19 Most Interesting Museums in Iowa (with Pictures)

Written by Charles Fawole in Iowa,MuseumsLast Updated May 10, 2024

Map of Museums in Iowa

See the map of the top museums in Iowa below.

Each marker on the map shows the location of the museum in Iowa on the map. The number on the museum marker is the popularity rank of the musuem.
You can click on a museum marker to see how you can get to that museum.

 


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Museum Popularity Rank
Old Capitol 1
Des Moines Art Center 2
Figge Art Museum 3
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium 4
Salisbury House 5
Bily Clocks Museum 6
The Catholic Historical Center at St. Boniface 7
Historic Central School 8
Science Center of Iowa 9
Iowa Aviation Museum 10

How Many Museums are in Iowa?

There are at least 19 museums in Iowa.

Click here to jump to the list some of the best 19 museums in Iowa

Museums in Iowa

Now, let us take a dive into the museum scene in Iowa.

We will share with you information and pictures of museums in Iowa.

To give you a feel of what Iowa looks like, this article may also contain pictures of other places, people and things in Iowa, in addition to museum pictures.

  1. Old Capitol

    The Iowa Old Capitol Facility served as the state`s principal government building for many years. On the 1946 Iowa Centennial commemorative half dollar, the building was shown. It is located in Iowa City, Iowa, at the heart of the University of Iowa`s I-Iowa campus.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 10 /10

  2. Des Moines Art Center

    In 1948, the Des Moines Art Center was founded in Des Moines, Iowa. Paintings, sculpture, modern art, and mixed media are all represented in the museum`s collection.

    • ♿Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes

    • 📈Popularity Score: 8 /10

  3. Figge Art Museum

    The Figge Art Museum is one of the country`s oldest art institutions. The museum, which is the renamed successor of the Davenport Museum of Art, opened on August 6, 2005. David Chipperfield, the Stirling Prize-winning Modernist British architect, designed it.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 5 /10

  4. National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

    The Smithsonian Institution`s National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is a Smithsonian affiliate. The Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum first opened its doors in 1982. The American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have both granted it accreditation.

    • ⏱Opening Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa-Su 10:00-17:00

    • ♿Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes

    • 📈Popularity Score: 3 /10

  5. Salisbury House

    The National Register of Historic Places listed Salisbury House in 1977. Between 1923 and 1928, the Tudor, Gothic, and Carolean-style manor house was constructed. Salisbury House is a 42-room mansion with a floor area of just over 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2).

    • 📈Popularity Score: 3 /10

  6. Bily Clocks Museum

    The Bily Clocks Museum may be found near Spillville, Iowa, USA. Clocks constructed by hand from 1913 to 1958 are on display in the museum. There, Antonn Dvoák finished his Symphony No. 9 in E minor, `From the New World.`

    • 📈Popularity Score: 2 /10

  7. The Catholic Historical Center at St. Boniface

    In 2012, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Catholic Historical Center at St. Boniface houses a collection of artifacts and records from local Catholic churches. The museum also has displays regarding the Catholic community in the Clinton, Iowa, area.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  8. Historic Central School

    In February 1884, a bond referendum for a new school was approved. The two-story structure`s exterior is made of locally produced brick. In 1895, a frame building was constructed to accommodate the kindergarten. The expansion, as well as another grade school structure, were constructed in 1897.

    • ⏱Opening Hours: Mo-Fr 09:30-11:30 || “by appointment”

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  9. Science Center of Iowa

    Des Moines, Iowa is home to the Science Center of Iowa, a science museum. The Des Moines Center of Science and Industry was the name of the museum when it first opened in 1970. From its prior position in Greenwood-Ashworth Park, it relocated to its current location in 2005.

    • ♿Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  10. Iowa Aviation Museum

    The Iowa Aviation Museum`s mission is to preserve Iowa`s aviation history. The museum`s Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame honors Iowans who have made major contributions to the growth of aviation. Greenfield Municipal Airport in Greenfield, Iowa is where it is located.

    • ⏱Opening Hours: Apr-Nov: Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 13:00-17:00

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  11. George M Verity Riverboat Museum

    In the United States, the George M. Verity is one of just three remaining steam-powered towboats. In 1989, she was designated as a National Historic Landmark. She was built in 1927 as the SS Thorpe and is now a museum ship in Keokuk, Iowa.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  12. Plymouth County Museum

    Le Mars, Iowa is home to the Plymouth County Historical Museum. In 1999, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1876, the city`s first school building was built on this block. When the middle section of this building was completed in 1905, it was demolished.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  13. Stanley Museum of Art

    The University of Iowa`s Stanley Museum of Art is located in Iowa City, Iowa. The American Alliance of Museums has granted it accreditation. For decades, the museum has had a close affiliation with the university`s School of Art and Art History (SAAH).

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  14. Buffalo Bill Museum

    The Buffalo Bill Museum focuses on local history and living along the Mississippi River. On exhibit is an early prototype of the Ryan Flight Data Recorder. The Sauk and Fox Tribe, riverboat pilots, region pioneers, and area history and culture are among the other displays.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  15. Hose Station No. 4

    East Davenport, Iowa`s Hose Station No. 4 is located in the village of East Davenport. It`s one of two ancient fire stations on the city`s east side that are still operational. The International Fire Museum is now housed in the building, which is located next to Lindsay Park.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  16. Farm House Museum

    The Knapp–Wilson House is the oldest structure on the Iowa State University campus. It was constructed between 1861 and 1865 as part of the model farm that became Iowa State University. Because of its connections to two prominent personalities, the house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  17. Living Heritage Tree Museum

    The Living Historical Tree Museum is a museum dedicated to heritage trees that is open to the public. Stan Lemaster and Theodore Klein founded it. Trees with historical ties to Joan of Arc, Johnny Appleseed, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow are among the trees in the museum`s collection.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  18. Sergent Floyd River Museum

    The Sergeant Floyd was built in 1932 as a towboat and multipurpose vehicle. She is one of the few remaining vessels built for the Army Corps of Engineers. The boat has been refurbished and drydocked, and it now contains Missouri River exhibitions. In 1989, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

    • ⏱Opening Hours: 10:00-16:00; PH off

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

  19. Hornick Depot

    In 1887, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Combination Depot-Hornick was finished. It is the best maintained of the six similar depots that remain in Iowa. In 1990, the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

    • 📈Popularity Score: 1 /10

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