This is a really cool monument in Iowa history. There is a lot of history to learn here, and the…read morebuilding architecture and decor is really neat. It's all free too! The only reason we didn't give it 5 stars is parking is a little difficult to obtain to get to the building, and there's not TONS of info in the building. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

A must-see in Iowa City. Free! Swing by here before or after you visit the Museum of Natural…read more History Museum in Macbride Hall. We've lived in Iowa City and worked on campus for a couple of years and (I'm embarrassed to say) finally visited. Pre-1857 Iowa City was the capital of the state of Iowa. This building is THE former state capital. I loved seeing how the building and its artifacts have been preserved. A heck of a lot of history here. We'll be back because there was a private event going on upstairs so we weren't able to explore those floors. Recommend. Consider donating to the museum/university's preservation efforts.

We randomly came upon Plum Grove while on a bike ride and it's quite the fun little spot to stop in…read moreat. They're open from 1-5 Wed-Sun and we learned from the sign that the National Society of The Colonial Dames helps out here! Kind of a fun little 20 minute excursion where you can explore a house that was effectively a mansion in the 1840's and today is on the small side of anywhere. The grounds have plenty of reader boards w/ fun facts about what used to go on here and there was even a community garden that is apparently usable. Good place to go explore for a bit and learn a little about how things used to be!

We came and did a little tour here, it's a fun little hidden gem in the middle of Iowa City. It's a…read morecool old house, grounds and gardens that are in surprisingly good shape. The tour is free, and because not many people come it's basically a private tour every time. The tour guides are knowledgeable, friendly, and fun. Ours was very good with my daughter who was just learning how to walk and wanted to get into everything. The grounds are also quite beautiful, with an herb garden, a flower garden, and a vegetable garden, as well as huge old trees. There is plenty of space to picnic there, and it's very peaceful. I really enjoyed spending an hour here and would recommend it!

Love, love, love this museum. Nestled right on the Pentacrest of The University of Iowa campus, we…read morereally do have an amazing resource in our own backyard (for those of us who live in the Eastern Iowa corridor area, at least). The museum hasn't changed much since I last visited 10+ years ago, but that's okay. Rusty the Sloth and the polar bear in the gift shop are staples. Macbride Hall houses the Department of Anthropology at U of I. Wouldn't it be cool to see these artifacts every day as a student? The pair of lions in Mammal Hall were placed in an enclosed case in 202 (previously not enclosed) and a nice mural was painted behind them. From what I could tell, that's the most recent update to one of the museum's exhibits. Museum is free, but a donation is suggested. Please don't skip the donation box located near the guestbook in the gift shop. As indicated in a previous review, some of the exhibits have become quite 'well-loved.' Interactive features no longer work, particularly in the Hall of Birds. Mammal Hall is my most favorite, but there's so much to learn from each area of the museum. The museum covers 3 floors of Macbride Hall. Take the stairs and work those quads! Elevator available as well. Due to the summer season museum hours are a little different, so I'd call ahead or check the website for details. Parking during the summer on the street is easy to find. $1.50/hour. Highly recommend!

Great spot to walk around and explore with kids. Staff was friendly, fun scavenger hunt.read more

I wandered past this iconic and historic piece of Iowa City Railroad history during a recent Iowa…read moreCity walk. Although the interior of this building looks like it's used for offices, the exterior (day or night) is a sight to behold, especially if you're like me and love all things trains., This old Rock Island Line station was in use for passenger rail operations beginning in 1898, replacing the town's first depot from 1855. This station remained in service until 1970, when passenger rail service was initially discontinued to Iowa City. And as things turn out, As consideration is being made to starting up passenger train service to and from Chicago, it would be cook to give this station another go, especially regarding its proximity to Downtown Iowa City and the SUI Campus.

Coralville has always been the slightly more skanky sister to Iowa City, the one who will go all…read morethe way with developers on the first date, used to have a stripping club (which has now become the Iowa River Landing), dislikes local option taxes and is something like $280 million in debt. I remember that someone wrote a dissertation about the Coralville Strip back in the early 1970's but I'm not sure if that was in Urban and Regional Planning, Sociology, or Anthropology, or American Studies. Nevertheless, Coralville has a history of experimentation with capitalism which Iowa City really only flirted with. Back in the 1980's their police had Southern accents. Oh, and their water has always been good. Iowa City gets the glory, but Coralville gets everything else.

