9 Places Where You Can Still Experience Old Iowa

Burlington is home to plenty of Iowa landmarks, like Snake Alley (the Crookedest Street in the world!). You can always step back in time by walking down Cobblestone Alley, visiting the Des Moines County Heritage Center, touring the Phelps House Museum or stopping by the historic Hawkeye Log Cabin, where the first American flag was raised on Iowa soil.

The historic buildings of the Broadway-Phelps Park Historic District in Decorah include churches, government buildings, a brick kiln, a carriage house, and a museum. They were all built in the late 1800s, and the entire district (including 36 residences) is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 12 Villages of Van Buren County include Bentonsport, Birmingham, Bonaparte, Cantril, Douds-Leandro, Farmington, Iowaville-Selma, Keosauqua, Milton, Mount Sterling, Pittsburg, and Stockport. Enjoy a stay in a historic bed and breakfast or lakeside cabin, dine with the Amish and Mennonite community, browse shops run by local artisans and truly step back in time with the heritage festivals held all year long.

Throughout Cedar Rapids, you'll find 11 separate historic districts. Be sure to spend some time in the New Bohemian district. 48 of the buildings in the district are contributing buildings to the neighborhood's listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Each of these buildings was built in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and the neighborhood was home to the largest Bohemian population in the area.

The town of McGregor was founded in 1847 and has been connected to Wisconsin via ferry for just as long. McGregor became a commerce capital of the region when Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, became connected to Milwaukee via Railroad. Since McGregor was operating a ferry to the Wisconsin town, the surge of rail traffic led to a boom. Today, you can find many historic buildings scattered throughout this timeless town, and the sleepy way of life has not changed much since the 19th century.

Walnut Grove is a quaint pioneer village that was once a stagecoach stop in the 1860s. Scott County helped build this replica village, and many of the 18 historic buildings were relocated from rural Scott County for authenticity and preservation. The Pioneer Village is open daily from April through October.

Seven villages make up the Amana colonies, and they are Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. In each village, you'll find reminders of days gone by. These Amish and Mennonite communities that formed the villages are proud of their heritage, and the shops and restaurants within the village have their lifestyles on display.

Though there are only 200 residents making their life in Scotch Grove, this town is so worth a visit! It's filled with antique stores and historically important buildings, and the entire geographic area is on the National Register of Historic Places. One reason many people visit Scotch Grove is to tour the haunted "poor farm" at Edinburgh Manor.

There's so much history to find in Dubuque that you could spend a week here and barely see it all! The Mississippi River Museum, the Mines of Spain Recreation Area, and the Port of Dubuque are just some of the places that history buffs and wannabe time travelers must check out!