Unfortunately when I visited the visitor's center was closed, but I still had a blast! There is a…read morelot that you can park in, and then travel down a path to a bunch of informational displays about the flood in 1993 that carved out this gorge, revealing all of the fossils. Then, you proceed down the path into a gorge, keeping an eye out for fossils. I saw a bunch of fossils on the bank to my right, before I even made it to the gorge. There were a few people scattered walking their dogs, although one group was actively looking to spot fossils and had the brochure from the Army Corps of Engineers about the different fossils present. All in all, this was a great spot to spend an hour walking around. I did see evidence that people have poached fossils from here, which is a shame. Look, but don't take!

Open area with lots to look at. I'm surprised they let people walk over these fossil imprints. Much…read moreof the rock is cracked and loose. Much of the area has numbers imbedded into the ground to help you find the things.

This is a really cool monument in Iowa history. There is a lot of history to learn here, and the…read morebuilding architecture and decor is really neat. It's all free too! The only reason we didn't give it 5 stars is parking is a little difficult to obtain to get to the building, and there's not TONS of info in the building. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

A must-see in Iowa City. Free! Swing by here before or after you visit the Museum of Natural…read more History Museum in Macbride Hall. We've lived in Iowa City and worked on campus for a couple of years and (I'm embarrassed to say) finally visited. Pre-1857 Iowa City was the capital of the state of Iowa. This building is THE former state capital. I loved seeing how the building and its artifacts have been preserved. A heck of a lot of history here. We'll be back because there was a private event going on upstairs so we weren't able to explore those floors. Recommend. Consider donating to the museum/university's preservation efforts.

Lovely video before the tour of the studio. This man did a lot of things!…read moreThe studio tour was informative and descriptive of the transition/creativeness of making the loft into a livable space.

Definitely wanted to share my positive experience at this amazing place. The free tour starts with…read morea well-produced video that immerses you into the world of Grant Wood: personal history, career history, accolades and awards, and great backstories to many of his iconic creations. I highly recommend you see this video before attending the art museum, because it is great reference to prime you for what you will see in person. The studio tour is great, and as you are shown all of the features of the studio and are told about its background, what truly amazes is that Wood crafted it all out of a simple, primitive hayloft -- Everything. Keep that in mind, because your respect for him will multiply exponentially. My hosts, Dan and Kevin, were both friendly, accommodating and very knowledgeable -- the passion they both have for the space is authentic and contagious. Extremely pleased I went!

For the fans of art, history, architecture, or roadside attractions, this is a spot to stop for!…read moreThere's a museum ($5/person) that's full of information about the artist and the painting. The museum details the artwork and life of Grant Wood. There's learning activities for kids throughout, an opportunity to put costumes over your clothes as a photo opportunity in front of the house, and a neat little gift shop. I don't know if it's a place you visit more than once, but I'm so glad to have been! The $5 was worth it in my opinion and visiting in the spring was great as the have an extensive native plant garden that was in full bloom when we were there.

The American Gothic House and Museum in Eldon, Iowa was still a really cool stop even though I…read morearrived too late to tour the museum itself. Seeing the actual house from such an iconic painting in person was surprisingly special and instantly recognizable. It is one of those places where you feel the weight of art history just standing there, even without going inside. I loved being able to walk around the exterior, take photos, and appreciate how such a simple house became so famous. If you have better timing than I did, I'm sure it would be worth planning ahead to see the museum too.

We randomly came upon Plum Grove while on a bike ride and it's quite the fun little spot to stop in…read moreat. They're open from 1-5 Wed-Sun and we learned from the sign that the National Society of The Colonial Dames helps out here! Kind of a fun little 20 minute excursion where you can explore a house that was effectively a mansion in the 1840's and today is on the small side of anywhere. The grounds have plenty of reader boards w/ fun facts about what used to go on here and there was even a community garden that is apparently usable. Good place to go explore for a bit and learn a little about how things used to be!

We came and did a little tour here, it's a fun little hidden gem in the middle of Iowa City. It's a…read morecool old house, grounds and gardens that are in surprisingly good shape. The tour is free, and because not many people come it's basically a private tour every time. The tour guides are knowledgeable, friendly, and fun. Ours was very good with my daughter who was just learning how to walk and wanted to get into everything. The grounds are also quite beautiful, with an herb garden, a flower garden, and a vegetable garden, as well as huge old trees. There is plenty of space to picnic there, and it's very peaceful. I really enjoyed spending an hour here and would recommend it!

I enjoyed this City. It has a great mall, the area is full of life with solid amenities, growing…read morestructures, easy access to the highway with low traffic. Great selection of stores and hobbies to fit your lifestyle that you can get in your typical big city. Really enjoyed my time here.

I grew up in Iowa City which is adjoined to the City of Coralville. The City of Coralville has…read moredeveloped greatly over the last 30 years...which I have been alive to see. I love many of the City of Coralville's restaurants and stores! Coralville is a longer town than wide and you notice this as you drive down 2nd Street in Coralville. Also, the City of Coralville has the well-known Coral Ridge Mall.

This is the Mahaska County Freedom Rock. Completing the Freedom Rock tour of all 99 Iowa counties…read moreis something my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few years. We are four rocks away from the end of our journey at this time. Not only do we learn about the military involvement and the contributions of veterans in each county... A lot of times we stumble on other hidden gems, that we had no idea even existed, as we venture further into our own backyard. As happy as I am going to be when hit 99 and finish our Freedom Rock Tour...a little part of me is going to really miss these trips. We'll just have to find another "tour" to pick up! When you are checking out each Freedom Rock make sure you explore the surrounding area for other points of interest. And please remember to support local businesses...! Visit https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ for more information on Iowa's Freedom Rocks and the tour!

I haven't been to the theatre in years, and was so happy when my boyfriend surprised me with…read moretickets to see Carrie. The show was ABSOLUTELY amazing! We loved the dancing, acting, singing, props, ALL of it! TCR also has fun cups you can purchase with themed beverages to bring in while you watch the show which was a really nice touch. Can't wait to come back for more performances!

TCR is the best venue in the Midwest. Every show in every season for decades has been a must see…read more Whether it is the main stage or the Grandon Theater, you really can't ask for a better event.

I thought I had written a review of Brucemore but hadn't so this is a little late. I took my mom…read more(who had always wanted to go) there in early June. I honestly wasn't excited about going but definitely was wowed. It's worth the price of admission. We had a great tour guide and it was just two of us. Tours are every hour. They definitely have a script but once our guide got warmed up, he shared a lot of information and stories with us. Gardens and property are nice to walk through as well. We were told they didn't have a gardener at the moment but the gardens still looked good. There's a pet cemetery on the property. (The last property owners had lions and monkeys and German Shepherds and other animals throughout their tenure.) Go see it after the tour so you know what you're looking at. Also know that there are some private homes now in in the carriage house and servants' houses so don't explore too much. Very interesting history. Don't miss the basement. (Also know that there are four flights of stairs and no elevator so plan accordingly if needed.)

Wow! What a cool place. The outdoor part of the property is huge and beautiful for walks or taking…read morein nature but the tour of the mansion is something you don't want to miss. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and the house was so well restored with so much of the original furniture and character from the three eras of Brucemore. So impressed and very grateful to have had the experience.