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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Iowa

76 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Iowa

Updated January 20, 2025

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Cities

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  1. Ames
  2. Anamosa
  3. Britt
  4. Cedar Rapids
  5. Clear Lake
  6. Council Bluffs
  7. Des Moines
  8. Dubuque
  9. Dyersville
  10. Iowa City

Unusual Attractions in Iowa

See All 75 Things To Do in Iowa

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Iowa

See all 5 Places to Eat in Iowa
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

4 Pop-Culture Marvels in Iowa

Iowa is the pantry of America, giving over the vast majority of its land to agriculture and producing more corn and pork than any other state. But the state has also proven fertile ground for pop culture, as well. The landscape has inspired movies, films, songs, paintings, and novels while spawning movie royalty in the form of a certain Duke. Bask in the wonderful corniness of these four pop-culture touchstones in the Hawkeye State.

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Explore Iowa

Museums 12
Monuments 7
Roadside Attractions 7
Architecture 6
Art 4
Geology 4
Architectural Oddities 4
Plants 4

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Stories About Iowa

This Iowa Summer Camp Is Abuzz With Mosquitoes

But not in the way you're thinking.
by Katherine R. Bruna
One of this cat’s distinctive sabers was broken off before it died.

This Stunning Sabertooth Cat Skull Belonged to a Big Male That Died Young

Found in southwestern Iowa, the well-preserved fossil is about 13,500 years old.
by Matthew Hill
Blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata) zigzag through an Appalachian forest.

Photographing Fireflies, a Love Story

An award-winning photographer shares what these bioluminescent insects have taught him—and how you can capture their beauty.
by Emily Dieckman

Podcast: Iowa Remnant Prairies

There's always more to the land than meets the eye.
by The Podcast Team

Iowa’s Ancient Apex Predator Was the ‘T. rex’ of Its Day

The monstrous menace known as Whatcheeria hints that our distant ancestors may have been more like us than we thought.
by Gemma Tarlach
A researcher on hands and knees surveys the rare flora and fauna on a “breathing hill” in the Upper Midwest’s Driftless.

The Ice Age Persists in the Upper Midwest, Where the Hills Breathe

In the Driftless, a rare combination of geological quirks has preserved ancient ecosystems. But climate change is coming.
by Gemma Tarlach
Nearly-lost collard green varieties are being preserved and propagated across the country.

The Farmers and Gardeners Saving the South's Signature Green

These seed savers are preserving and celebrating the enormous genetic diversity of collard greens.
by Debra Freeman
This windmill was shipped in pieces from Nørre Snede, Denmark, and reassembled in 1976 by over 300 volunteers.

Iowa's 'Denmark on the Prairie' Creates Hygge Away From Home

The tiny town has imported a 19th-century windmill and starred in two Danish TV shows.
by Stacy Brooks

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