7 Little-Known Towns In Iowa

Perhaps no state has more unsung towns than Iowa. Whether you're roaming its central plains, climbing its western hills, or paddling its eastern rivers, you're liable to encounter towns that you've never heard of before. Don't ignore those sirens. Rather, let them lure you with everything from Amish pastries to iconic colleges to u-pick fossils to a pick-at-your-own-risk bejeweled shrine. We've listed seven such settlements, so your impromptu inspection can be a semi-prepared vacation—with plenty of room for surprises. Discover old and new secrets in small-town Iowa.

Kalona

Although Iowa is not often associated with Amish people, it boasts one of the largest Amish hubs west of the Mississippi. Centering that community is Kalona, a small city filled with goods not just from the Amish but their similarly crafty cousins the Mennonites. Having co-developed the area nearly two centuries ago, they left behind relics to the surprise of contemporary Iowa tourists. The Kalona Historical Village is a city-block-sized collection of historic buildings stuffed with Anabaptist artifacts. Visitors can spend hours touring the antique Amish/Mennonite village before sampling "modern" Amish/Mennonite fare. Bring cash not cards to Stringtown Grocery and the Golden Delight Bakery.

Greenfield

Though it's not the center of a larger community, Greenfield has a large center that defines the community. An oblong connected street, called Public Square, centers Greenfield and shapes the Greenfield Public Square Historic District. Among the elegant edifices contained in Greenfield's "square" are the Adair County Courthouse, Grand Theatre & Video, and Warren Cultural Center. The last of those is a restored 1896 opera house that now comprises a theater, gallery, store, balcony suite, and event rooms. Attractions sit outside the square as well, such as Greenfield Bowl, the Adair County Historical Museum, and the Iowa Aviation Museum. Greenfield offers plenty of sights far afield from mainstream Iowa.

Waverly

Waverly is a college town, but you probably haven't heard of Waverly's college. Once you learn about it, though, you're likely not to forget it. Wartburg College is a private Lutheran liberal arts institution that stands on the north side of town. Wartburg may sound inelegant, but it was named for Wartburg Castle, a German sanctuary for Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation. America's Wartburg began in 1852 as a teacher-training school and is now defined by dignified structures like the Dancing St. Francis sculpture. After touring the campus, you can discover other unsung Waverly wonders. They include the Bremer Brewing Company, Wooden Foot Saloon, Pour House, Kohlmann Park, and Cedar Bend County Park. Waverly is a legit wonderland for a small, rural Iowan community.

Grinnell

Another little/little-known college town, Grinnell, hosts Grinnell College, which was founded in 1846 as Iowa College and later renamed after town co-founder Josiah Bushnell Grinnell. Also an abolitionist, Grinnell was a "conductor" and his namesake town a "station" on the Underground Railroad. In fact, both Grinnells housed John Brown and his party of escaped slaves in 1859. Grinnell the man's gravesite, located in Hazelwood Cemetery, is part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

But that's just the tip of Grinnell the town's unique history. The Mormon Trail also shepherded radicals through Grinnell, particularly in the 1850s. A gravestone outside the Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve marks that profound but perilous journey. A few decades later, legendary architect Louis Sullivan built one of several "jewel box" banks in Grinnell. It still stands as the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce. Mix ravishing relics with modern sights during a Grinnell vacation.

West Bend

If there's any town in Iowa that can surprise you with an out-of-place attraction, it's West Bend. This "city" of about 800 people boasts the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption, which is a labyrinthine structure made of millions of dollars' worth of gems collected by eccentric German priest Paul Dobberstein. Meant to be a shrine for the Virgin Mary, whom he credited for saving his life from pneumonia, Dobberstein built the grotto from 1912 till his death in 1954. Today, it is considered the world's largest manmade grotto and "one of the largest collection of precious stones and gems found anywhere in one location." If you can get the amethysts and azurites out of your head, refocus on rustic sites after leaving the shrine. First Street hosts a replica prairie sod house, while Third Street contains the West Bend Historical Museum complex. Take a walk along the West Bend of history.

Solon

Situated between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Solon is a quaint retreat from comparative Iowa bustle. Just over 3,000 people call Solon home, but many more call it paradise due to surrounding preserves like Lake Macbride State Park, Palisades-Kepler State Park, Ciha Fen, the Sugar Bottom Recreational Area, and the Solon Recreation and Nature Area. In addition to providing access to such striking scenery, Solon offers a number of delectable digs. We're not simply talking about restaurants and bars, either. Solon hosts a seasonal produce stand called Iowa Grown Market and an annual meat festival dubbed Solon Beef Days. Owing to those and other attractions, more and more people are escaping to rustic Solon from busy cities. Get in while you can.

Rockford

West Bend is not the only place in Iowa to find precious rocks. Aptly titled Rockford has around 750 residents and countless fossils, the latter of which are plentiful at Fossil & Prairie Park. This 400ish-acre preserve is free to explore from sunrise to sunset. Best of all, finders are keepers. Yes, unlike most American fossil quarries, Rockford's park lets visitors take home 365-million-year-old fossils of brachiopods, gastropods, and various other ancient creatures. After fossil hunting, you can follow the Winnebago and Shell Rock rivers to additional preserves, namely the Nagle Wildlife Area and the Tosanak Recreation Area, before refueling in Rockford proper at Aces Bar and Grill. Experience Rockford on the rocks.

Keep Kalona, Greenfield, Waverly, Grinnell, West Bend, Solon, and Rockford in mind during an Iowa expedition. Don't worry: you can discover your own small-town gems in Iowa (virtually all Iowan towns are unknown to out-of-staters), but let those communities be wondrous waystations. Stop for food, drinks, scenery, recreation, education, and even literal gems in places that few have ever entered. You might never want to leave.