Things to Do in Iowa
Ten stops running from a baseball field built for a film that never expected to become a real pilgrimage site to a set of German communal villages still running much as they did in the 1850s.
Iowa rewards slowing down, communal villages that never quite fit the standard American settlement story, ancient burial mounds shaped like animals, and a baseball field in the middle of a cornfield that people still drive hours to see. Ten stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site if you fancy testing what stuck.
Field of Dreams Movie Site
The actual baseball diamond built for the 1989 film Field of Dreams, preserved in the same cornfield setting and still open for visitors to walk the bases or have a proper catch on the grass. The site runs entirely on donations and gift shop sales, a properly low-key, unpolished spot that's stayed largely unchanged since filming ended decades ago.
Bring a baseball glove if you have one, a fair number of visitors end up playing a proper game of catch on the same field the film was shot on, part of the appeal for anyone who grew up with the movie.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-6pm, hours vary seasonally
Address 28995 Lansing Rd, Dyersville, IA
Iowa State Fair
One of the largest and most established state fairs in the country, running since 1854, over a million visitors typically attend across the eleven-day run. The Butter Cow, a life-sized sculpture carved entirely from butter, has appeared every year since 1911 and remains the fair's most enduring, oddly beloved tradition, alongside an accompanying butter sculpture that changes theme annually.
Deep-fried food runs to properly inventive extremes here, entire competitions exist for the most creative new fair food each year, check what's new before you go if that's part of the appeal.
Hours Mid-August, eleven days, check current dates
Address Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA
Amana Colonies
Seven villages founded by German religious immigrants in the 1850s, run communally for decades before the community voted in 1932 to separate the church from the economic system, a properly significant piece of American communal living history. The villages retain much of their original architecture, working craft shops still producing furniture and woollen goods using traditional methods.
Family-style restaurants throughout the colonies serve traditional German-American cooking, large shared platters rather than individual plates, go hungry and share across the table properly.
Address Amana Colonies, IA
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Over 200 prehistoric burial mounds built by Indigenous peoples between roughly 500 BC and 1200 AD, several shaped deliberately like bears and birds, a properly unusual form of monumental earthwork found almost nowhere else in this concentration. Hiking trails run along the bluffs above the Mississippi River, sweeping views that add real context to why this particular spot held such significance.
The effigy shapes are best appreciated from above or via the trail maps provided at the visitor centre, study those before setting out, the ground-level view doesn't always make the animal shapes obvious.
Best time Spring and autumn for hiking weather
Address 151 IA-76, Harpers Ferry, IA
The Bridges of Madison County
Six surviving 19th-century covered bridges scattered across Madison County, made famous well beyond Iowa by the bestselling novel and subsequent film of the same name, both set directly around these structures. The Cedar Bridge and Roseman Bridge are the most visited, easily reachable and well signposted from Winterset, the county seat.
A self-guided driving map is available from the local visitor centre, pick one up given how spread out the bridges are across the wider county.
Best time Autumn for foliage
Address Madison County, IA
Living History Farms, Des Moines
An open-air museum covering three distinct periods of Iowa farming history, an 1850s pioneer farm, an 1875 frontier town, and a 1900 horse-powered farm, all staffed by costumed interpreters demonstrating period-accurate techniques. Kids can help with real farm chores at several stops, feeding animals and simple hands-on tasks that go well beyond a standard museum visit.
The site spans a fairly large area, allow a full day if you want to properly cover all three time periods rather than rushing through.
Hours Seasonal, roughly May-October, check current schedule
Address 11121 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA
Pella's Dutch Heritage & Tulip Time
Founded by Dutch immigrants in 1847, Pella still leans heavily into its heritage, windmills, tulip gardens, and a town square built in a distinctly Dutch architectural style. Tulip Time, held each May, draws crowds for parades, traditional costume, and a properly unusual street-scrubbing ceremony that recreates a Dutch cleaning tradition.
The Vermeer Windmill, a working, functional Dutch windmill built using traditional methods, stands as the tallest of its kind in the country, the climb inside pays off if it's open during your visit.
Best time Early May for Tulip Time
Address Pella, IA
Pikes Peak State Park
Not to be confused with the considerably more famous Colorado mountain of the same name, this Pikes Peak sits along the Mississippi River bluffs, offering some of the best river views in the entire state from a modest, easily reached overlook. Bridal Veil Falls, a small but properly pretty seasonal waterfall, sits within a short hike of the main overlook.
This works well as a quieter, less demanding stop than some of the more strenuous hikes elsewhere on this list, a good option if you want a proper view without much physical effort.
Best time Spring for the waterfall; autumn for foliage over the river
Address 15316 Great River Rd, McGregor, IA
Iowa's Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
A breaded, deep-fried pork tenderloin pounded thin and served on a bun considerably smaller than the meat itself, Iowa holds one of the strongest regional claims to the dish among the several Midwestern states competing for it. The Iowa Tenderloin Trail, an informal, crowd-sourced guide to the state's best versions, covers dozens of small-town diners and drive-ins that reward seeking out specifically.
Portions run properly large across most of the state, go in hungry rather than planning much else for the meal, this isn't a light lunch by any definition.
Address Widely available across Iowa
Maquoketa Caves State Park
The largest collection of caves open to the public anywhere in Iowa, over a dozen accessible caves within a single park, several requiring proper crawling to fully explore. Balanced Rock, a massive boulder resting on a narrow limestone base, sits along one of the main trails, a properly striking formation that earns the short walk to see.
Bring a flashlight regardless of the season, several of the caves run dark enough that natural light doesn't reach the interior sections even at midday.
Hours Daily, dawn to dusk
Address 10970 98th St, Maquoketa, IA
Best time to visit Iowa
May through October covers the most comfortable window for the majority of this list, mild enough for the outdoor stops without winter's real cold.
Early May specifically suits Pella's Tulip Time, and mid-August lines up with the State Fair, plan around either if it interests you specifically.
Getting around Iowa
A car is essential, the distances between Des Moines, the Amana Colonies, and the Mississippi River stops run into a few hours each, this is a state best covered with your own transport.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Iowa worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly for the Amana Colonies and Effigy Mounds, a state that rewards curiosity given how much properly unusual history sits beneath its farmland reputation.
- How many days do you need in Iowa?
- Five days gives a comfortable pace to cover Des Moines, the Amana Colonies, and either Madison County or the Mississippi River bluffs.
- Is Iowa expensive to visit?
- No, generally affordable, food and accommodation both run below the national average across most of this list.
- What's the best Iowa trip for kids?
- Living History Farms and the Field of Dreams Movie Site both rank as the most reliably kid-friendly stops on this list.
That's ten decent slices of a state that rewards a proper, unhurried look.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
