8 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Iowa

There are peculiar towns and there are playfully peculiar towns. While both kinds are strange, only the latter is strange for lighthearted reasons, meaning that instead of creepy locals or haunted houses or disturbing historic sites, playfully peculiar towns have a hobo festival, a giant popcorn ball, and an annual tug-o-war across a river. Those examples are in Iowa, whose weird communities attract rather than repel. Take a peek at the following Iowan towns and their wholesome oddities.

Audubon

On a platform in rural Audubon stands Albert, a 45-ton concrete sculpture dubbed the "World's Largest Bull." If Albert is indeed the world's largest bull, he has the world's largest bull testicles. Yes, Albert's sculptors made him anatomically accurate—gonads and all. He thus doubles as a local beef industry monument and a nutty attraction for countless out-of-towners. According to Atlas Obscura, Albert's 'nads are repainted for some of Audubon's many events. One of the biggest is Operation T-Bone, which, like Albert, celebrates regional cattle farming. Its 75th edition is to run from August 1 to 3, 2025. Expect a parade, car show, tractor show, and lots of food.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon takes "colorful" to another level. Each May, this small Iowa city gets covered in a literal ton of chalk for Chalk the Walk. Traffic is blocked, chalk is handed out, and hundreds of people turn the main street into a giant mural. Along with one communal piece (2025's was a reproduction of Henri Matisse's Woman in a Purple Coat), 160 smaller drawings are done by designated artists. After seeing those fleeting works of genius, see a permanent work of genius off Highway 30. There stands a private barn decorated like American Gothic, an iconic painting from Iowan artist Grant Wood. Pair that Gothic replica with genuine Wood relics at the Grant Wood Studio in nearby Cedar Rapids.

Britt

Hobos dominate Britt—and that is no metaphor. In this tiny rail town, hobo and hobo supporters have been convening for well over a century. They arrive each August for Britt Hobo Days (AKA the National Hobo Convention), a celebration not of bums (stationary non-workers) or tramps (nomadic non-workers), but hobos (nomadic workers), who have been "misunderstood and mistreated" according to Britt's website. The event is packed with food and drinks, arts and crafts, and live entertainment ranging from a parade to a King and Queen Hobo coronation. Also honoring the noble hobo is the National Hobo Museum, a stationary companion to Hobo Days. To contrast those hoboddities, Britt preserves a large, candy-colored Victorian residence called the Armstrong House. Tours are available by appointment.

Riverside

Riverside is the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk. For all you non-Trekkies, Kirk is the main protagonist of the original Star Trek, a sci-fi series set far into the future. Thus, Kirk was not born until the 23rd century—and he arrived in Riverside, Iowa. However, he was not always supposed to be born in Riverside. His canonical birthplace was simply a "small town in the State of Iowa," but Riverside councilmembers decided to designate that unnamed town their town in 1985. This was later commemorated with the Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk Monument, the Voyage Home Museum, the annual TrekFest, and other in-town atTrektions. Yet Star Trek canonically ignored Riverside's designation for almost 40 years. In 2023, the Paramount+ show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finally launched Riverside into the canon.

LeClaire

LeClaire is a true riverside community on the mighty Mississippi, which separates Iowa from Illinois. Each August, some of the mightiest residents from each side of the river grab a 2,700-foot, 680-pound rope and tug for interstate glory. That is the thrust of TugFest, a three-day festival for the only tug-of-war across the Mississippi River. Besides said war (the only event to annually bridge the Mississippi), this fest features an array of entertainment, from live music to carnival rides, in both LeClaire, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois. For those wondering, Port Byron is the all-time TugFest champion. LeClaire needs extra help, so cheer on the Iowan tuggers in between trips to other LeClaire oddities like the Buffalo Bill Museum, which is home to the beloved Lone Star tugboat, and the souvenir shop Antique Archaeology, which has been featured on American Pickers.

Sac City

Dig into Sac City, home of the "World's Largest Popcorn Ball." Standing more than eight feet tall, stretching 12 feet wide, and weighing 9,370 pounds, this ball was built in 2016 to replace a ball that weighed 5,060 pounds, which itself replaced a ball that weighed 3,100 pounds, which itself replaced a ball that weighed 2,225 pounds and was constructed back in 1995. Why so many boulders of popped popcorn, you ask? To celebrate local popcorn production and to retake the world record, which kept being broken by other small towns with nothing better to do. The reigning record holder has its own building in Sac City. See the display but make sure to go "beyond the popcorn ball," as Sac City's website urges, by exploring roadside art installations like Freedom Rock and natural splendor on the North Raccoon River Water Trail.

Amana

Amana is one of seven villages that comprise the Amana Colonies, which were founded by radical German Pietists in the 19th century. In modern corporate America, the town is now known as the home of a Whirlpool Corporation manufacturing facility, but a visit there can take you back to its radical German roots. Visitors can consume German-style food and brews on locally crafted tables at the Millstream Brau Haus; sleep in a historic textile mill at Hotel Millwright; and learn about Amana's rich, unique, and international history at the Noé House of the Amana Heritage Society. Moreover, they attend such annual celebrations as Maifest, Oktoberfest, and Winterfest.

Burlington

Burlington is home to Snake Alley. But do not worry: it has nothing to do with actual snakes. Instead, Snake Alley snakes like a reptile thanks to five half-curves and two quarter-curves for a stretch of 275 feet on a 58-foot incline. Considered the world's crookedest street (allegedly besting even San Francisco's Lombard Street), it was built in 1894 to connect the downtown commercial district with the blufftop residential district. Such a unique thruway obviously attracts unique travelers, especially during the Snake Alley Criterium, which is an uphill bike race held each May, and the Snake Alley Art Fair, which gathers artists along the road in June.

If looking to have a quirky vacation but not looking to be disturbed, visit Iowa. Yes, like all states, Iowa does have painfully peculiar sights, but they are overshadowed by playfully peculiar sights. This is especially true in Audubon, Mount Vernon, Britt, Riverside, LeClaire, Sac City, Amana, and Burlington. From a ballsy bull to the future birthplace of a sci-fi icon to a whimsically crooked road, offbeat Iowa should make you upbeat.