Gold Star” refers to a tradition that began after WWI, when the wives, mothers and sisters of men who had died in service would wear a black armband with a gold star.

The museum is packed with interesting artifacts from a catalog of wars, including vehicles, artillery, uniforms, medals, flags, weapons, field equipment, photographs and a submarine telescope.

13. Lions Park

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Close to Merle Hay Mall in the east of Urbandale is a well-shaded park just across the road from Urbandale High School. Lions Park is really on the map during the city’s 4th of July festivities.

This is the largest celebration of its kind in the Des Moines area, with a two-mile parade, day-long carnival, live music and fireworks after sunset.

As for amenities, Lions Park has a baseball/softball field, tennis courts, a gazebo and grills for birthday parties and family reunions.

14. AMC Classic Cobblestone 9

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One of a few shopping centers dotted around Urbandale, the Cobblestone Marketplace by U.S. 6 is on the map for its movie theater, acquired by the AMC chain in 2017.

This multiplex was opened in 1994 by the now defunct Carmike Cinemas chain, and is an affordable and convenient place to catch the latest blockbuster.

Check the website for all kinds of specials, like Discount Tuesdays, and lower ticket prices for movies on weekdays before 4pm.

15. Get Air Trampoline Park

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Right next to Breakout Games is an indoor trampoline park, run by Get Air, which has locations across the country.

If you’re on the hunt for somewhere for kids to be active in any weather, this is a fine choice. There’s a range of games and activities to go with the huge Main Court, which has wall-to-wall trampolines.

There’s dodgeball, a foam pit, a hoop for slam dunks, a Ninja Warrior-style course, a Kiddie Court for smaller children, and more.

The post 15 Best Things to Do in Urbandale (Iowa) appeared first on The Crazy Tourist.

There may not be a better place than Council Bluffs to ponder the United States’ epic westward expansion in the 19th century.

The city is named for a parley made by Lewis and Clark and Native American tribesmen, high on the Loess Hills that trace the eastern bank of the Missouri River.

Council Bluffs has long been a transport hub, as an anchor town of several 19th-century emigrant trails and the place where no fewer than eight railroads once connected.

In the 1860s the city became the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad, and there are two museums to tell the story, while the picturesque Loess Hills can be explored on a national scenic byway.

1. Union Pacific Railroad Museum

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In 1869, Council Bluffs was the eastern terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, linking the existing eastern U.S. rail network with the Pacific Coast.

The project had been approved by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 as a means of preserving the Union during the Civil War.

In an exquisite Carnegie library building from 1905, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum sheds light on more than 160 years of American history, through interactive displays and a rich collection of artifacts.

You can pore over a rich library of photographs, 19th-century weapons, railroad lanterns, plush car interiors, surveying tools and all kinds of other memorabilia.

2. Pottawattamie County Squirrel Cage Jail and Museum

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Patented in Indiana in 1881, the rotary jail was a prison concept that never quite caught on. The cells were pie-shaped wedges on a rotating platform, making escape almost impossible.

Council Bluffs is home to one of just three surviving rotary jails, constructed on four levels as the Pottawattamie County Jail in 1885.

This was built at the same time as the courthouse, and was just as hazardous as every other rotary jail, with several prisoners known to have lost limbs.

The building closed as a jail in 1969 and has belonged to the Pottawattamie County Historical Society since 1977.

You’ll learn how this unusual system functioned, experience the cramped conditions in the cells, view interesting artifacts from the building’s past and tour the cozy Sheriff’s residence.

3. Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

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In 2008 a magnificent new crossing was forged between Omaha and Council Bluffs in the form of a 3,000-foot cable-stayed footbridge.

Linked to the 150-mile trail network in the Omaha area, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is an S-curved structure helping you cross the state line in style.

There are several spots on both sides of the crossing where you can rent an electric or conventional bike, and there’s a satisfying view along the river and across to the Omaha skyline.

After sunset the bridge comes to life, illuminated with endless color and effect combinations.

4. Lake Manawa State Park

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In the south of Council Bluffs, Lake Manawa is a remnant of the Great Flood of 1881, when a large body of water was created by the changed course of the river.

Covering 740 acres, the lake was later expanded for flood control and is a recreation hub for the Omaha metropolitan region.

The paved trail curling around the lakeshore is connected to the wider trail system via the Indian Creek Trail and Wabash Trace Trail.

On the water there’s a beach facility, open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and at this time of year you can rent a paddle board, canoe or kayak for a little self-navigated adventure.

Anglers meanwhile have a choice of boat ramps, a fishing jetty, an accessible pier and a fish cleaning station.

Not far from the main boat ramp is the Dream Playground, opened in 2018 and officially Iowa’s largest ADA accessible playground.

5. Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook

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Posted on a bluff in the Loess Hills just north of the city is a monument commemorating the event that gave Council Bluffs its name.

The Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook was dedicated in 1936 and recalls the moment on August 2, 1804, when Lewis and Clark met with Otoe and Missouri Tribesmen.

The monument has a stylized carved relief depicting the meeting, with interpretive boards offering plenty of background. The view is awe-inspiring, taking in Council Bluffs, Omaha, the Missouri and a big chunk of Nebraska.

6. Historic General Dodge House

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In Council Bluffs you can visit the preserved house of Grenville M. Dodge (1831-1916), a multi-talented engineer and politician who played a crucial role in the development of the railroads in the West.

Dodge settled in Council Bluffs in 1851 and spent the next ten years surveying railroads, including the Union Pacific.

During the Civil War he rose to the rank of Major General in the Union Army, pioneering the use of military intelligence, before serving as a congressman and president or chief engineer of several railroad companies.

