The 25 Best Roadside Attractions in Iowa
Ranked by Roadtrippi users — the people who've actually been there. Updated June 2026. Roadtrippi catalogs 331 roadside attractions in Iowa.
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1. Hal Colliver's Acreage and Sign Extravaganza
Keota, IA
Out in the farmlands of Iowa, an out-of-place conglomeration of colorful antique signs and gas pumps.
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2. Jack Pershing, Stuffed WWI Patriot Rooster (Gone)
Des Moines, IA
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3. Tug Fest - West Side of Mississippi River Tug-of-War
Le Claire, IA
Unique competition pits two states on opposite banks of the Mississippi River against each other in an annual tug-of-war. Illinois currently leads Iowa 19 to 11.
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4. Big Dalmatian and Girl Holding Teddy Bear
Dunlap, IA
A 16-foot-tall painted plywood sign created by artist John Cerney in 1999, placed at the edge of a cornfield.
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5. Cabbage Patch Fantasy Land (In Transition)
Griswold, IA
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6. Mississippi River Paddle Boat
Keokuk, IA
The hauled-onto-dry-land George M. Verity can be toured during the summer. The 1927 stern paddle boat will never again slap its way along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
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7. Mini-Bomber: Crash Site
Walnut, IA
Miniature B-24 bomber on a pole acts as a weathervane; the propellors spin in the wind. It memorializes the crash site of a full-size B-24 on March 8, 1944. According to an accompanying sign, all seven crew members perished.
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8. Twister Movie House
Eldora, IA
Two-story wood frame home survived the elements on the silver screen. Wasn't looking too good in real life until it got hit with a whirlwind of renovations, and now prefers privacy over movie fandom.
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9. Metal Woman's Head
Ames, IA
A large head of a woman, as interpreted by artist Dennis Patton. The wood version decayed, so it's been replaced with one made of rusting steel.
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10. Dubuque Shot Tower
Dubuque, IA
Standing over 120 feet high, the Shot Tower is where early bullets were made by pouring lead from the top and letting gravity and surface tension do the rest.
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11. Spook Cave: Underground Boat Tour
McGregor, IA
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12. Black Squirrels and Purple Martins
Council Bluffs, IA
Black squirrels can be found in many places, usually mixed with other squirrels. Only a few towns have so many that civic leaders engage in black squirrel boosterism.
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13. Two-Butted Lamb
Maquoketa, IA
Two-headed lambs? We've seen 'em. But a two-butted lamb? That's a true rarity. On display in the historical society museum.
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14. Logo Tree of the City
Cedar Rapids, IA
A 60-foot-tall stainless steel tree is the city's logo. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
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15. Medical Museum
Iowa City, IA
See an iron lung, a World War II first aid kit, and a 1930s examination chair used in the film, "Filed of Dreams."
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16. Grave of the Pilot Who Killed Music
Storm Lake, IA
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17. African American Museum of Iowa
Cedar Rapids, IA
Small museum with full-size recreations of a slave ship hold, an Underground Railroad hideout, and a segregated lunch counter.
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18. World's Largest Concrete Gnome
Ames, IA
15-foot-tall gnome statue is the star of Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University.
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19. Boxholm Museum
Boxholm, IA
This is the Loneliest Museum in America. For two decades David Peterson has labored to build it: a museum dedicated solely to Boxholm and the six square miles of Grant Township that surround it.
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20. Rancho Deluxe Z: Junk Art Lot
Mason City, IA
Artist Max Weaver has turned a vacant lot into a colorful garden-like junk art retreat.
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21. George Preston Gas Station Remains
Belle Plaine, IA
Vintage road signs cover the outside of the old gas station owned by George Preston, who once appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Preston died in 1993, most stuff sold off, but vintage signs remain on building.
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22. Sunday in the Park Sculptures
Davenport, IA
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23. Seminole Chief Osceola Statue
Osceola, IA
Wood statue of Seminole Indian leader (and the town's namesake) Osceola is 15 ft. tall, carved by artist Jesse Kuhns and installed in 1993.
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24. Castle Hall
Walcott, IA
Residential replica of Scottish Balmoral Castle, built in 1905 in Iowa. Junker pickup trucks parked out front add to the medieval atmosphere.
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25. Ryan Veterans Living Memorial
Ryan, IA
Small town honors its military veterans with a compact compendium of many wars -- a Nam Cobra attack helicopter, an Iwo Jima flag-raising monument, and even a replica field grave with a helmet balanced on a rifle stuck in the ground.
Browse all 331 attractions in Iowa on Roadtrippi.