If your summer road trip takes you through the Midwest, you might find yourself wondering what there is to do in Iowa! I have lived in Iowa longer than anywhere else and have a great fondness for it. It’s not all cornfields and monster trucks! I wanted to come up with a list of things to do in Iowa with kids, for anyone working on visiting all 50 states or road tripping through from coast to coast! At the very bottom of the post there is a map showing where all these spots are in relation to one another. Let me know if I’ve missed any of your favorites and I’ll add them on!
Check out these other posts while you’re here!
- 7 steps to plan a family vacation
- Best playgrounds in the world – 30+ free parks you have to see!
- National park books for kids
I made this list with folks passing through in mind, so many of these suggestions are perfect for an hour or two, although some can take up a full day, but you can also easily find more to do in each town and make a true vacation out of your Iowa visit.
Pin this round-up of things to do in Iowa with kids with this link or collage image:
30+ things to do in Iowa with kids
These are listed in no particular order, and range from a quick photo op stop to places you can easily spend a full day. There is a mix of indoor and outdoor, outdoorsy & culture, please let me know if this list is helpful to you! Reminder to scroll to the bottom to see a map of all these spots!
Maquoketa Caves State Park – Maquoketa
This state park is beautiful on the trails, but the special draw is the series of wild caves that you can explore without a guide or tour! There are caves you can walk through and caves you have to crawl into, so pick your comfort level of dirtiness and go exploring. I wrote a whole blog post about one of our visits, camping at Maquoketa Caves, it is such a special place!
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John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum – Waterloo
Iowa is known for farming and if your kids enjoy big tractors, this will be the highlight of their trip! This is a small museum with several hands-on opportunities and lots of displays to learn more about the history of the tractor and John Deere.
Field of Dreams – Dyersville
This is where they filmed the famous movie and now it is a tourist attraction and small museum, perfect for kids who love baseball.
Historical Village & Vermeer Windmill – Pella
This little town comes alive during the Tulip Time festival, but you can visit the village and windmill year round. There are quaint little fudge shops and a big, wooden playground within walking distance of downtown. There is a small section with a shallow canal and view of the windmill, designed to be just like a Dutch town!
Mines of Spain Recreation Area (shows up as EB Lyons Interpretive Center on the map) – Dubuque
See the Mississippi river from beautiful trails in this state park; stop into the interpretive center to learn more about the history of the area, its flora & fauna, or join in one of the park ranger’s educational programs.
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center – Sioux City
A museum dedicated to the portion of Lewis and Clark’s journey through the area, with exhibits detailing their passage and also teaching about the Indigenous people who they encountered.
Iowa 80 Trucking Museum – Walcott
Close to the cheesy, fun I-80 truck stop, this museum highlights the history of trucking with lots of old cars and trucks to browse for the vehicle-obsessed kiddo.
Blank Park Zoo – Des Moines
A small but tidy zoo in the southern part of the capital city, Blank Park Zoo has a variety of animals, educational shows, and a small nature playscape to keep kids busy for a full day.
Living History Farms – Urbandale
This is a unique experience that is exactly as it’s named, living history! Take a step back in time in this live action museum, exploring the campus and participating in hands-on “old timey” activities.
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National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium – Dubuque
This is a small aquarium with fun exhibits like a water table, animal touch tank, and lots of learning about animals in the area, Indigenous people who lived there first, and more about the region’s ecology and biology.
American Gothic House & Center
You’ll recognize it when you see it, the famous house that inspired American Gothic painted by Grant Wood. There is a small interpretive center and you can pose in front of the house with their loaner pitchforks!
Albert the Bull
A quick roadside attraction, this the world’s largest bull!
African American Museum of Iowa – Cedar Rapids
A museum focusing on the state’s African American history and culture.
Loess Hills – western Iowa
This is a general area; there is a specific driving byway but also hiking trails sprinkled throughout. The loess hills are an interesting land formation with pretty scenery whether you’re walking or driving!
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Effigy Mounds – Harpers Ferry
There isn’t agreement on what the Effigy Mounds were built for, but they are striking to see, grass covered hills in the shapes of animals built by Indigenous people of the past.
Devonian Fossil Gorge – Iowa City
Walk on a 375 million year old ocean floor and spot fossils in this interesting outdoor area!
Crystal Lake Cave – Dubuque
A pretty “show cave”, swing through and take a tour to see the rock formations and crystals!
Jester Park – Granger
This is a huge natural space with lots to explore whether it’s public horseback riding, golfing, hiking along the trails, checking out the elk & bison, or visiting the nature center and natural playscape.
Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge – Prairie City
A beautiful area to learn about prairie ecosystems and see some bison! You can hike the paved trails, drive through the bison area, and stop into the interpretive center with hands-on activities.
Science Center of Iowa – Des Moines
This is a small, hands-on science museum with things for kids toddler age and up! An I-max theater is a treat for hot days after exploring the rest of the museum.
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Iowa Children’s Museum – Coralville
This is a large kid’s museum with loads to do for young kids, located in a mall right off the freeway.
The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History – Iowa City
A traditional, small natural history museum with dioramas and taxidermy displays.
Wickiup Hill Learning Center & Natural Playscape – Toddville
This is a small nature center with water table, learning exhibits, and small climbing structures accompanied by a larger natural playscape, birdwatching, and short trails.
Adventureland – Altoona
A true amusement park, this small theme park has rides, a waterpark, and lots of family fun.
The Putnam Museum – Davenport
This is a fun museum with exhibits featuring hands-on science, history, and culture.
Wasserbahn Waterpark Resort – Williamsburg
This is a plain old waterpark hotel but it makes for a fun place to spend the night on your way through the state, right off I-80.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park – Des Moines
Located in downtown Des Moines, this small sculpture park is full of open green space and interesting artwork, an easy place to run around and catch some culture.
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Pikes Peak State Park – McGregor
Hike around the trails in this lush state park, with views of the Mississippipi River.
Ledges State Park – Madrid
One of the most popular natural areas in central Iowa, this park has trails and shallow creeks perfect for playing in.
The World’s Tallest Concrete Gnome in Reiman Gardens – Ames
This isn’t a roadside attraction but Reiman Gardens is fun to explore on its own even without the world’s tallest concrete gnome! They have a small butterfly garden, trails, and manicured gardens to explore.
World’s Largest Popcorn Ball – Sac City
Exactly what it sounds like, this is a weird but true roadside attraction.
Amana Colonies – Cedar Rapids
A collection of 7 villages from an old German settlement, this area has an “old timey” feel and fun activities for kids to do sprinkled throughout the area.
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