Two hula hoops appeared on the tree after a storm, and the collection kept growing.

Hidden in the grounds of the Fort Dodge Museum is a "real" and terrifying petrified giant.

This hand-carved wooden carousel in the Story City North Park was built in 1913.

The only museum in the world dedicated to the history of sprint car racing, next to one of the country's most historic dirt tracks.

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

The farm toy capital of the world hosts a museum filled with toy tractors dating back to the late 1800s.

An obelisk commemorating Lincoln's role in connecting the coasts.

This massive railroad spike celebrates the 1939 premiere of the movie “Union Pacific.”

One of just a few cities in the world to base their center of government on an island. Others: Paris and Osaka.

Remnants of a quarry company town still stand on the banks of the Wapsipinicon River.

Elaborate hand-carved wooden clocks two brothers made in their spare time are on display at this handsome little museum.

The highest point in Iowa, while not that impressive to mountain states, has earned its own monuments.

No one knows the origin of this small town’s unique name.

An unlikely Transcendental Meditation haven in the American Heartland built around the ancient Vedic principles of balance and harmony.

This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.

Most comprehensive museum in America devoted to one ethnic group.

In rural Iowa, an imported 19th-century windmill overlooks an unlikely enclave of Danish culture.

Piled high inside this warehouse and coffee shop are salvaged goods that span every corner of the globe.

The “American Gothic" artist's largest works hang in an Iowa State University library.

A small burial plot formerly stranded in the middle of a road.

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

An Iowa town celebrates its heritage with the tallest working Dutch windmill in North America.

The magazine keeps a perfectly groomed display garden for its photo shoots.

Eight feet in diameter and more than 24 feet around.