Travel Back To The Early Days Of Trucking By Visiting Iowa’s Very Own Iowa 80 Trucking Museum

You may know that Iowa is home to the world's largest truck stop, Iowa 80. The complex is so massive that you may not be aware that it also houses a museum! The truck stop itself is an incredible 75 acres (four times larger than the average truck stop) and has parking for 900 semi-trucks. The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum is located in the parking lot and contains dozens of antique trucks, a gift shop, and even a small theater that plays informational videos.

The truck stop details the importance of trucking in today's world. Trucking has been monumental in the development of modern society.

Trucking is a $700 billion industry and over 70% of all U.S. goods are still transported by truck.

Iowa 80 Trucking Museum has over 100 lovingly restored antique trucks dating all the way back to the early days of motor vehicles.

They've got semis, soda delivery vehicles, milk trucks, farm vehicles - just about any kind of work truck you can imagine is here for visitors to enjoy.

The museum makes a special effort to show visitors local contributions to the trucking industry. Many of the vehicles on display have signs stating they were made right here in Iowa!

It's fascinating to compare the older models that lack air conditioning and padded seats to some of the comparatively luxurious newer models.

Some truckers in the early days were lucky to even have windshields and doors on their vehicles!

The museum has models from over a hundred years ago ranging all the way up to the 1980s.

Best of all, admission to the museum is free! Donations are always appreciated, however. There's a lot to absorb here, and you'll want to plan to spend at least a few hours checking out exhibits. The museum's Facebook page has tons of information on their displays, plus their hours of operation.