I enjoyed this City. It has a great mall, the area is full of life with solid amenities, growing…read morestructures, easy access to the highway with low traffic. Great selection of stores and hobbies to fit your lifestyle that you can get in your typical big city. Really enjoyed my time here.

This is a roadside attraction that delivers on its promises, that is that it's a large wooden…read morenickle. I'm not sure if it's the world's largest, but this is the first wooden nickle that I've seen and so it's my personally largest. There's a gravel lot that you can pull into (although you have to pass through a gate that says it's private property, so your mileage will vary on if it's open) to take photos. I didn't cross the road to get up and close with it since the road was quite busy. I'm kind of disappointed that there's no path that you can walk on to see it, but then again, this is a fairly low effort attraction. There's no amenities that it offers, nor any signs explaining it, but then again it is free. Would I stop here again? If it was on the way, sure, but I wouldn't make a trip solely to see this.

How crazy is it that Iowa City has one of the last remaining successful ped malls in the US? Back…read morein the day there were hundreds in the country, now less than 50 remain. It's no wonder Iowa City's pedestrian mall is thriving as it boasts amazing locally owned eateries, shops and businesses. I adore the attention to detail with painted benches, amazing murals and the ICDD consistently bringing art installations to the Ped Mall. Additionally, there is a nice new accessible playground in the middle, along with a great stage area. There is shade, plenty of seating-- it is great for people watching!

The ped mall is the local Iowa City downtown walking area that contains restaurants, the public…read morelibrary, retail shops, hotels, bars, and outdoor seating areas. A home to many a festival as well as the IC homeless! There is a large play area of children, more benches than you can shake a stick at and an area with water spouts that make arches for kids to run under. There are a plethora of bars and restaurants in the ped mall, the majority of which have outdoor seating, perfect for a drink or bite on a nice evening. Additionally, there is often live music on the ped mall, be it from choirs, local musicians or, periodically, more well known artists. A nice place to kick back and relax on a nice afternoon or catch a bit to eat in the evening!

true locus of the city of iowa city. been regular for years if not decades and always feels like…read morestopping in home. even if I can't find much to read generally, being such elitist literary prick, can nearly always get my goodies from the interlibrary loans. ‍ another auxilliary goodie, get your free tax filing help come the IRS harvest time.

Having been going to the Coralville library for recent years, the Iowa city location was a welcome…read moresurprise. Once you get over the parking and charging for printing, this is a far superior option with little offices and cozy reading nooks that you just don't get in Coralville. Really love this layout

The Englert Theatre is an Iowa City treasure…read more I had the pleasure of attending the Nutcracker with my family this past weekend and The Englert Theatre did not disappoint. The theatre is well maintained; it's a cozy space and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Additionally, the staff is passionate and insanely helpful. The Theatre was opened over 100 years ago (1912) by a husband and wife (the Englerts) -- it actually used to be a stable. Mr. Englert passed away in 1920 and it changed ownership (of which ended up running the theatre for 80 years before selling). It almost burned down in 1926 but after a huge amount of fundraising, was rebuilt to its 1920s glory and charm. Eventually, the City of Iowa City was persuaded to purchase the theater and hold it in trust until funds could be raised for a newly formed nonprofit to purchase and renovate the space. In 2004, after an immense amount of fundraising, the Englert returned to the community with its first live performance in over 40 years. Truly, a Downtown Iowa City, gem. The Englert has two huge festivals each year -- Mission Creek and Witching Hour. Beside that you can catch a plethora of different shows throughout the year-- all of which seem to be priced accordingly. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 rating, vs 5. I only say that because in my nearly 30 years as an Iowa City resident, I can't say many of the shows have attracted me to attend. Additionally, concessions are limited. I must note: my mother-in-law wasn't insanely thrilled with how handicapped accessible the bathrooms were. (Though there is an elevator and there are wheelchair accessible seating areas on both floors.) Iowa City has a parking problem, so it's not the Englert's fault. I'd recommend the Dubuque Street Parking Ramp. But all in all, how lucky are we to have The Englert live and thrive in Iowa City?

I finally got an inside look at the Englert Theatre while attending the Social Brand Forum and what…read morea regal event space this is! The antique qualities of the building have been well-restored and there's a level of nostalgia to the space that makes me eager to return for future performances. There are certain details that could use updating (like the elevator, oh lordie), but considering this theatre was rescued from becoming condemned and is now run by a community-involved non-profit, it's definitely a space that I look forward to revisiting soon.