Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.
Mitaki-dera
A view of the Sandiaoling bike tunnel.
Sandiaoling Bike Tunnel
The old ticket house at League Park now houses the Baseball Heritage Museum.
League Park
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
Though they’re protected inside the park, wolves can be killed when they cross its borders.
Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.
Passersby stop to admire the punny offerings of Brooklyn’s only dinosaur bodega.
We Visited the Dino Bodega in (Jurassic) Park Slope
Native Americans have a longstanding, rich, and vibrant culture in Wyoming.
Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Iowa Britt National Hobo Convention

National Hobo Convention

Largest gathering of hobos in the country has been meeting annually since 1900.

Britt, Iowa

Added By
Facebook17219707
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Group picture at a recent Hobo Convention.   http://www.thehobosoul.com/blog/wp-content...
  http://www.worldstrings.com/Rik_PeteonSWNB...
Royalty crowned at the National Hobo Convention.   http://www.hobo.com/king2.jpg
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Embraced by the people of Britt, Iowa, the National Hobo Convention has taken place during the first or second week of August every year since–believe it or not–1900.

Hobo is a word with many possible origins, the National Hobo Convention's website points out. It might come from the Latin homo bonus, meaning "good man;" it may have been coined by a group of soldiers returning home from the Civil War who were "homeward bound;" and migratory workers during the 18th century were often referred to as "hoe boys." These workers, according to the council that rules over the convention, were the original 'boes, since they worked as they traveled.

"The hobo is a migratory worker, some with a special skill or trade, others ready to work at any task, but always willing to work to make his way," the Britt, Iowa, website concludes. They are not bums - and they resent being labeled as such. Bums, they say, are people who do not work, people who beg and ask for handouts and money.

And every year without fail hundreds of hobos gather in Britt to celebrate their way of life. Organized by the local Chamber of Commerce, the National Hobo Convention is the largest gathering of hobos in the country. Traditionally, there is a big parade held every year and a king and queen are named–the official website has a list of winners going back to the very beginning - and a handful of other special events that includes a hobo 5K, a hobo memorial service, a hobo classic car show, and lots of musical entertainment. Britt is also host to the Hobo Museum year round, which cultivates hobo lore and artifacts.

Related Tags

Cultures And Civilizations Wondrous Performances Hoboes

Know Before You Go

The festival occurs once a year in August, with a schedule of events posted online in advance. Events take place all over Britt. The address listed above is for the Hobo Museum, which is at the epicenter of Britt's Hobo Days.

Community Contributors

Added By

Facebook17219707

Edited By

hrnick, Molly McBride Jacobson, nbj914

  • hrnick
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • nbj914

Published

January 17, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.brittiowa.com/hobo/index.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hobo_Convention
  • http://www.2camels.com/national-hobo-convention.php
National Hobo Convention
51 Main Ave S
Britt, Iowa, 50423
United States
43.09646, -93.801569
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Hobo Museum

Britt, Iowa

miles away

Surf Ballroom

Clear Lake, Iowa

miles away

The Day The Music Died Memorial

Clear Lake, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Britt

Britt

Iowa

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Hobo Museum

Britt, Iowa

miles away

Surf Ballroom

Clear Lake, Iowa

miles away

The Day The Music Died Memorial

Clear Lake, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Britt

Britt

Iowa

Places 2

Related Places

  • Chios Rocket War.

    Chios, Greece

    Chios Rocket War

    Two churches shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in an unusual Easter celebration.

  • A monster with two smaller monsters in tow.

    Mohács, Hungary

    Busójárás

    Festival of Perpetual Life and Rebirth.

  • Fireworks explode over Michigan

    West Fargo, North Dakota

    Pyrotechnics Guild International Convention

    Annual convention held by the largest pyrotechnic community in the world.

  • (World’s Strangest)

    Palakkad, India

    Bull Surfing in Kerala

    Bold contestants slide in a rice paddy behind two charging bulls.

  • The Living Chess Game

    Marostica, Italy

    The Living Chess Game - Partita a Scacchi di Marostica

    Machismo turned on its head: the lady's hand goes to the dude with the bigger brain.

  • Monte, Portugal

    Toboggan Ride from Monte to Funchal

    Men in rubber-soled boots serve as your "brakes" on this toboggan ride Hemingway described as "exhilarating."

  • The events of a typical border crossing are recreated as realistically as possible

    Ixmiquilpan, Mexico

    Parque EcoAlberto

    A park in Mexico offers all the experiences of an illegal border crossing except for one: the border.

  • The musical stone

    Qobustan, Azerbaijan

    Musical Stone of Gobustan

    Resonant stone, that has been played since prehistoric times.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.