Top Things to do in Iowa
Top Hotels in Iowa
- 1. Des Lux Hotel
- 2. Stoney Creek Hotel
- 3. Hampton Inn West Des Moines Lake Drive
- 4. Drury Inn & Suites West Des Moines
- 5. Drury Inn & Suites Iowa City Coralville
- 6. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cedar Falls, IA
- 7. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Ames, IA
- 8. Hotel Julien Dubuque
- 9. Cobblestone Inn & Suites - Forest City
- 10. Hotel Renovo
The 10 Best Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers in Iowa, United States
History and monuments dot this landscape almost as often as the golden farmlands. Learn about America’s 31st president at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. In northeast Iowa is the Effigy Mounds National Monument, a group of prehistoric American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds. This part of Iowa is also home to the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage. The 37-county region tells the story of American agriculture, agribusiness and farm life and is affiliated with the National Park Service. In addition, there are five national wildlife refuges here. If you love history, imagine seeing the Amana Colonies, consisting of seven historic villages in 1855 by German immigrants as a religious communal society. Here you can also buy antiques, hand-woven baskets, furniture and clocks and locally made wine and beer. In Ames, take the family to see the Christian Petersen Art Museum, a newer structure that exhibits works of art by Christian Petersen and contemporary artists. You won’t want to miss the state capital of Des Moines, home to Blank Park Zoo with its naturalistic exhibits and more than 800 animals from five continents. You also should enjoy the Brenton Skating Plaza, an outdoor family entertainment venue.
Restaurants in Iowa
1. Sky Tours at YMCA Union Park Camp
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 108 reviews
A nine zipline canopy tour built over the hills and valleys of historic Union Park, an early 1900's formal park and gardens. Ziplines range in length from 300'-1,000'. Includes four modest hikes over game trails and includes a dual 800' zipline which allows riders to race over the valley floor. The concluding zip, over 1,000 feet long, literally drops out of the sky. Open to the public daily from May through October with advance reservations.
2. Knoxville Raceway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By 262sn
Whenever we get a chance we co.e watch the races. Love those Sprint cars! If you have the chance never miss it. So loud and so fast!
3. SWAT River Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 91 reviews
Premium small group adventure boat tour exploring the Mississippi River aboard a high performance military style R.I.B. Boat. Open only from May through October
4. The Greatest Escape
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 24 reviews
One of the best things to do in Sioux City! We are the place to be if you need something fun to do with your friends or family! We do our best to provide the greatest customer service and take pride in having a fun friendly environment! Please come see our small business!!
5. The Escape
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 34 reviews
Escape the room solving puzzles and finding clues using only your wit and problem solving skills. Your 60 minute adrenaline rush of fun awaits!
Reviewed By JeremyToddG - West Des Moines, United States
Had a great time - bought the whole "The Psych Ward" room for 6 - taking 2 adults, 3 teens and 1 young child. We're local to Iowa and have been to escape rooms on most of our trips around the country. These are not bad for Iowa and I think we have done all of the ones they have here now. We didn't hesitate to ask for clues if could not figure any specific step out in 3-4 minutes ourselves as we always like to make it through the end. Cody was our game master and did a great job keeping things moving along and he was very helpful and friendly. They did not seem super busy, I'm sure the "virus" is affecting all businesses like this, but we were not worried and hope business picks back up - allowing them and other to invest in and create new rooms & puzzles!
6. The Cryptic Room
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 29 reviews
We are a live-action, team-based escape room game. First, YOU give us permission to "lock" you in a room. Once you are inside, the clock starts ticking and you have limited time to work together to use clues in the room to solve the puzzles that will help you "break out". You must hurry though... Once the clock hits zero, it is all over!
Reviewed By Jana6263 - Iowa, United States
This was a great team building activity for our club volleyball team. The girls had a blast solving each puzzle together to escape and really loved their game master Josh! I'd highly recommend The Cryptic Room to anyone!
