Iowa has plenty of charming small towns. In fact, one could say that Iowa’s small towns are really the heart and soul of the state. But there’s one town in particular that is truly unique, and that’s Riverside Iowa, the future birthplace of James T. Kirk.

With a population of 993, Riverside is a tiny town in Washington County situated on the English River. Its claim to fame? Being the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.
Wikipedia/Farragutful
According to the town, the Star Trek character, Captain James T. Kirk, will be born in Riverside on March 22nd, in the year 2228.
Wikipedia/Jfurlong
If you’re not familiar with Star Trek, Captain Kirk was the pilot of the starship called the USS Enterprise, in which the crew explored places “where no man has gone before.”
Peter Zillmann/Flickr
The legend was sparked by a line in the 1986 Star Trek movie called “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” in which Kirk, when asked where he’s from, responds that he’s from Iowa.
Flickr/Tony Webster
Local legend says that Steve Miller, a local Riverside city councilman and Trekkie, proposed that because Kirk says he’s from Iowa, a fact confirmed by Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry’s book, "The Making of Star Trek," Riverside should proclaim itself to be his future birthplace.
The proposal was unanimously passed, and they even got an eventual endorsement from Roddenberry.
Flickr/Tony Webster
Thus, the annual Riverside Festival, TrekFest, was born. The town even changed its slogan to "Where the Trek Begins."
TrekFest takes place every year at the end of June, and it includes plenty of fun activities, including a Star Trek themed parade and a Star Trek Scavenger hunt.
Flickr/Troy Shehan
Flickr/Troy Shehan
Upon your visit to Riverside, you’ll see a sign marking Captain Kirk’s future birthplace.
Flickr/Zach
You can also visit the Star Trek Voyage Home Museum, which includes exhibits with Star Trek uniforms, starship models, and even a time capsule to be opened on Kirk’s birth date.
Wikipedia/Dyeyell Finney
Flickr/Zach
As you can see, this tiny Iowa town is truly unique. Beam me up, Scotty.

To learn more about TrekFest, click here.

Have you been to this one-of-a-kind town? What did you think? To learn more about Iowa’s amazing towns, here are 10 Small Towns In Iowa That Offer Nothing But Peace And Quiet.

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