A National HIstoric Landmark, Dodge’s Second Empire-style house was built in 1869 atop a high terrace overlooking the valley.

You can tour this 14-room, 3-story residence to find out about his remarkable career and appreciate the parquet floors and ornate woodwork, carved from butternut, walnut and cherry.

7. Western Historic Trails Center

Source: Western Historic Trails Center / Facebook

The National Parks Service opened this riverside attraction in 1997, celebrating the intrepid spirit of the west-bound pioneers who followed in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Western Historic Trails details the United States’ westward expansion, with enthralling accounts from the Oregon Trail, the California Trail and the Mormon Trail.

These exhibits are enriched with maps, personal accounts, art and photography. The center is at the northern end of Riverside Park, made up of 400 acres of prairie by the Missouri River, for a hint of what greeted explorers and migrants in the 19th century.

8. Bayliss Park

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On a whole city block, this park in front of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum is a green haven with much to hold your interest.

At its heart is a fountain, titled Well Spring and designed by Rhode Island-based sculptor Brower Hatcher.

This eye-catching monument provides a backdrop to The Performance Space, a venue for outdoor concerts and festivals, with a canopy also designed by Hatcher.

Surrounding the fountain is a plaza, with benches and tables, edged by neat flowerbeds. On the north side of the plaza is an interactive splash pad, beloved by kids in the summer, and on the east side are child-friendly interactive art installations designed by Hatcher.

9. RailsWest Railroad Museum

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You can delve further into Council Bluffs’ railroad heritage at this museum housed in a former passenger depot.

Built for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and also served by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, the depot dates to 1899 and closed to passengers in 1971.

Inside you can find out about the eight railroads that served the city, learn about the Railway Mail Service and check out a large HO Scale model railroad.

Just outside are some handsome pieces of rolling stock, such as Union Pacific locomotive 814, and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive 915, as well as a lounge car, cabooses, a switchcar from 1953 and a Railway Post Office car.

10. Loess Hills National Scenic Byway

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The Loess Hills are an extraordinary natural feature, spanning more than 200 miles along the Missouri River.

Mostly on the river’s east bank is a continuous line of thin ridges, rolling hills and tall bluffs, covered with forest and prairie and rising as high as 200 feet above the plains to the east.

Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, these hills are composed of windblown soils, rising higher on the Iowa side of the river because of the prevailing winds.

You can follow the range via the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, a driving route that runs from Akron in the north to Hamburg in the south.

There’s a brochure for the National Scenic Byway, detailing all the things you can do along the route, and giving details of the 16 excursion loops branching off the main trail.

11. Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park

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Landscaped in 2013, Council Bluffs’ gateway to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a lovely parcel of waterfront looking across to downtown Omaha.

Even if you’re not planning to cross the Missouri River, this is a gorgeous place to go for a walk or bike ride, blessed with dreamy sunsets and sprinkled with public art.

The park also has an ecological purpose, and incorporates almost 20 acres of reforestation, skirting the enormous great lawn.

With all this open space, River’s Edge Park is made for outdoor events, staging concerts and festivals in the summer.

12. Horseshoe Council Bluffs

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One of a trio of giant casino complexes on the riverbank, Horseshoe Council Bluffs is operated by Caesars Entertainment.

Opened in 1986 as a (now closed) greyhound track, the complex came through an $85 million expansion in 2006. There’s now a 153-room hotel, almost 1,400 slot machines and a dedicated poker room with 18 tables, to go with more than 50 other table games.

The Caesars Sportsbook is located right here on the casino floor, and there’s also a wealth of live music and comedy on the schedule.

In August the World Series of Poker stops by at the poker room, also hosting the Horseshoe Poker Championships (HPC) in February.

13. Ditmars Orchard

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This versatile rural attraction is on the northeastern outskirts of the city, a short hop from downtown.

In the same family since 1994, Ditmars Orchard grows a variety of fruit and vegetables that you can pick for yourself or purchase from the farm store, along with homemade jams, jellies, salsas and much more.

A few of the U-Pick options include strawberries and sunflowers in the summer, and then apples and pumpkins in fall.

Late August through October there’s all kinds of family-friendly fun on the farm, including a corn maze, a petting zoo with kid goats, bumper balls, a bounce house and much more.

Adults can enjoy live music and wine from the vineyard, while there’s a range of delicious bites, from spicy corn fritters to apple cider donuts.

14. Ameristar Casino Hotel

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South of Horseshoe Council Bluffs on Casino Row is the riverboat Ameristar Casino, which opened in 1996.

This is the only one of the city’s three casinos still based on a riverboat, and has an accompanying hotel tower (160 rooms).

The boat has 38,500 square feet of gaming space, with 1,500 up-to-date slot machines, along with table games like baccarat, roulette, craps, blackjack, some allowing bets of up to $5,000.

The Sportsbook is a state-of-the-art gaming facility, with ten betting kiosks, six wagering terminals and 50 HD TVs keeping you in touch with the action.

15. Kanesville Tabernacle

Source: Beneathtimp / Wikimedia | CC0

Council Bluffs is the site of an important chapter in the history of the Mormon Church. After founder Joseph Smith (1805-1844) suffered a violent death at the hands of a mob in Nauvoo, Illinois, the church headed west, settling temporarily in Iowa on their way to Utah.

Smith’s death brought a succession crisis that needed solving. A cottonwood log cabin, measuring 40 feet by 60 feet, was erected, and it was here on 27 December 1847 that Brigham Young (1801-1877) reorganized a new First Presidency and was sustained as the second President of the Church.

The original log structure was built, hastily on top of a natural spring, and so was torn down a couple of years later having served its purpose.

The replica was built in the mid-1990s, less than a block from the original site, also from cottonwood and with the same dimensions.

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