This place is so interesting and it is HUGE. Be prepared to spend a lot of time here. Some areas…read moreare very hot/humid. I do not deal well with heat so I did have to move thru some areas faster than I would have liked. They do have a cafe half way thru so you can have some food and drinks. I did not stop here but it did smell wonderful. There's many things to see and everything is really cool and unique. The house and infinity room are impressive as well as the HUGE whale but all of Alex's inventions and collections are amazing as well. Honestly, the whole reason why I wanted to come was the world's largest indoor carousel. It is beautiful. I definitely sat there for awhile watching it. Side note on the Carousel, they have no horses but they do have a bulldog and as a owner of a bulldog, I literally bought everything in the gift shop that had a bulldog on it. Till this day, they are still uncovering more items in storage lockers so they probably will continue to add more items. I do think this place is worth the price and it is something you won't find anywhere else. I would love to check this place out again and I do highly recommend it. Also, the gift shop is big and had a lot of different items for everyone.

My cousin really wanted to come here and I didn't even know what it was. We drove here from St…read more Louis to come see this attraction. I came in blind, not knowing what it was. It was super impressed. It literally kept going on and on and on. so many fun interesting things. We stopped and got a hotdog at the cafeteria, which was nice because we were getting a little hungry and thirsty on this long walk. I would recommend bringing dollar bills so you can buy coins and put them into the different coin operated machines that they have. They have a lot of those around the entire facility and it's one of the only interactive options. Obviously everything looked really cool. I think that the only thing that would make it better would be to have a more interactive aspect to some of the parts, but I'm not sure how they would do that and I don't think they're gonna change anything. It's still well worth a visit.

The museum is awesome!! So much to see and learn. The wildlife is incredible to see. We saw a very…read moremajestic bald eagle up close. We experienced the steam engines running and visited with the curator for a bit to learn even more. The movies were very well done. The fact that your tickets are good for two days allows you to take your time. Worth every penny and your time!!! A must see!!

Took a quick day cruise out to Dubuque Iowa. Yeah I know Iowa right. Fun little town located on the…read moremississippi river. Spent about 2 hours at the Mississippi River museum.Looking at the animals , checking out the museum,river and the exhibits outside. There was multiple movies and exhibits about early travel on the mississippi river and also real boat engines of steamboats and other river vessels. We spent about two hours there , exploring the inside and the outside of the museum. Very enjoyable and inexpensive experience for people of all ages.

Amazing time, quant, peaceful & informative(: The Roman…read moreEmpire exhibit was super unexpected & exciting in my opinion w/the coin collection & history of empresses. Honestly really good exhibits. Love the landscape of Iowa w/amazing security around the facility & front desk

I'll go ahead and give them five stars because it was free the day/time I went, and they don't…read moreforce you to exit thru the gift shop. Otherwise it's a bit small but since I don't know what they charge even I won't judge them for that. What they did have was generally pretty impressive, the Grant Wood collection was surprisingly beautiful. The Roman section had some great historic items as well. There's as a large focus on local Iowa artists, and a lot of landscape works at the moment at least. Plenty of free parking in the area on weekdays, I saw a garage too but don't know the situation. Staff is friendly and helpful. Definitely worth checking out. Building is old and pretty cool.

This museum has long been on my bucket list My friend referred to it as Valhalla and for a…read morehandweaver it certainly is. The Norwegian immigrants brought with them a rich textile, painting and woodworking tradition and you can clearly see this in not only the artifacts but also the current folk art school. It's certainly a place to return again and again. Considering how close it is to travel here we will be back.

If you're a Norskie, you owe it yourself to visit this beautiful museum in Decorah, IA. Three…read morefloors full of exhibits of well-preserved treasures offer you a glimpse of what life was like in the late 1800's to early 1900's Norway and America. There are also outdoor exhibits to enjoy as well. The museum really does a fine job of explaining what it was like for the early Norwegian immigrants to pack up everything, which sometimes wasn't much, and sailing across the Atlantic to claim their destiny in America. There are large trunks that held their old-world possessions. Beautiful plates covered in rosemaling. Clothing, tools, eating utensils, etc. There is so much to see here, I cannot fully explain it all. You have to see it to believe it. I am already making plans to visit again, to see what I may have missed, especially the outdoor exhibits.

I never found the nature center but it was my fault I took the wrong road but this is the most…read morenature I've ever been in in Iowa truly remote feeling. I would say the trail I found was filled with bugs, itchy plants and trails that seem to fade and pick up again.

