9 Best Attractions To Visit In Iowa

You might have a hard time naming anything to do in Iowa. For all its untapped potential, the Hawkeye State is largely lacking in attractions with nationwide name recognition. That does not mean there is nothing here worth seeing. Although you may never have heard of these nine Iowa attractions, they’re great stops on any road trip, family visit, or conference that brings you to this vastly underrated bastion of Midwestern-ness. From historical attractions to vibrant fairs to haunted homes, Iowa has it all covered.

Amana Colonies - Amana

We’ve all heard of Pennsylvania’s famous Amish communities, but they’re far from the only self-sustaining religious community in American history. One such community, a group of radical German Protestants known as the True Inspiration Congregations, established itself across nine villages, approximately half an hour by car from present-day Cedar Rapids. And now that their self-contained way of life has gone by the wayside (the community finally opened its doors during the Great Depression), the nine Amana Villages they founded are National Historic Sites that offer insight into a radically unusual way of life.

Although the Amana Colonies today are better known these days for their German ambience and shops selling local handicrafts than for their historical uniqueness, they’re worth a visit for both reasons. History buffs can take colony tours to learn about the True Inspiration religious movement’s way of life. (One such example: the group was required to prepare and eat meals communally - without talking!) Those who prefer to enjoy the ambiance can browse the village shops and savor German family-style dining at restaurants like The Ox Yoke Inn.

American Gothic House Center - Eldon

It’s not often that a roadside attraction meets an artistic icon, but Iowa has that covered. If you’ve ever seen Grant Wood’s world-famous portrait American Gothic - you know, the one with the couple holding a pitchfork? Then, you’ve also seen this house. The home depicted in American Gothic has been preserved exactly as it appears in the painting, and it’s now a visitor’s center and tourist attraction that art lovers and fans of quirky roadside stops can visit.

Located in southeastern Iowa near the Missouri border, it’s truly in the middle of nowhere. Your closest major cities are Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, both about two hours away. But as far as road trip stops go, visiting the real-life inspiration for the world-famous painting makes for a pretty memorable one.

Devonian Fossil Gorge - Iowa City

Hard as it may be to believe in this thoroughly landlocked state, Iowa was once covered by a prehistoric tropical sea. And after a major flooding event washed over this gorge, half an hour by car from Cedar Rapids, in 1993, a window into Iowa’s geologic past was opened. Millions of years of build-up sediment washed away to reveal limestone bedrock dated at over 375 million years old, embedded with the fossils of the onetime denizens of this former seabed. These embedded fossils are now one of the area’s best-loved attractions.

If you’re interested in paleontology, geology, or what Iowa looked like before it was the land of endless cornfields, the Devonian Fossil Gorge makes a fun diversion from Cedar Rapids. The path into the gorge is well-marked with signage explaining what you’re looking at, and it’s probably the closest you’ll get to real ancient fossils this side of museum glass.

Effigy Mounds National Monument - Harper’s Ferry

It can be easy to miss the evidence of Iowa’s millennia-long human history if you’re just driving by. This region of the Midwest was populated by mound-building cultures, so called because they’re primarily known to archaeologists today by the massive earthen mounds they created, and at Effigy Mounds National Monument, those namesake earthworks play the starring role.

These “effigy mounds,” mostly shaped like animals native to the region, are rather mysterious. The traditions and beliefs of modern-day Native American groups in the region can offer clues but no definitive answers about the ancestral cultures that created these mounds hundreds of years ago. So while scientists suspect that they may have been sacred sites or a way of marking territorial boundaries, we just don’t know what they were built for. And at this park, you’re encouraged to hike, explore, and contemplate these centuries-old sites.

That’s much of what makes this National Monument, like many similar earthworks along the Mississippi, so fascinating. Though it’s a trek to reach, located two hours northeast of Cedar Rapids near the Wisconsin and Minnesota borders, it’s worth the drive if you’re interested in gaining a new perspective on Midwestern culture: there was life before hot dish, after all.

Iowa 80: the World’s Largest Truck Stop - Walcott

What better way to celebrate a state most people know by driving through than by visiting the world’s largest hub for passing vehicle traffic? There are hundreds of roadside superlatives in the U.S., but this one is unusual in that it’s much more than a gimmick. Sure, it’s kitschy: in addition to the facilities working truckers need, it’s got a trucking museum, a showroom, and no less than nine restaurants. But it’s also a full-service outlet with every imaginable amenity, from a chiropractor and a barber to a movie theater. Its own website likens it to “a trucker’s Disneyland” - you be the judge of that.

