*We’re proud to partner up with Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area and promote over 100 of their sites throughout this historic region. The views expressed in this blog post are of our own. Now, let’s gallivant!
Be sure to grab one of your own guides as you stamp and checkoff your list of 111 sites from this beautiful and historic region of Iowa. Check out the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area website for more info!
There’s many ways we can describe a roadside attraction. You could argue that all 111 sites in this agricultural rich slice of Iowa could fall into this road trip Americana tradition. However, we’re going to focus on a few that don’t need an appointment during the peak season hours of operation, entrance fee, or even someone working at these pitstops. These are the historical landmarks and trails you can enjoy with random ease throughout Eastern and Central Iowa while you discover Iowa’s scenic farming history with one roadside attraction at a time while flipping through your Silos & Smokestacks guide along the way.
One of the most iconic rural scavenger hunts you can enjoy throughout Iowa. Butler and Grundy Counties have teamed up to highlight these colorful patterns as they sky over the farmland. This is an activity that carloads of passengers of all ages can have fun with as you weave up and down the county blacktops. Be sure to stop by the Grundy County Historical Museum in Morrison along the way!
Near the town of Steamboat Rock is one of Iowa’s most stunning scenic views. The Sac & Fox Wildlife Area & Scenic Overlook provides a powerful and unforgettable scene along this scenic drive. A wonderful place to hike, picnic and capture breathtaking pictures of Iowa’s seasons all yearlong. Be sure to visit nearby Prairie Bridges Park outside of Ackley!
There’s a lot of welcome centers all over Iowa and this one is by far one of the most interesting when it comes to the setting its nestled into. Volunteers open this old train depot up daily, April-October, and it’s filled with all the classic pamphlets, guides, maps and other complimentary pieces of literature that can keep you occupied throughout the entire state. This building also houses incredible local history that makes you feel like the passenger cars of old will be stopping at any moment to pick you up. Be sure to visit the nearby Belmond Historical Society Museum in Belmond!
One of the most mysterious sites within the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. Located in rural Jackson County and it seems to rise from the fields that surround it. This asylum serves as a landmark that depicts the early years of Iowa’s mental health care that all the counties provided. Heartbreaking to observe but incredibly important to our history. Be sure to visit the Jackson County History Museum in Maquoketa to learn more about this historic property!
The Jackson County limestone industry was booming back in the 1800s! Hurstville was a classic “company town” that sprang up in these times and was quickly populated with workers and their families including all the housing and supporting businesses and municipalities needed to keep the town vital and growing. Eventually the needs of the consumers would change and the City of Hurstville would become a ghost town in the 21st century. What remains are these gothic looking lime kilns and a trail you can take to the top to for a scenic overlook of old Hurstville. Be sure to stop by the nearby Hurstville Interpretive Center!
Directly in the heart of Coralville and next to the old Iowa River Power Company is this interpretive gazebo illustrating Johnson County’s pioneering past in what is now a major metro area. The powerful river flows nonstop with a hypnotic rush at this scenic overlook in the gazebo. Take the walking bridge to say hi to the Iowa City neighbors on the eastern banks! Be sure to stop by the nearby 1876 Schoolhouse across the street and the Johnson County Historical Museum within Coralville’s Iowa River Landing district!
Burkard Riegel was the longtime local blacksmith that kept the area equipped from the countless pounding of his tools, scoops of coal, sizzling water, and the classic aroma of steal being formed on the main drag of historic Clermont.Inside are Burkard’s creations and everything he needed to make them. This is a fantastic roadside attraction in the middle of a small town’s business district that keeps its past alive in beautiful Fayette County. Be sure to visit the nearby Montauk Historic Site in Clermont!
A silo with smokestacks in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area! A perfect scene for this region that’s down the street from Cascade’s business district. This community brings together two of Eastern Iowa’s scenic counties of Jones and Dubuque where you’ll experience rolling hills, epic river valleys, while being hot on the trail in Grant Wood country. Be sure to visit the National Farm Toy Museum in nearby Dyerville!
The northcentral outskirts of this quintessential agricultural region winds through endless landscapes like this. The Iowa River snakes through these two counties as you take a smooth ride on this scenic drive. Endless Iowa skies blend with small towns through the countryside in one of the region’s most rural areas. Be sure to visit the Heartland Museum in Clarion along the way!Thanks for gallivanting with us once again! Like Silos & Smokestacks on Facebook to keep up with the entire heritage area and to see more coverage from The Iowa Gallivant! Hey, I look good under the gazebo….
