Eldon, Iowa is best known as the home of the American Gothic House, immortalized in Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” painting, which now serves as a museum and cultural attraction that draws visitors from across the country. Leading from the museum and into the heart of the sleepy city of Eldon, the Chippewa Creek Trail provides the opportunity to get in some exercise and outdoor recreation on your visit, taking in some of the natural beauty of rural Iowa.
Chippewa Creek Disc Golf Course
The Chippewa Creek Disc Golf Course was expanded to 18 holes in the fall of 2023. Work on the concrete pads and signage is still in progress. The course is located on the same property as the American Gothic House Center and Museum.
American Gothic House and Center
Visit the house that inspired one of the most iconic pieces of American art…
Dating back to the early 1870’s, Eldon’s Depot served the needs of both local travelers and the U.S. postal service. The depot is currently used as a railroad museum with numerous items on display. It also serves as a meeting place for morning coffee Monday through Friday and as a welcome center for city wide activities.
The McHaffey Opera House was constructed in 1891 and was in use through the 1940s. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 1995, after community volunteers formed a nonprofit corporation to save and restore it. There is a Thrift Sale on the lower level that is a fundraiser for upkeep and restoration.
What is the Work Horse Barn you ask? It is a unique barn built on the passion for the history of the workhorse and equipment. The Work Horse Barn was built on the Wapello County Fairgrounds property in Eldon, IA, but is its own entity. Our non-profit organization has a 99-year lease for the property that the barn was built on. The Work Horse Barn is a museum providing a place for exhibitors to perform live demonstrations of these functional antique pieces, and teach the way of the past, and bring great history into the future, for it to never be forgotten.
The Wapello County Regional Fair is held each year in June and is located at the original site of the BIG 4 FAIR, which was organized in 1890, along the north bank of the Des Moines River.
There is one original building left on the fairgounds – The Art Hall – which was later renamed Hollenbeck Hall. The building is located at the South end of the Grandstand. The brick building has four sides with four doors. Each side represents a county – represented when the BIG 4 FAIR ASSOCIATION was established.
The Lockkeeper’s House, built in 1845, is located south of Eldon, along the Des Moines River in Davis County, Iowa. The building served only as a residence, having never been used for the locks, which were never built. The Lockkeeper’s House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 2009.
