On my way through Iowa, I planned a stop at this museum because I wanted to explore my heritage and…read morelearn more about where my family came from. It's a very well put together museum, not large, but I learned a lot and I spent a good hour going through the exhibits. I think there was a film but I skipped it in the interest of time. I feel a bit bad because I was the only visitor in the place and I hope they get more visitors. It's a very nice museum and considering the contributions that the many Czech and Slovak immigrants have made to America, worthwhile to see.

I went on a date with my boyfriend to visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum. Staff at the…read morefront desk was very friendly and helpful about the exhibit. It turned out to be a really neat exhibit, with lots of interesting information provided everywhere you turned. I liked seeing the rotating mannequins displaying the different outfits worn by the Czech and Slovak people. I also liked reading about their different foods associated with their culture. We both enjoyed our time there very much! The gift shop at the end of the exhibit was filled with all sorts of neat traditional items of the Czech and Slovak culture. All Very Cool! I definitely recommend for everyone to visit this museum at least once in your life!

Another great time in Amana for Oktoberfest…read more We were here all week but spent the most time in town on Friday. The weather was great. We did quite a bit of shopping at the quaint shops in town, then had lunch under the Oktoberfest tent. The Trotter (smoked pork shank) was excellent! We made our way into Festhall and sat with our friends and was entertained by Barefoot Becky and her band. Saturday brought the rain to Oktoberfest but there were still a lot of people in town. We look forward to our next time here in Amana at a future Oktoberfest.

I went to Amana Oktoberfest while going to the Amana Wurst Festival. I met up with some friends and…read morewe went and explored the Festival. I loved getting the Amana Wurst Festival pint mug that was made out of silicone and tie-dyed in color; however, I feel like it was way overpriced, as it cost $17 and then I had to pay for the beer inside of it and it was $5 per fill. The Festival was kind of a disappointment with the disorganization of events hosted during the Festival and with the long lines that you had to wait in just to taste a piece of what they were selling. And oh boy if you were in the wrong line, or if you wanted to try more than one item, then you pretty much had to be there all day with the slow-moving lines. It seemed like the whole event could have been planned out better with the landscaping available. I will probably not be making it back to this event.

This was our second time here now with grandma and also youngest one too. This place is the best…read morechildren's museum in central Iowa. Des Moines tried with a newer one but we love this one inside the coralridge mall. It is super convenient to have lunch or grab soda or coffee to recharge. Admission was half off with ACM reciprocal children's museum membership. Gift shop is a bit overpriced and lacking toys. Our kids loved the grocery and bank. Also upstairs has toddler and also quiet room for baby nursing or just peace and quiet.

It was torrentially down pouring and time to take a stop on our cross country road trip, we got off…read morethe exit to walk around a target since a playground was out and saw signs for The Iowa Children's Museum. So glad we saw the signs this place was amazing it was just what our 2 year olds need to burn off some energy after 2ish hours in the car with many more to go. It was surprisingly large, has so many different rooms with different themes for the kids to explore. We let the kids play for close to 2 hours than grabbed food at the mall food court and went back on our way.

Herbert Hoover was our 31st president, in which he served from 1929- 1933. He served right when the…read moreUS went into the Great Depression. He only served one term and lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt when he tried to run for office a second time. Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa. He was born into a religious Quaker family. Unfortunately he became an orphan at only 9 years old, but was raised by his uncle in Oregon. After he graduated from Stanford, he went into mining. He actually ended up becoming a mining engineer, working in Australia, where he made most of his fortune in mining. He was one of the first presidents to forgo his presidential salary and donate most of it to his charity. Herbert Hoover met his wife at Stanford, while she was perusing a teaching degree. They got married the day before they left for China. He was under contract to the Chinese government in which he investigated the conditions in Chinese mines and would make his recommendations for improvement. They ended up living in Tientsin. Lou Hoover learned how to speak and write Chinese during their stay. Over the next 14 years, they ended up traveling all over the world. Lou Hoover gave birth to two sons. This presidential library does have a national historical site, in which you can view Herbert Hoover's birthplace cottage, his school house, the blacksmith shop his father owned and worked at, and also can visit the visitor center. The historical site is free. However the presidential library, which is right around the corner, does charge for admission ($10 for adults aged 16 and older, $3 for children aged 3- 15, $5 for seniors, military and college students). After you are done visiting the library, you should head out to the gravesite of Herbert Hoover and his wife. This presidential library is my 12th of 13 libraries that I have already visited (although there are 14 presidential libraries, please note that Obama's is not currently ready and open to the public to visit yet). I really enjoy presidential history and found that this library seems to have less information than the other presidential libraries that I have visited. There is not as much about the president himself growing up and the first wife. Also there is very little information about his children. So it may not take as long to visit this library if you read everything, my husband and I were here about 90 minutes, which includes watching the introductory video near the lobby of the library. Herbert Hoover's youngest Son, Allan Hoover, purchased his father's birthplace cottage and restored it. This eventually lead to the national historical site that I had mentioned earlier and the construction of this presidential library. Overall, I really enjoyed our visit. I especially enjoyed the flour sacks exhibit. This exhibit covered Herbert Hoover's initiative to help provide food relief to children in Belgium and also aid prisoners of war. Part of this program helped to raise funds by selling empty flour sacks that were made of cotton. The flour sacks were made into clothing, accessors, pillows, bags, etc. Some had embroider, some were painted on or stenciled on the fabric. Herbert Hoover was given several hundred of these special decorated flour sacks as gifts, in which you can see some on display in this exhibit. This exhibit has one of the largest collection of WWI flour sacks in the world.

Although I haven't been here since I was a fifth grader in elementary school, when your family from…read moreNew York City comes out and wants some Iowa culture this is obvious a spot in the area after you've run out of bars, bars, and football. The museum is pretty thorough, interactive, clean, and modern and also has rotating exhibits. If you for some reason wanted to go more than once a decade. Always nice to be able to tour inside the nearby original house and other time era structures on your own, which is a very cool and trusting thing. The price is normal for Iowa. I think it was between 10 and $15 a person for entrance but these days it always changes so make sure to check if that's an issue. I do remember that they have discounts for students and children.

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.

Such an exquisite building! The acoustics are equally incredible…read more We saw Joe Bonomassa and it was a treat to enjoy both the music and the venue.

Great historical venue suitable for all types of shows! Architecture is very interesting. Seats can…read morebe a little small for larger patrons, but overall the experience was very good.

Always looking to try new places, this one appeared on my radar. A small store front on main…read morestreet Mt. Vernon, it's a nice addition to the downtown. They have wine, antiques. Some local beers-in cans, and an assortment of snacks and salads. The ambiance is somewhat like walking into grandma's house. Comfortable and cozy. They do have a patio that was not an option on The day hi visited due to the weather and I understand they have a lower level available for events. The staff was friendly and helpful with a selection of their wines. I've liked their wines for some time, so no surprises there. A definite stop or go to place for an intimate evening with friends.

This is a wonderful winery to visit, I bought two bottles on the way out! If your in the are you…read moreshould definitely stop by!

A delightful celebration of the confluence of all things Coralville and all things America!…read more The parade starts at 10 with the flag dudes, who always seem to be about 10 minutes ahead of everything else. The myriad of floats include everything from political and religious organizations, to most of the news stations in town. Just about everyone throws candy and 2 or 3 toss waters or otter pops - on a hot day, those sugar bombs are worth their weight in whatever precious metal you prefer! A great place to kill a few hours with the kiddos every 4th of July and somewhere you'll most certainly get all the candy you desire!