We drove 5 hours from Illinois to come to this museum and aquariam…read more It was worth the time and costs. A ticket gains you admission for the day and the next day also. The museum exhibits were very interesting. The signage explained each exhibit very well. We purchased tickets for the 45 minute 4D film about the story of a mother whale and her baby whale's journey from Austraila to the Antartic. Spoiler Alert: The 4D effect was getting sprayed from above 5 or 6 times during the film. We are going to return tomorrow for day 2 of our admission.

We came on a Wednesday and explored before check in to our hotel. We got lucky and it was not…read morecrowded. Got to see the otter (we only saw one bu better than none!) and only a few exhibits were under construction/rehabilitation. I would recommend seeking out the hidden spots like the cave, mini movies, and the tower through out the expansive site. So many animals to encounter, tactile spaces for kids to touch and the newest ice dinosaur exhibit was epic for my son. All for one price and yes, it did take us two days to get through it all. Facilities are clean, many places to sit inside and outside were plenty of benches and shade in the outdoor areas.

If not for the Carrie Pearce exhibition, 'The Merry Makers,' my visit here would have been one of…read moreutter regret. This is a small museum and the draw is the even smaller collection of Grant Wood paintings. While you can take photos of most works here -- there isn't much of the permanent collection displayed -- the Woods are off limits to your photo shutter. That's just silly and the museum should embrace its few strengths. Ms. Pearce's paintings here made my visit. They are magical and were inspired by a woman named Ina who, many decades ago as a little girl, suffered from tuberculosis and was confined to a body cast for ten years. She underwent almost countless spinal surgeries. Her parents were permitted to visit just once a month. It's a heartbreaking story but the paintings here reflect the artist's vision of a girl who was forced to rely on just a few toys and the saving power of her imagination to survive. These scenes are dreamscapes meticulously and lovingly constructed. Due to the pandemic, at this time we are all in a state of our own cautious confinement. Having to withdraw from our family, friends, and neighbors, we now use time to explore our individual and collective imaginations. As we ruminate inside our homes, how will we picture and envision our future? It's scary right now but Ina is an example that we can thrive: in spite of all that she went through as a child, according to Ms. Pearce, Ina is 89 years old and healthy.

A lovely very small art museum that has a wonderful collection of Grant Wood lithographs from…read more1939-1940 which makes it worth the visit. Also a permanent collection of photographs of Native Americans early 20th century by Curtis. A room full of Royal Copenhagen ceramics from Art No era is quite impressive. Staff friendly.

Such a great time! The grandkids loved it almost as much as we did. The owners are such great…read morehosts, and you truly will be amazed by all the fun details! So much to see. Don't forget the train ride!

Such a great place for kids (young and old)! I'd recommend planning to spend about an hour there…read more There's lots of buttons to push for the kids and TONS of details to keep the adults busy.

If you're a Field of Dreams fan this is a must see. It's a small exhibit but it packs a lot in…read more There's also a small gift shop and the employees there were happy to take your picture in front of the step and repeat.

First time to Dyersville, and yes, it was for a baseball tournament. Didn't know what to expect…read moreand of course, I thought Field of Dreams had lots of attractions other than the field... ah, nope. So we found this museum and it was the history of the movie, "Field of Dreams". A small museum but really interesting if you are into the movie or just like to learn about the production. Located right in the heart of Dyersville and close to Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. It is a reading and picture type museum. Depending on how much you read, it could take you 30 minutes or more to go through it all. I love that it gives you a perspective to how the movie was made, what it took to make the movie and some inside stuff to the movie. Our group thought it was fabulous and worth the price of $5...really, $5, and kids are free. Staff was friendly and eager to talk about the movie and their knowledge. Worth the visit if you are in Dyersville.

We knew the house was closed, but went anyway as we were in the area. The house needs a little TLC,…read morebut looks very ornate. We strolled around the grounds, which include a mine shaft mockup, badger hole, and one room schoolhouse. I would like to go back and tour the house sometime.

Like everything else in Dubuque, this place doesn't open until May. We peaked inside and it looked…read moredirty and old. No signs outside with information. When we walked around the house, a woman in costume came out and asked what we were doing. Apparently there was a tour group coming later and so someone was there. I'm not sure how much admission is. A sign out front should say they are closed. Or gosh at least a sign on the door! The big sign on the road is incredibly deceiving and indicated the Ham House was open for tours.

Not much to say about this attraction. We arrived on Saturday afternoon. But this attraction was…read moreclosed, during it's posted hours of operation. The building looks very nice from the outside. Next to the Old Jail Museum is the county courthouse which looks like an interesting place to visit. The courthouse is adorned with a gold leaf dome, which is very rare in US courthouses.

Free but donations asked so it's a kind place. $5 per adult suggested. Beautiful 3000 square foot…read morehome and a beautiful time nearby also bc there are surrounding homes and the general store. Tours are so interesting about who he was and how they lived. This home was kept very well and we enjoyed the visit. They even have an exhibit of the presidents animals.

I had an absolutely wonderful tour here yesterday. I arrived in the middle of the snowstorm and…read moreyou're supposed to wait on the porch til the next tour but one of the people running the tours saw me waiting out there and let me in early, which was beyond nice of them. The lady giving our tour was incredibly knowledgeable, and had some very funny dry humored quips that I appreciated. I actually learned some things about Grant that I was unaware of, so it was a very fun and educational tour. Would definitely come back and do it again for sure.

Great museum. We'd…read morevisited here last, about 20 years ago. Memory fades and it was time to revisit on this trip. All exhibits are housed inside on 2.5 floors. There is also a gift shop and restrooms. I found no elevator. We paid (senior rate saves $1 each) and went into a seating room where there used to be a video projection (no longer working). The staff member there today, Les, led everyone into this room to be seated. Les spoke about the rich history of Galena and he was quite detailed. We found this worthwhile. After the speech, we looked around this room at mostly US Grant artifacts, then we headed to a very large back room that has many displays, dioramas etc. on Galena. Lead mining had a rich history here for a few decades, so there was a lot of mining history on display. When we were done downstairs, we walked upstairs where there is a smallish room on the 2nd floor and a much larger room on what I'd call floor 2.5. Floor 2.5 had mostly wartime history while floor 2 had a variety of history on display. Note that the stairs are fairly steep. The first set also has a 90 degree turn near the top. There is a low, wooden banister-style handrail on one side. To access floor 2.5, there are another 6 or 8 steps to get up to it and there's a metal handrail for them. All in all - it's a pretty well done history museum for a small community and it was worth the time. I'd recommend this useful to anyone who wonders, "why does this town exist, how was it formed and what does its evolution look like". We enjoy museums like this.

What a great little museum! We didn't know what to expect, but I can honestly say we were blown…read moreaway! The ladies that welcomed us were so friendly and knowledgeable about the museum! There was so much packed in! It wasn't only about Grant but about the whole settling of Galena and all the way back to the ice age! I have to say this is a gem of a place and definitely a must see! It's clean and reasonably priced! We will definitely come back when we come to visit again.