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All United States Iowa

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Iowa

66 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Iowa

Updated May 31, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Des Moines
The Black Angel
Iowa City
Fenelon Place Elevator
Dubuque
Pottawattamie Squirrel Cage Jail
Council Bluffs
View from the south bank looking north at Mays Island where Cedar Rapids City Hall and Linn County Courthouse are located.
Cedar Rapids
The World's Tallest Concrete Gnome
Ames
All Cities
  1. Ames
  2. Anamosa
  3. Britt
  4. Cedar Rapids
  5. Council Bluffs
  6. Des Moines
  7. Dubuque
  8. Dyersville
  9. Iowa City
Attractions
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Stories

Unusual Attractions in Iowa

The lights' reflection in the Des Moines River below.

Madrid, Iowa

High Trestle Trail Bridge

A half-mile long and three stories high, this bridge over the Des Moines River Valley mimics a descent into a mine shaft.
The Villisca Axe Murder House

Villisca, Iowa

Villisca Axe Murder House

A number of gruesome unsolved murders have turned this simple home into a morbid tourist trap.
The World's Tallest Concrete Gnome

Ames, Iowa

Elwood, the World's Tallest Concrete Gnome

Beating out all other concrete competitors, this massive garden feature's pointy hat has earned it a world record.
The Swinging Bridge

Columbus Junction, Iowa

Lover's Leap Swinging Bridge

A warning to the weak-kneed: This narrow bridge does its swinging eight stories high.
The Day The Music Died Memorial

Clear Lake, Iowa

The Day The Music Died Memorial

A giant pair of thick black glasses mark the tragic demise of a trio of rock and roll legends.

Des Moines, Iowa

Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

This zombie-themed restaurant stands out in the heart of corn country.

West Bend, Iowa

Father Paul Dobberstein's Grotto of the Redemption

A four story, football field-sized, nine-grotto creation made of shells, minerals, and rare stones.
It's not a gravesite—it's a future birthplace.

Riverside, Iowa

Captain James T. Kirk Future Birthplace

A place of great reverence for Trekkies everywhere, a hero's future birthplace.
See All 66 Things To Do in Iowa

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Iowa

The world's largest popcorn ball. (The Popcorn Factory)

Sac City, Iowa

World's Largest Popcorn Ball

Eight feet in diameter and more than 24 feet around.
World Food Prize Hall of Laureates

Des Moines, Iowa

World Food Prize Hall of Laureates

The headquarters of the prestigious World Food Prize celebrates the heroes in the fight against hunger, has no cafeteria.
The famous recipe.

Cascade, Iowa

The Menster Christmas Cookie Gravestone

A mother’s sweet tradition lives on with this unique memorial.
This German version of poutine includes pork tenderloin, gravy, and fries.

Amana, Iowa

Ronneburg Restaurant

What was once a communal kitchen now serves heaping portions of hearty German fare.
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

4 Pop-Culture Marvels in Iowa

Iowa is the pantry of America, giving over the vast majority of its land to agriculture and producing more corn and pork than any other state. But the state has also proven fertile ground for pop culture, as well. The landscape has inspired movies, films, songs, paintings, and novels while spawning movie royalty in the form of a certain Duke. Bask in the wonderful corniness of these four pop-culture touchstones in the Hawkeye State. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary
There's nothing corny about the Duke.

Explore Iowa

Museums And Collections 7
Roadside Attractions 6
Monuments 6
Geology 4
History 4
Railroads 4
Architectural Oddities 4
Plants 4
Art 4

Iowa Leaderboard

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Recent Iowa Activity

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Stories About Iowa

Blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata) zigzag through an Appalachian forest.

Photographing Fireflies, a Love Story

An award-winning photographer shares what these bioluminescent insects have taught him—and how you can capture their beauty.
by Emily Dieckman
May 24, 2023

Podcast: Iowa Remnant Prairies

There's always more to the land than meets the eye.
by The Podcast Team
May 9, 2023

Iowa’s Ancient Apex Predator Was the ‘T. rex’ of Its Day

The monstrous menace known as Whatcheeria hints that our distant ancestors may have been more like us than we thought.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 2, 2022
A researcher on hands and knees surveys the rare flora and fauna on a "breathing hill" in the Upper Midwest's Driftless.

The Ice Age Persists in the Upper Midwest, Where the Hills Breathe

In the Driftless, a rare combination of geological quirks has preserved ancient ecosystems. But climate change is coming.
by Gemma Tarlach
May 20, 2021
Nearly-lost collard green varieties are being preserved and propagated across the country.

The Farmers and Gardeners Saving the South's Signature Green

These seed savers are preserving and celebrating the enormous genetic diversity of collard greens.
by Debra Freeman
March 19, 2021
This windmill was shipped in pieces from Nørre Snede, Denmark, and reassembled in 1976 by over 300 volunteers.

Iowa's 'Denmark on the Prairie' Creates Hygge Away From Home

The tiny town has imported a 19th-century windmill and starred in two Danish TV shows.
by Stacy Brooks
February 19, 2020
A man in the Muscatine shell-soaking room, about 1915.

A Sift Through the Remnants of Iowa's Forgotten Fashion Scene

For decades, the Mississippi River town of Muscatine was the pearl-button capital of the world.
by Harrison Cook
September 11, 2019
A bronze cast of the Army-owned Wankel's T. Rex, affectionately nicknamed "Big Mike," guards the Museum of the Rockies.

Why Does the U.S. Army Own So Many Fossils?

Turns out massive flood control projects are a great way to find dinosaurs.
by Sabrina Imbler
August 7, 2019

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