Vail IowaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Vail, Iowa.
1. Eugene Kock Memorial Park
LOCAL COMMUNITY RECREATION
Eugene Kock Memorial Park is a community gathering space in Vail that offers recreational facilities for residents and visitors. The park provides a peaceful setting for picnics, sports activities, and community events throughout the year. Visitors can enjoy well-maintained green spaces and playground equipment while experiencing the small-town charm of Vail.
2. Yellow Smoke Park
OUTDOOR RECREATION AREA
Yellow Smoke Park is a scenic outdoor recreation area located near Vail that features a 38-acre lake perfect for fishing, swimming, and boating. The park encompasses over 300 acres of diverse landscapes including wooded areas, prairie, and limestone formations that can be explored via hiking trails. Visitors can also enjoy camping facilities, picnic shelters, and wildlife observation opportunities throughout the seasons.
3. Yellow Smoke Park Campgrounds
NATURE CAMPING EXPERIENCE
Yellow Smoke Park Campgrounds offers a complete outdoor camping experience near Vail with both modern and primitive camping options. The campgrounds provide amenities such as electrical hookups, shower facilities, and convenient access to the park's recreational features including the lake and trail system. Campers can enjoy the serene natural setting while still having access to necessary facilities for a comfortable outdoor stay.
4. Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway
HISTORIC AMERICAN ROAD
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway passes through Vail as part of America's first transcontinental highway system established in 1913. This historic route offers travelers a glimpse into America's transportation history with various markers, historic buildings, and interpretive sites along its path. Visitors driving this byway can experience the evolving landscape of rural Iowa while following in the tire tracks of early automobile pioneers.
5. Hausbarn
GERMAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Hausbarn is a distinctive historic site showcasing an authentic German-style structure where families and their livestock lived under one roof. This carefully preserved cultural landmark offers visitors insight into the German immigrant experience and agricultural practices of early European settlers. Guided tours provide detailed information about the unique architecture and daily life of Iowa's German heritage communities.
6. The Market Place
LOCAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
The Market Place in Vail offers visitors a chance to browse and purchase local goods, produce, and handcrafted items. This community-centered shopping venue showcases the talents and products of area farmers, artisans, and small business owners. Visitors can interact with locals while discovering unique Iowa-made products and fresh seasonal offerings.
7. Stone City Art Colony
HISTORIC ARTS COMMUNITY
Stone City Art Colony represents an important chapter in Iowa's cultural history as the site where renowned artist Grant Wood and others established a summer art colony in the 1930s. The picturesque landscape that inspired these artists continues to draw visitors interested in American art history and the rural scenes immortalized in many famous paintings. Visitors can explore the area that influenced the development of Regionalism as an important American art movement.
8. Hurstville Lime Kilns
INDUSTRIAL HISTORICAL SITE
The Hurstville Lime Kilns preserve an important piece of Iowa's industrial heritage with restored 19th-century limestone processing facilities. These historic structures once produced quicklime for construction and agricultural purposes, powering local economic development. Visitors can observe the innovative engineering of these massive stone kilns while learning about the lime production process that was vital to early Midwestern development.
9. Herbert Hoover Birthplace
PRESIDENTIAL HISTORICAL SITE
Herbert Hoover Birthplace in West Branch preserves the humble cottage where the 31st President of the United States was born in 1874. The 76-acre national historic site includes the president's birthplace, grave sites of President Hoover and Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover, a reconstructed blacksmith shop, and a one-room schoolhouse. The visitor center provides interpretive exhibits about Hoover's early life in Iowa before his rise to the presidency.
10. Historic General Dodge House
VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL TREASURE
The Historic General Dodge House is a magnificent 14-room Victorian mansion built in 1869 by Civil War General Grenville Dodge. This architectural treasure features innovative amenities for its time including central heating and hot and cold running water throughout the three-story structure. Visitors can tour this perfectly preserved home to learn about General Dodge's significant contributions as a railroad builder, banker, and politician during America's westward expansion.
11. Terrace Hill
GOVERNOR'S MANSION ESTATE
Terrace Hill is an opulent Victorian mansion built in 1869 that now serves as the official residence of Iowa's governor. The mansion sits on eight beautifully landscaped acres featuring Victorian formal gardens and offers spectacular views overlooking downtown Des Moines. Visitors can tour this National Historic Landmark to admire its Second Empire architecture, period furnishings, and learn about its transformation from a millionaire's home to the state's gubernatorial residence.
12. Toolesboro Mounds
ANCIENT NATIVE AMERICAN SITE
Toolesboro Mounds preserves significant archaeological remains of the Hopewell culture that flourished from approximately 200 BCE to 300 CE. This five-acre site contains several large burial mounds that provide evidence of sophisticated Native American cultural practices and trade networks that spanned much of North America. Visitors can explore the education center with exhibits explaining the importance of these ancient earthworks and view a prairie demonstration plot showing native vegetation.
13. Farm House Museum
IOWA AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE
The Farm House Museum at Iowa State University holds the distinction of being the first building constructed on the university campus in 1860. This historic structure served as home to the first presidents of the college while also functioning as a model farm house demonstrating agricultural innovations. Today's visitors can tour the carefully restored interior featuring period-appropriate furnishings that illustrate rural Iowa life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
14. Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino
ENTERTAINMENT AND GAMING
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino offers visitors a complete entertainment destination with gaming tables, slot machines, and regular poker tournaments. The facility includes multiple dining options ranging from casual to upscale, along with live entertainment venues featuring performances throughout the year. Visitors can enjoy the excitement of casino gaming while taking advantage of the attached hotel accommodations for an extended stay.
15. Amana Colonies
HISTORIC COMMUNAL SETTLEMENT
The Amana Colonies comprise seven historic villages established by German Pietists who practiced a communal lifestyle from 1855 to 1932. These well-preserved settlements offer visitors a glimpse into 19th-century communal living through historic buildings, craft demonstrations, and traditional German-inspired cuisine. Today, the colonies are known for handcrafted furniture, woolen textiles, locally-produced wines, and restaurants serving family-style German meals that celebrate their unique cultural heritage.