9 Offbeat Iowa Towns To Visit In 2025
Despite what you may think, Iowa isn’t just cornfields and farmland. Scattered through the gently rolling hills and flatlands are delightful communities with unexpected attractions. Whether you want to soar high in the air in a hot air balloon in Indianola or drift through a dark, spooky cave in McGregor, these small communities just off the beaten path are full of surprises. When you’re ready for an epic road trip, be sure to add these nine offbeat Iowa towns to visit in 2025 to your itinerary.
Eldon
Along the banks of the Des Moines River is Eldon. Even if you’ve never heard of Eldon, you’ve likely seen its famous landmark: the American Gothic House. This home was the inspiration for Grant Wood's iconic 1930s American painting, American Gothic. While inside tours are only available on certain days, you’re free to explore the outside, and even take a photo standing outside (but you’ll have to bring your own pitchfork to replicate the original painting). And if you want to learn more about the painting and the house that inspired it, you can check out the American Gothic House Center.
Outside of the American Gothic House, there’s plenty to do in central Eldon. The Eldon Depot Museum and Rocket Room Model Railroad is a family-friendly museum that offers train exhibits and artifacts and is a great place to learn about Eldon's early days. If you love classic architecture, the McHaffey Opera House is a must-see. Built in the late 1800s, the building didn’t have much use until a group of locals refinished it and transformed it into a stunning opera house. It’s home to charming local events, like the Christmas Tree Wonderland.
Riverside
In Star Trek lore, Captain Kirk called the small hamlet of Riverside home, and the community embraced its fictional hometown hero. True Trekkies have to make the grand pilgrimage to Kirk’s hometown at least once, and the best place to start is the Voyage Home Museum. It’s a fun, kitschy museum with unique exhibits including Star Trek memorabilia, real uniforms, props from the original series, and exhibits depicting Riverside's history. The best time of year to visit Riverside is during the annual TrekFest, where trekkies from all over the state come to see special guests, eat local food, and partake in the Star Trek parade.
Riverside may embrace its space roots, but it still offers quaint local attractions that put Midwest charm on full display. There’s the Sass Family Farm where you can shop for local produce and see farm animals or spend the day soaking up the sun at Railroad Park. Even the park is Star Trek-themed with a playground.
Strawberry Point
When you see the Strawberry Point roadside with the giant fiberglass strawberry outside of city hall, you know you’ve made it to Strawberry Point. It's a cozy, strawberry-themed community located north of Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa. The best time to visit Strawberry Point is during the Strawberry Days Festival at the Strawberry Point Ball Fields to eat great food, listen to live music, and stroll through the beer garden.
The vibes in Strawberry Point deliver a friendly Americana feel only found in small Midwestern communities. You can grab a bite to eat at Rod and Cal's Pub and Grub, shop for fresh produce at Strawberry Hill Farm and Garden, or head into the wilderness at Backbone State Park, located to the south.
Elk Horn
In western Iowa, between Omaha and Des Moines is the hidden gem of Elk Horn, also known as the Denmark of the Midwest. Visitors to Elk Horn can expect Danish-inspired architecture in the downtown area, such as Bedstemor House or the Museum of Danish America. The museum details the Danish History of Elk Horn through artifacts from its early days and engaging exhibits.
The crown jewel of Elk Horn, however, is the authentic Danish Windmill. This stunning windmill was constructed in Snede, Denmark, and then dismantled, shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, and then reassembled by the residents of Elk Horn in 1976. It stands as a towering testament to the early immigrants of Elk Horn and is one of the area’s most unique attractions. Visitors can tour the manicured gardens surrounding the windmill, as well as stop in seasonal exhibits like the Vikinghjem and Ebeltoft Village.
Winterset
Southwest of Des Moines is the offbeat town of Winterset, known as the birthplace of John Wayne. It celebrates its hometown movie star at the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum, with rare movie set memorabilia and exhibits documenting the actor's life. John Wayne isn’t Winterset’s only connection to the silver screen. It was also the filming location of "The Bridges of Madison County" because of all its beautiful covered bridges.
