Iowa Family Attractions

Bringing the kids along? The whole family is sure to find entertainment at countless family-friendly attractions in Iowa. For family fun, let Choice Hotels^® help you find the perfect attraction for your next family adventure.

In the Northwest Region

Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association Museum
91 Lake Street
Arnolds Park, IA  
712-332-6540

Enjoy this fantastic family destination as you peruse aisles and acres full of some of the most vivid and comprehensive exhibits on modern music history. Popular music unfolds before your very eyes, with musical instruments, period costumes, historical posters, jukeboxes, and more.

In the West Central Region

Avoca Family Aquatic Center
800 E. High Street
Avoca, IA  
712-343-2171

Experience one of the best days of your life at the Avoca Family Aquatic Center, which has been home to family fun for over 20 years! Here, you'll find a diverse array of aquatic rides; each instilling a wet sense of delight in kids of all ages. Swimming pools, a waterslide and more make this the perfect way to play in the sun.

In the Southwest Region

Diagonal Printing Museum
Main Street
Diagonal, IA  
641-734-5540

Take the whole family to a fascinating town with a title that's equally as fascinating. Diagonal is a town built on the diagonal slopes of the meridian, and has retained its unique name for at least 100 years. While you're here, head down to the actual workable press and Linotype, which includes a genealogical center containing local historical items.

In the North Central Region

Hancock County Agricultural Museum
2210 Jewel Avenue
Britt, IA  
641-843-4362

Located in mostly agrarian vicinity, the Hancock County Agricultural Museum is doing its best to preserve the history of that community. And it's doing a fair job by any standard: with a collection of restored farm equipment which dates all the way back to the 1840's, this vast attraction is comprised of more than 115 exhibits.

In the Central Region

Adel Historical Museum
1129 Main Street
Adel, IA  
515-993-1032

Experience a world like no other at the Adel Historical Museum, a destination where kids will have as much fun as the adults will! This 1857 brick building once upon a time served as Adel's original schoolhouse. Featuring period room settings, dazzling photographs and poignant memorabilia, there's something for everyone at the Adel Historical Museum.

Des Moines Symphony
221 Walnut Street
Des Moines, IA  
515-280-4000

Take the family to the Des Moines Symphony and they'll enjoy a night they won't soon forget. With a classical repertoire which matches that of any world-class symphony, the Des Moines Symphony is experienced in bringing the best orchestrations directly to you and your family. Call ahead to inquire about family-friendly events and more!

In the South Central Region

Nelson Pioneer Farm
2294 Oxford Avenue
Oskaloosa, IA  
641-672-2989

Experience a world which has been all but forgotten at Nelson Pioneer Farm. Here, the whole family will want to spend a day exploring the features of the farm: an 1853 brick home, an 1856 barn, a log cabin dating back to the same century, and more, including a one-room schoolhouse and a real blacksmith shop!

In the Northeast Region

Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum
3603 236th Avenue
Burr Oak, IA  
563-735-5916

This historic location will dazzle the whole family. Laura Ingalls Wilder is most famous for her time-honored series of novels titled "Little House on the Prairie". When Wilder moved here with her family in 1876, she probably had no idea of the huge successes which lay before her in life. Explore the original site of her childhood home.

In the East Region

Edinburgh "Ghost Town" and Museum
County Home Road
Scotch Grove, IA  
563-487-3711

Experience the original site of the first county seat of Jones County, which maintained its operations from 1840 to the year of 1847, when it closed just seven years after its inception. The ghost town has been dutifully preserved, and children love to gawk at some of the fascinating structures which lay in its wake.

In the East Central Region

Communal Kitchen and Cooper Shop Museum
J Street
Amana, IA  
319-622-3567

Want to take the whole family to a destination which will teach as well as entertain? Bring them to the Communal Kitchen and Cooper Shop Museum, where unforgettable displays have preserved an authentic Amana communal kitchen house. You'll witness the kitchen area as well as the dining room, both of which have maintained a near-perfect state of preservation.

In the Southeast Region

Kline Center
112 6th Avenue
Prescott, IA  
641-322-5229

Discover a world you'd forgotten existed at the Kline Center, which has been entertaining families with its world-class collections for longer than we can remember. From a dazzling collection of antique farm machinery to vintage cars which will take you back to yesteryear, there's not a minute to be lost at this family-friendly destination.

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