Even if it sounds utilitarian, there’s something fascinating about the everything-under-one-roof pragmatism of this sprawling truck stop near the Illinois border. If you’re passing through, it is an absolute must-stop — and possibly also the superlative-based roadside attraction to rule them all.

Iowa State Fair - Des Moines

No one does state fairs like the Breadbasket of America, where industrial and agricultural achievements have always been special cause for celebration. And the Iowa State Fair is no exception. Every August, it is the single largest event in Iowa, pulling out all the stops and attracting visitors to Des Moines from every corner of the nation to one of the oldest and most venerable state fairs around. If you’re lucky enough to be in Iowa at the right time, you absolutely must make the trip.

Like most state fairs, Iowa’s offers rides, concerts, contests, and every fried food imaginable. Barksdale’s State Fair Cookies are especially can’t-miss, and be sure to check the fair’s event schedule when it’s released for the 2026 run (August 13-23rd) to get wind of any new additions to this year’s program. It’s bound to be no less the quintessential state fair experience than it’s always been.

Maquoketa Caves State Park - Maquoketa

Caves in flat-as-flat-can-be Iowa? You bet. Drive an hour east of Cedar Rapids towards the Illinois border, and you’ll find one of the state’s most unexpected and rewarding spots for outdoor enthusiasts. Maquoketa Caves State Park is a verdant, forested landscape of bluffs and caves with over six miles of trails, many of them meandering through its expansive cave system.

If you’re hoping to hike, this is the Iowa attraction for you. Though you’ll want to bring a headlamp, its paved paths through caves and forests strike the perfect balance between stress-free and adventurous. It’s nothing like the Iowa you might have imagined — so if you need a green, refreshing break from all those business meetings in a Cedar Rapids office park, make Maquoketa Caves State Park your stop.

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium - Dubuque

It’s easy to forget about Iowa’s deep ties to the Mississippi River, but remember - it forms the state’s eastern border! Like every state touched by North America’s longest river, Iowa owes plenty to the north-south artery running along its eastern edge. And if you’re curious about what exactly that means, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium - located right along the river on the border with Illinois and Wisconsin - tells all.

In addition to museum exhibits that chronicle the history of the Mississippi’s influence in the region, this expansive facility seeks to tell the story of the nation’s rivers more generally. And that includes their critters: many of the museum’s exhibits are actually aquarium displays featuring the denizens of North American rivers and associated habitats. While the focus isn’t solely on the Mississippi, historical exhibits bring the facility’s Mississippi River theme full circle.

And if you’re more interested in transportation than memorabilia or aquatic life, this museum complex has that covered, too: two museum ships are available for tours of the kind of watercraft that once plied this stretch of the Mississippi. There truly is something here to interest nearly every visitor, and it’s an especially great diversion for those traveling with children.

Villisca Axe Murder House - Villisca

This Iowa attraction sticks out among the nine listed here in a few ways. It’s the only one in the western half of the state, closer to Omaha, Nebraska (an hour away, roughly) than to any major city in Iowa. And its claim to fame isn’t its size, its uniqueness, or its iconic visual — no, the Villisca Axe Murder House is most notorious for its grisly past.

In 1912, this house was the scene of a killing spree that claimed eight lives and remains unsolved to this day. So it’s no surprise that it’s on many ghost hunters’ lists of the most haunted places in America. All manner of strange happenings have been reported, and the nature of the case itself — over a century old and never solved — draws true crime enthusiasts, too.

Today, paranormal and crime fanatics who make the trek out to the blip-on-the-radar town of Villisca can take part in ghost tours, which operator US Ghost Adventures claims are “no-frills,” unembellished introductions to this notoriously haunted property, or stay the night. That’s right: if you fancy a night on the scene of a grisly unsolved killing spree, get yourself to Villisca.

Iowa may get an affectionately bad rap for its stereotypically flat, monotonous terrain, but the state itself is anything but. Whether you’re most interested in history, nature, or plain old spectacle, there’s something among the state’s diverse attractions to suit your tastes. So don’t treat that business trip to Des Moines or holiday visit to family like a chore to dread - dig a little deeper beneath this state’s surface and you might just find yourself enjoying it.