From the owner: Wickiup Hill Learning Center is a nature center featuring hands on exhibits for kids, educational…read moreprogramming, field trips, history, and live animal displays. the outdoor area (751 acres) includes Wickiup Wandering Woods, an outdoor nature playscape. Enjoy 6 miles of interpretive trails within our woodlands, prairie, wetlands, and more!

There simply is not a better place in the LaCrosse area for art shows, art work, concerts,…read moreworkshops, etc. This place truly is a community partner supporting the arts. A must stop-in!!!

From the owner: Visual Arts: 3 galleries featuring regional artists; new exhibitions approximately every 6 weeks…read more Performing Arts: Concerts and theater performances throughout the year. Film: International film screenings monthly, Sept-May. Education: Art, music, and theater classes.

We are staying nearby in Clinton visiting our grandkids and we decided to bring them here as this…read morehas been on my list a couple of times when we've been through town. Please note that this is an actual working grain milling windmill and you can purchase the different types of flour that they mill as well as the brown mustard. Give yourself some time because there are guides who really wish to walk you through both the windmill itself and how it operates and then you go across the street to the cultural center where there is another Guide, who explains all of the different windmill models to you. Give yourself at least an hour and a half to two hours. I will say our grandkids were quite fascinated, especially with some of the working windmill models they could see in action. There was not a charge for a mission, but they do accept donations. Also, you are right on the Dyke so there are nice walking pads so give yourself some time to take a walk and enjoy the area. Note that they also have Stroopwaffles for sale for $1.25 each so we had to introduce our grandkids to this too!

Beautifully cared for grounds with great view of the river. The Dutch history of Fulton is evident.read more

This was a total hidden gem. We stumbled upon this lovely museum because our roadside app told us…read moreabout some wood carvings of the 3 Stooges on the corner. I spotted "Laura Ingalls Wilder" on the church sign next to Mo and dragged hubby over. This church is now a museum. Almanzo Wilder and his family moved to Spring Valley from New York. Laura and Almanzo lived here in 1890 and attended this church which the Wilder family helped finance. Very interesting collection of photos and momentos from this time. Admission also includes either a one or 2 hour tour. We had only 20 minutes and the young guide did a great job hitting all the key items. We also rushed through the local history section which was also very unique. Don't miss the white wolf, 1950s perm machine or the medical kit from the "Lady Doctor" who was certified to practice medicine in 1838!

This is one of the best historical museums in Minnesota if not the nation and compares favorably…read morewith the best museums I've visited around the world. It covers the history of Spring Valley and its environs from before 5,000 BC to the present, focusing on the Wilder family and the history of this area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Frankly, I could simply not believe depth and breath of the exhibits here when I recently visited for the first time. I learned many interesting, why-did-I-not-know-this facts. The Wilder family, for example, made a sizeable contribution for the construction of the Methodist church in which the museum is located. Almonzo Wilder, who married Laura Ingalls, had a childhood friend named Richard Sears, who went on to found Sears with his partner, Alvah Roebuck. And, it really surprised me to learn that Dr. Henry Plummer, the Mayo brothers' right hand man, graduated from Spring Valley High School. There is much, much more. If you want to learn about Minnesota, visit this place and skip the State Fair this year.

We called ahead of time for more information about the center, I got a call back within a week. The…read moredirector was very friendly, great personality, accommodating, and eager to answer any and all questions. She got us a scheduled tour set up for the next day for a large group with a flexible arrival time on a day that they are usually closed so we very much appreciated that. The Carnegie Cultural Center was full of wonder and fascination as you see all the detail put into all the different models and displays. We loved our experience and will be returning again multiple times

From the owner: Focus on local Chickasaw County history. Wonderful platform for showcasing talented artists. Model…read moreand miniatures galore. If you love circus history--you will love us!

The Shitty Barn is the greatest place to see and listen to live music. It is situated in the small…read moretown of Spring Green Wisconsin. They attract local musicians travelling between gigs in larger cities. The barn is an old pig barn with magical acoustics, great sound and not a bad seat in the house. The audience is quiet and attentive. They come to hear the music. We saw a band called Cribshitter. Man, were they fun. There's a nice selection of local beers and a food truck. What more could you ask for?

Everyone that has been to the Shitty Barn loves it and now I know why. Bring your favorite picnic…read morefood, grab a beer, place your folding chair in a line to the entrance in order of arrival, (simple and organized), then enjoy an intimate show with 80-100 others. Proof of vaccine or negative test required and masks on indoors. We saw the Ratboys and Wild Pink which were Excellent!! A true gem of a venue. Thank you to the owner for keeping this establishment open, supporting live music, and making folks in the area very happy. Just go.