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Iowa

The towering bluffs on the Mississippi River and the soaring Loess Hills lining the Missouri River bookend the rolling farmland of this bucolic state. In the middle you'll find the writers' town of Iowa City, the commune dwellers of the Amana Colonies, and plenty of picture-perfect rural towns, including those amid the covered bridges of Madison County.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

State Capitol
Iowa
From the sparkling gold dome to the spiral staircases and stained glass in the law library, every detail at this bling-heavy capitol (1886) seems to try…
Arnolds Park Amusement Park
Iowa
Dating back to the 1880s, this old-fashioned lakeside amusement park is pure fun. The Legend is the seventh-oldest wooden roller coaster in the world and…
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Iowa
Learn about life (of all sorts) along the length of the Mississippi at this impressive museum, part of a vast riverfront development. Exhibits span…
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Iowa
Hundreds of mysterious Native American burial mounds sit in the bluffs above the Mississippi River in this gorgeous corner of far northeast Iowa. Listen…
Gull Point State Park
Iowa
The best state park locally is on the west side of West Okoboji Lake. It has a beach, lovely lakeside picnic areas and an excellent 1.3-mile long nature…
Grant Wood Murals
Iowa
The original portion of Iowa State's main library was completed in 1925. In the 1930s it was decided to add some murals designed by none other than Iowa's…
Roseman Covered Bridge
Iowa
This 1883 bridge is in a lovely quiet spot as there is no parallel modern bridge or road. Take your time and watch the water lazily flow under the well…
Valley Junction
Iowa
This historic old village is now part of West Des Moines. The five-block-long commercial strip on Fifth St is the most interesting in the region. Over 60…