Explore Iowa roadside attractions and other tourist traps, restaurants, stops, and detours to add to your Iowa road trip itinerary.
This roadside attraction is a home run. It’s big. It’s fiberglass. It’s repurposed. And it’s wonderful. Meet the Happy Chef Umpire in Ryan, Iowa. Happy Chef was a restaurant chain founded in 1963. It was then that the Frederick Brothers, — Sal, Bob, Bill and Tom — opened the first location on US HWY 169 in Mankato, Minnesota. The diner chain grew and, at one time...
Iowa might have a soft spot for supper clubs and fish fries but they also have a bigger fish to fry…and just the frying pan to do it in. This is Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan in Brandon, Iowa. This giant frying pan was built in 2004 to promote Brandon’s popular cowboy breakfast. The local fundraiser started as a semi-annual event in 2000 and is now held annually...
I love this roadside attraction BERRY much — and I hope you do too. It’s the world’s largest strawberry in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Strawberry Point, Iowa is billed as “The Sweetest Place to Grow” so it’s only fitting that they have a roadside attraction dedicated to their sweet namesake that grows far beyond normal size. The biggest strawberry in the...
Are you planning an Iowa road trip and want to find all the best Iowa roadside attractions along your route? Whether you’re driving across I-80, taking the Great River Road, or exploring the Historic Hills, you won’t want to miss these fifteen must-see places to go in Iowa. They’re fun road trip stops and great additions to your travel itinerary or route. Below are...
Why is there a Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa? Elk Horn and nearby Kimballton (home of the Little Mermaid fountain) make up the largest Danish settlement in the United States. In the 1940s the town raised over $30,000 to buy one for themselves and have it shipped over from Denmark. The Danish windmill was built in Norre Snede, Denmark in 1848. In 1976, it was...
If you’re driving on a road trip on Interstate 80 near the Iowa/Illinois border and find yourself needing gas, there’s only one choice for where to stop: Iowa 80, the world’s largest truckstop. In fact, you should probably stop even if you have a full tank. Because this gas station is a roadside attraction in itself. The World’s Largest...
Cheers from Des Moines! I always love a good “greetings from” postcard mural (like these in Chicago and Austin) so I just had to check out this Cheers from Des Moines mural in Iowa while stopping in town on a road trip. The mural, created by artist Ben Schuh, is located on the side of Exile Brewing Company. Along with the phrase “Cheers from Des...
Sculpture parks are always a roadside-attraction lover’s goldmine as they are often packed with weird and wonderful statues from a variety of artists around the world. As such, the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines, Iowa did not disappoint. Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines, Iowa The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a 4.4 acre...
I’ve seen a lot of corny roadside attractions on my road trips around the United States. There was the Large Rotating Ear of Corn in Coon Rapids, Iowa. There was the Field of Giant Corn Cobs in Dublin, Ohio. And now there’s this: the Agri-Symbol, a 76-Foot-Tall Corn Stalk in Shelby, Iowa. Just off of I-80 in Iowa is Agri-Symbol Park, a small walking path...
One of the most popular and beloved tourist attractions in Denmark is the Little Mermaid statue that has sat on a rock in Copenhagen harbor since 1913. But, if you’re in the American Midwest and can’t make it all the way across the ocean to check it out, have I got a treat for you: there’s an exact replica Little Mermaid Fountain in Kimballton, Iowa...