Welcome to Hickory Grove Cemetery near Avery, Iowa. This small burial ground in Monroe County is unlike any other in the state of Iowa, and perhaps even in the whole country of America. What sets it apart? The Great Pyramids – there are three of them – perched in one corner of the cemetery, that’s what.

Built in 1939 by a fanatical Ancient Egyptian historian, Mr. Axel Peterson, these pyramids were constructed using the same proportional measurements as the pyramids at Giza; these versions are just a good bit smaller.
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The tallest of the Iowa version of the Great Pyramids is 14 feet, as opposed to the 455-foot height of the oldest, tallest pyramid of Giza.
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Who knew there was such an exact model of one of the famed Seven Wonders of the Ancient World right here in a cornfield in the Hawkeye State?
Laura S. / Used With Permission

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Mr. Peterson intended one of these monuments to serve as his own final resting place.
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Another he built as a tomb for his best friend.
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However, his (and his friend's) final wishes were disregarded after his death (no one knows why!).
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As a result, these three pyramids stand empty and abandoned on one edge of the Hickory Grove Cemetery. Still, these pyramids add much-unexpected variety to the Iowa landscape, and they serve as another one of those bizarre roadside attractions that Iowa is so full of and perhaps even famous for.
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Did you know these three Great Pyramids existed right here in Iowa? Have you ever seen them for yourself? What’s your theory on why Axel Peterson wasn’t buried in one? Our theory is that his next-of-kin must not have been as big of an Ancient Egyptian historian as he was! Speaking of odd, unusual, bizarre, unexpected roadside attractions in Iowa, here’s a list of a bunch more. Sounds like the makings of a memorable Iowa road trip to us.

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Hickory Grove Cemetery, Albia, IA 52531, USA