What you may not expect to find in this idyllic Midwestern village is the stunning Clark Tower within Winterset City Park. The tower, which looks like a small medieval castle, was built in 1926 to commemorate the town’s 18th anniversary of its founding. You can climb to the top of the tower and enjoy an amazing view of the lush woods and Middle River Valley below.
Spencer
Many Midwestern towns have a similar early 20th-century vibe with Victorian-style buildings and ornate, old-world structures. But life in the quirky town of Spencer is a little different. Every inch of the area is inspired by unique 1930s art deco, like the glass block buildings in the Grand Avenue Historic District. While you can admire Spencer's unique art flair just by walking down the street, you can get a better idea of the art influence of the town by stopping in Arts On Grand. Visitors can also get a good dose of sunshine and water at nearby Lost Island Lake.
One of the best things to check out in Spencer is the home of the biggest county fair in Iowa, the Clay County Fair. With well over 300,000 visitors a year, the fair is a fun time with carnival rides, fair food, and family-friendly activities. But before you even enter Spencer, you may notice a billboard for the fair on a small home situated on the top of a hill. This house, affectionately known as Goat Hill, was the former residence of a local man who lived alone with his many, many goats, just adding to the local flair of this quirky little city.
Orange City
Despite its citrusy name, Orange City is actually known for its tulips. This small hamlet, tucked away in the northwestern corner of the state, comes alive every spring when the tulips are in bloom. The annual Tulip Festival not only celebrates spring with a vibrant display of flowering tulips but also the rich Dutch heritage of the area. The festival includes Dutch dances, authentic costumes, parades, and live music.
One of the most spectacular sites in Orange City is the Chamber Tulip Festival Windmill. While it’s not a functioning windmill, it’s where you can stop to learn more about Orange City and pick up information about the annual festival. Fun fact: The windmill was originally built in the 1970s to serve as a bank teller window, but by the 2000s, it had been repurposed as the festival’s headquarters. The area really leans into its Dutch architecture, with places like Kinderspeelland, which is a Dutch-inspired playground.
Indianola
South of Des Moines is Indianola, the picturesque community with a deep love of balloons. In the 1970s, the city held the annual United States National Hot Air Balloon Championship, but when the Championship moved to Louisiana, Indianola wasn’t ready to hang up its hat. So, they started the National Balloon Classic, where almost 100 hot air balloons fill the sky in a bright rainbow of colors every summer. Alongside the colorful display of balloons, the nine-day festival also includes balloon rides, live music, and food trucks over a nine-day period.
If you want to learn more about Indianola’s love of balloons, be sure to check out the National Balloon Museum. The quirky structure, shaped like a gondola of a hot air balloon, allows visitors to tour the history of the hot air balloon through exhibits, as well as tour the Ballooning Hall of Fame. If you want to take in the beautiful scenery just south of Indianola, the Lake Ahquabi State Park is a tranquil retreat where you can hike, fish, or go for a swim.
McGregor
In Northeastern Iowa, on the other side of the Wisconsin border, is McGregor. It’s a charming riverside community nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River with a few unique attractions that make it well worth the drive. One of the most notable attractions in McGregor for those who love a little retail therapy is the Paper Moon. Located within an old 1860s building in central McGregor, this indie bookstore sells so much more than just books. There are three floors to the Paper Moon, and each floor offers a unique retail experience. This cozy bookstore even earned a shout-out in the travel section of the New York Times.
If the Paper Moon didn’t satisfy your shopping itch, there are plenty of other unique places to explore, like the Left Bank Shop and Gallery or Tiffany and Weller. If you’re more into the natural attractions in McGregor, Spook Cave is truly a unique experience. You can take a guided boat tour through this flooded cave, which has offered tours since the 1950s.
Explore Iowa's Eccentric Side
There are plenty of cities in Iowa that deliver old-fashioned Midwestern charm. However, if you’re on the hunt for something a little out of the ordinary, these nine offbeat Iowa towns to visit in 2025 are sure to brighten any road trip through the Hawkeye State. There’s the Paper Moon in McGregor, where you can engage in a little retail therapy, or you can experience true Americana by visiting the American Gothic House in Eldon. From Star Trek parades to museums shaped like hot air balloon gondolas, things can get a little weird in Iowa.