7. Breakout
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 96 reviews
This isn’t your average outing or everyday experience—Breakout is for those who would rather solve mysteries than watch someone else have all the fun. With different rooms that follow unique story-lines, you and your friends will have 60 minutes to escape your adventure of choice by cracking codes, solving puzzles and following clues. Part problem solving, part adrenaline, end-to-end fun!
Reviewed By loukuhl
Our company divided into 2 groups, into 2 different rooms as a team-building exercise. We had a great time trying to figure out the clues to beat the other team. Excited to say, we won! It was fun and really made you use your wits to escape. We all loved it!
8. Escapology Escape Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 128 reviews
Cedar Falls' original premium real life escape game experience! Located in a prime spot, up to 8 players will be challenged in this new attraction by working together to find clues, solve puzzles, and pick locks that will free them from the game room.
Reviewed By nicolelozier
This room was very well put together and we had a lot of fun! I've done 6 Escape Rooms now and this one was definitely one of my favorites. I went with a group of friends, we all ranged from about 16-19 years old, and it seemed to be the perfect room that could involve all 5 of us! This is definitely one of the more difficult games, but with enough people and creative minds, it was the perfect challenge. There was a perfect blend of a good story line, great puzzles and riddles, and fun scares. The game masters were all very friendly and helpful and made the experience a great one! The building was very clean and very easy to get directions to.
9. Maquoketa Caves State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 209 reviews
Starting April 1st 2021 parking will be limited to designated spots only, once they are full you must wait for a open parking spot to access the park, Please plan your trip to come earlier or later in the day and avoid peak times on the weekends from 11-4 pm. If arriving during peak times, you should have an alternate place to visit until the park is less busy. 2021 Campground Changes: The campground is 100% reservable. Same day reservations will be accepted from April 1 - October 31 and until 9 pm on the day of arrival. A reservation is required to camp.
Reviewed By joaniemaria - Eldridge, United States
We arrived to view the fall leaves. Trails were open. Caves were closed. The trails are well groomed and lovely. The woods and hills wind around the state park and caves. We especially enjoyed the natural bridge. It is a lovely photo op. Restrooms were closed for the season, as were the boardwalks due to storm damage and fallen trees. We enjoyed our fall visit nevertheless. I recommend a visit.
10. Sundown Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, Iowa is one of the best Midwest ski resorts and the premier destination to take your family skiing and snowboarding this winter! Conveniently located in the heart of the Midwest, Sundown Mountain Resort attracts skiers and snowboarders of all abilities looking for their winter adventure. At Sundown Mountain, we have something for everyone; whether you are an experienced winter enthusiast or just learning how to get down the hill, Sundown Mountain offers plenty of snowy fun and an unforgettable Midwest winter experience. Sundown is a true Midwest ski resort destination offering great snow and an unforgettable winter experience.
