My husband and I came here before the football game. We were literally the only people here. All…read moreSullivan brothers sadly passed serving our country in the armed services. There are neat military artifacts. We also got a free Vietnam book for our military son. There were theaters with films showing more history. Lots of reading. There is a gift shop and I got some rubber military bracelets for 50 cents. The museum is also connected to Grout Museum. The toy display was cool. Price was $20 each with planetarium show or $15 admission without planetarium show.

This was my first time traveling to this location and found it captivating. The museum was large…read moreand had countless artifacts, photographs, and posters. Each time period had its own categorized section which made everything neatly organized. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in the history surrounding wars and other correlating areas, to visit this location. All items in the facility tell their own unique history!

What a cool little museum tucked away in Gladbrook. It would be easy to overlook, but is certainly…read moreworth a stop. The variety of sculptures made of matchsticks in the museum is cool, and from reading the materials and pictures there, it also makes me want to check out some of the artists other works that are held at Ripley's locations. The detail of the work and sheer volume of pieces in each of these is stunning.

Let me just say from the get-go, I was not looking forward to visiting this place. We went to…read moreappease a relative the day after Thanksgiving. It was a 45 minute drive. I wanted to veg. But, it was a cool spot. I'm not sure there's anything else to see in town (but we were told that the little grocery store was giving away free ice cream). Amazing stuff here. I have no idea how he does the carvings (like on the capitol complex cornices). I would recommend and I did have to eat my words.

Unique museums are a thing of mine. I seek them out. I first heard about this gallery several years…read moreago, while living out of state. Since we recently relocated to Iowa, I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit. The Salt & Pepper Shaker Gallery didn't disappoint. Where else can you see 12,000 pairs of shakers on display this side of the Mississippi? Holy moly. Hands down, awesome. When we arrived there were a couple of sweet ladies sitting around a table behind the main counter. We were quickly greeted by Ellen who also led us on a wonderful tour of the gallery. Shakers included everything from plastic to bone china. Mrs. Rasmussen, the original owner of the collection, collected it all - beginning in the 1950s. Bobbers, nodders, huggers, kissers, and hangers--I never knew so many different kind of S & P's existed. Everything is categorized by circus/clowns, dogs, cats, squirrels, owls, frogs, skunks, Christmas, advertising, political, Disney, Looney Tunes, Fiesta, silver, Noah's Ark, Around the World, Iowa, food, etc. I really liked the particular line of Parkraft shakers from all 50 states (yes, they have the entire collection). Shakers from other countries, and the shakers collected from the Iowa State Fair over the years were also at the top of my list. We could have spent a lot more time at the gallery looking at each individual case, but Ellen does a great job of giving a general overview of what's in each display. They even have a small risqué collection that the keep behind a cabinet so that children can't see them. :-P Shakers are housed very nicely behind glass cases. Nothing is overcrowded and the lighting in the gallery is ample for viewing all of the pieces. Gallery is located just off the main street in Traer. Hours are 1-5pm Tuesday-Saturday. Large groups should call ahead of time. It a nice sized gallery so expect to spend at least 1 hour here (for the guided tour alone). Plenty of free parking. The building the gallery houses is lovingly maintained. Ellen is wonderful. You can't beat the $5 price of admission. If possible, consider gifting even more. The gallery depends on the admissions from visitor's to pay their utility bills. Highly recommend the Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery in Traer! ***note: if you like seeing 'collections' like this, The American Toby Jug Museum in Evanston, Illinois is a must-see as well. ***

I absolutely loved this place. Of course I had low expectations, but we encountered Greg the…read morevolunteer who was a great conversationalist and made sure to point out some unique specimens and also we spoke about views of the world. It was an absolute pleasure. I would normally budget 30 minutes or so, but we stayed an hour!

A beautiful theatre set on a beautiful Main Street in small town Iowa. There are balconies and gold…read morepaint and decor. It's lovely. We found ourselves at the theatre tonight for the first time for a Vintage Hitchcock Radio Show. We stopped by an hour before the show to purchase tickets. Much to our dismay, we found out there is a $2 fee per ticket to use a credit card. A kind woman behind us stepped up and offered to purchase our tickets for us. Her husband was in the show, and she said she was more than happy to do so. It was very kind of her, and I hope we can one day pay it forward. This is an example of the shining community at the theatre. Everyone was warm and welcoming. I cannot wait to go back and see another show in the future!

Great place to go no matter what the weather is. Love that…read morethey let adults in the bounce houses I think I have more fun then the kids do!!!! Also it's a great place to have your kids birthday party they let you bring in any food and drinks that you like for no extra charge. The lady that runs the place also puts on princess shows sometimes that my daughter just loves:)

As awesome as it get's in Waterloo Iowa. Lots of big bounce houses, things to do for kids of all…read moreages. Inexpensive and tons of physical fun when the weather is either too hot or too cold.

What a great greenhouse/botanical center on a beautiful campus. My sister works at UNI and…read moresuggested we check this out just because of the cacti collection. I was expecting one green house, not a maze of amazing ecosystems. I also wasn't expecting the two parrots that greet visitors in one of the houses (with the amazing banana trees). (Sorry about all the "amazings".) I'll let the pictures speak for the rest of review. Open from 8-4 and it's free. Although this is in the middle of campus, visitors are welcome.

The cost of this event is ridiculous if you only want to spend a day. They hype it as a bargain for…read morea 3 day event but to be honest, one day is more than enough. I personally find this Irish Fest boring and there's very little selection of vendors selling actual Irish cuisine or goods (mostly pizza or Mexican food along with other fried fair food and donuts). I have to go every year due to a family member loving it but I immediately start dreading the next year's event as soon as the current one is over. Also, you cannot make a fun family day, picnic style, of the event. No purses or coolers are allowed. Because I cannot digest fried junk food very well, I literally bake in the sun all day on an empty stomach. $35 for a day of torture!!! Ugh!

Love this event. Buy tickets in advance and have a weekend full of family friendly fun. Food and…read moredrinks available for purchase. No coolers or outside drinks allowed.non smoking event but a few always ruin the fun. Huge park area which means there is plenty of room for kids to run and play. Always a great time! Tons of live music as long as you like Irish you will love it. Being a chair or blanket or find a seat on the I comfy bleachers. Backpacks welcome but don't try and sneak anything in because they look. Lots to do and it is easily an all weekend event. Oh, wear your kilt.... Everyone is doing it!

It's a great place to play machine and the owner is a very nice person too…read more And the people that work there are very nice people as well