Telling Stories of Eastern Iowa

Three cultural history sites only a short drive from Iowa City

If you have a car and a little extra time, there are many great things to see nearby Iowa City.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa (less than 15 miles east of Iowa City, about 20 minutes by car)

The Birthplace of President Herbert Hoover, West Branch, Iowa (photo by Willjay, CC-BY-3.0, from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herbert_Hoover_Birthplace.jpg)

The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch includes the both the birthplace and burial spot of the 31^st President of the United States, a working blacksmith shop, a tallgrass prairie, and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. The museum features a permanent exhibit on Hoover’s life, family, and presidency, as well as a temporary gallery which will be hosting C-SPAN’S “American Presidents: Life Portraits” exhibit in June. The Library holds collections of Hoover papers, as well as the papers of Rose Wilder Lane, author and daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Amish and Mennonite culture and businesses in and near Kalona, Iowa (about 20 miles south of Iowa City, about 30 minutes by car)

Horse ‘n’ buggy, Kalona, IA. (photo by Drew Lietzow, public domain, from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amish_horse_%27n%27_buggy.JPG)

The area around Kalona, Iowa, is home to many Amish and Mennonite families and is known for quilts, countryside businesses, and antiques. You will see quilt squares on area barns, on the sidewalks of downtown Kalona, and at the Kalona Quilt & Textile Museum. A few off-the-main-road must-visits are Stringtown Grocery, an Amish produce and bulk foods store; Golden Delight Bakery, which features amazing donuts; and Sisters’ Garden and Bloom, which sell a variety of antique, vintage, new, and botanicals in two old houses. Use caution when driving in the area, for while main roads have a wide shoulder for horse-drawn buggies, secondary road do not. Some businesses are Amish and won’t have electricity or ATMs, so remember to bring cash.

Amana Colonies (about 25 miles northwest of Iowa City, about 35 minutes by car)

Street in the Amana Colonies, Iowa (by Kepper66 at en.wikipedia, public domain, from Wikipedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amana_Colonies.JPG)

The Amana Colonies are seven villages settled by German Pietists, who lived a communal life in Iowa from 1855 until the mid-1930s. The colonies have been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1965. The Amanas now draw travelers to their many antique shops, crafting businesses, and restaurants. There are many interesting things to see and do, so here are a few highlights. The Amana Heritage Museum and the Amana Colonies Visitors Center are great places to start your visit. At the Amana Woolen Mill, the oldest business in the Amana colonies, you can still see the looms working and purchase quality textiles. Millstream Brewing Co. produces a variety of beers, as well as some very fine root beer and cream soda, and has recently opened the Millstream Brau Haus restaurant serving German-style pub food and Millstream brews. The Ox Yoke Inn is one of the Amana restaurants serving traditional German and American meals “family style.”