Reviewed By MrsEEV - Chicago, United States
My large family has been going to the same ski resort (Chestnut Mountain in Galena, IL) since I was a teenager. Now my husband and I take our own daughter (12 yrs old) skiing there every winter as well. Since we've been going there forever, we never thought to look into other alternatives. This year however, we discovered the hidden gem that is Sundown Mountain in Dubuque, IA! We had previously stayed at Eagle Ridge in Galena yearly to be close to the ski resort but a few years ago on an extended trip, we ventured into neighboring Dubuque, IA (less than a 30 min drive from Galena) and fell in love with the charming & historical Hotel Julien, where we now stay for ski weekends. While I was researching winter activities for this ski trip, I stumbled across Sundown Mountain in Dubuque, just 20 minutes from Hotel Julien and 40 minutes from downtown Galena (who knew?) and it seemed too good to be true. Their Friday night ski special is what drew me in; how can you beat $54 for skiing 4pm-midnight including lift ticket and equipment rental??? All of their other weekend prices beat Chestnut as well, especially if you stay in the beginner area at Sundown and only pay $20 for that lift ticket. We went Fri-Sun so we figured we'd check it out Fri evening and if it was dingy we could still have all of Saturday to ski at Chestnut Mountain. Boy were we blown away! We arrived at Sundown Mountain around 6pm Fri, later than we expected after checking into Hotel Julien but still an adequate amount of time to utilize the ski special until midnight. We liked the layout right away as the set-up of the 2 main lodges is more condensed than at Chestnut; close enough to one another to walk in heavy ski boots back and forth from the beginner area to the lodge where food & drinks are located to take breaks. Everything was nice and modern and not outdated which is easy to hide sometimes in online pictures. Parking was much easier than at Chestnut which is not impossible, it just can be difficult with how busy it is there. Main lodge was very nice, large with tall ceilings, and I liked that you purchase tickets and get equipment in the same lodge, unlike at Chestnut. The main thing that stood out was how friendly and outgoing the instructors were while we were walking around. Since we were not wearing skis or gear on the mountain, a particularly outgoing instructor asked us if we were trying to find our children and offered to help us. When we informed her we were just checking out the mountain in advance, she started telling us all about the facility and the group lessons. There happened to be a group starting a lesson near us as well as small clusters all around the beginner area and I knew right away I wanted my daughter to have a lesson there just by listening to how enthusiastic all of the instructors were. It had gotten late so we decided to return the following day to ski all day and skip Chestnut altogether. When we arrived Saturday we decided to let my 12 yr old daughter do the snowboard group lesson (only $15!) and it was the best decision of this trip. The lessons are drop-in and the times are posted online which I found very convenient. I did skiing and my daughter tried snowboarding for the first time ever. All of the equipment was in great condition, just as at Chestnut. I should also mention that Chestnut mountain is a bigger and more spread out resort because it has onsite lodging, whereas Sundown Mountain does not offer lodging which did not matter to us since we have never utilized the lodging at Chestnut as it's a bit outdated. Besides the equipment being great, the lessons are an hour and a half long which is longer than most places, including Chestnut. There were only 3 people in my daughter's snowboard lesson 'group', there were several instructors available for that drop-in time slot, which meant she was able to get a lot of one on one attention from her instructor for questions and demonstrations. Her instructor (a female snowboarder) was very positive and encouraging which I believe inspired my 12 yr old to not want to give up and switch to skis; she was determined to master snowboarding! After her lesson ended the instructor congratulated her on how well she had progressed and encouraged her to keep practicing on the bunny hill. She did not want to stop snowboarding! I had to force her to take a break at the lodge to have a quick lunch. Food area is a small cafeteria-like spot inside one of the lodges (similar to Chestnut although Chestnut also has an additional full restaurant on-site). I liked that Sundown allows you to bring your own food as well (as does Chestnut) and there are tables where you can eat and watch the skiers. There's also a full bar area around the corner from the food concessions where there happened to be live music the day we were there. I would have liked if the bar was overlooking the bunny hill instead so parents could have a beer and still be able to keep an eye on their children but I believe it was intended as a convenience for the more advanced skiers to stop for a drink which is also nice. We spent 6 hours on the mountain total and my daughter did not even want to stop then, despite being exhausted. I can't believe she made it beyond the 1st bunny hill onto the second beginner area that let's you ride the ski lift up even as a beginner! At Chestnut, you must purchase a ski lift ticket even if you never leave the bunny hill which doesn't even allow an opportunity to ride the lift. At Sundown, there's more than one ski lift and I found that to be a wonderful perk for beginners that wouldn't be an option at Chestnut. Overall, Sundown Mountain was an awesome discovery and a fantastic ski resort for beginners (and probably even advanced skiers, as we saw many on the more advanced hills flying by and doing tricks) families, groups of friends, or really just anyone looking to have an amazing time. I couldn't have been more impressed and we will absolutely be returning and have already recommended to all of our friends and family. I could go on and on about this place...and I did!
