Fall 2018

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FALL 2018 HOMESCHOOL IOWA 7
the summertime that you can visit and learn from. Some of the
reenactments will even allow people to spend the night with
them and participate as a reenactor. The reenactments include
time period cooking, portable blacksmithing, and trading for
goods, plus lots of historical time period information.
Sioux City has an interesting local history museum that is kid
friendly. If you have young children another brand new very
popular destination is the Launchpad, a children’s hands-on sci-
ence center that can keep the young ones investigating, explor-
ing and learning for hours. Sioux City also has an art museum
which includes a hands-on, exploration room there for children
with a Lego wall and arch, cartooning wheel, and many other
areas that are free to hang out in.
If you would rather spend some time in the outdoors there
are two wonderful Nature areas and Stone State Park that have
lots of wildlife and some hands-on exhibits can be found at both
the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center and Adams Homestead. Both
of the Nature Areas also have many classes for kids and adults
that can be utilized by signing up ahead of time. Some of the
classes take places in various areas throughout Siouxland, not
all of them are at the Nature Centers themselves.
Region 5: Is home to a 14 story bell tower in Jefferson. You
can go up to the observation deck 120 feet up where you can
view the countryside, including four rooftop art displays. In the
summer pianists give live 15-minute concerts every Saturday.
You can also enjoy canoe trips on the Raccoon River. There are
options to take 5 hour long trips or short 90-minute trips. In Ida
County, you can visit the Moorehead House Museumwhich was
constructed in 1883 by the sons of one of the first settlers here.
It was turned over to the Ida County Historical Society in 1982
with the stipulation that it would be restored in the form of a
museum. It was restored to take visitors on a real-life tour of the
late 19th Century in pioneer America. Sac City, Iowa holds the
record for having the Worlds Largest Popcorn Ball which weighs
in at over 9000 lbs! In Odebolt, you can visit the Iowa Rural
Schools Museum which honors the 12,632 schools that helped
shape Iowa’s rural history.
Region 6: Clarion is home to the Heartland Museum complex,
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a regional historical museum dedicated to life in the heartland
of America. Agriculture was, and is, the largest business in Iowa.
From the family farms of the early years to the expansive farms
today, the museum strives to preserve and celebrate our local
history. In Fort Dodge, you can visit the Fort Museum and Fron-
tier Village and schedule a learning tour to get a look into the
history of Fort Dodge as well as life in a pioneer town. The tours
are based on the State Board of Education’s social studies stan-
dards. Hardin County and Eldora are home to the Civil Conserva-
tion Corps/Prisoner of War Recreation Hall and Museum where
both the Civil Conservation Corps and Prisoners of War stayed.
There is also a Railroad Museum, Farm Museum, and the Pine
Lake State Park.
InConclusion: This feature has simply been a quick overviewof
what is available in these regions, but for a more comprehensive
list check out the Travel Iowa website at
We will focus on Southwest Iowa in our next issue, and I would love to have your input!
Email me at with your tips on places to visit, pictures of ac-
tivities, and attractions in the Southwest area of the state.