Theater and opera houses
Des Moins Metro Opera
The Des Moins Metro Opera is not in the capital of Iowa in Des Moines, as the name suggests, but in Indinanola, about 12 km from Des Moines. The opera was founded in 1973 and mainly appears as an outdoor summer opera or in the Blank Center for the Performing Arts. There is space for 488 people. The Des Moines Metro Opera has not only made a name for itself in Iowa, it also attracts visitors from other Midwest countries. Three different performances are held each year, including La Traviata, La Boheme, Lucia di Lammermoor and Rigoletto.
Grand Opera House
The Grand Opera House is located in Dubuque in Dubuque County and is one of the oldest of its kind. It was built in 1889 and has enjoyed absolute popularity since it opened a year later. Performances in the Grand Opera House were often called Hollywood-ready, for example when real horses and carriages were created for the “Ben-Hur” performance. Today the facility is primarily known for its live ballet or theater performances, as well as for lectures, cultural conferences and as a cinema.
Orpheum Theater
The Orpheum Theater in Sioux City is a cultural facility for the performing arts and music events. Originally created in 1927 as a cinema palace and variety show, after its restoration in 1999 it is mainly used for concerts and performances by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. In the past few years, well-known personalities such as B. Bob Dylan, David Copperfield, Bill Cosby or Sheryl Crow. In 2000 it was included in the national register for places of historical interest.
- See Countryaah for a full list cities and towns in Iowa. Also includes counties, airports, zip codes, and public holidays of Iowa.
Riverside Theater
The Riverside Theater in Iowa City lives by the motto “Big Drama in a small Place” – great drama in a small place. It was founded in 1981 and has set itself the goal of revolutionizing theater in Iowa. The theater tries to involve its audience in performances as much as possible and shows works from Shakespeare to modern artists. Performances take place annually at two different locations. While performances are held at Gilbert Street Theater between September and April (118 seats), for the remaining months they are held at Lower City Park (472 seats). The theater mainly employs professionally trained actors and makeup artists and works with around 1,400 different artists.
Museums and exhibitions
Des Moines
State Historical Society Museum The Des Moines State Historical Society Museum is the most important museum of Iowa history. It addresses the historical, economic and social development of the state since its founding on December 28, 1846. Numerous artifacts, documents and drawings are exhibited. Furthermore, exhibitions give an overview of popular Iowans, their lives and their successes and failures.
Des Moines Arts Center
The Des Moines Arts Center was founded in 1948 and is one of the state’s most important cultural institutions. The art museum consists of a great collection of modern art, paintings, drawings, sculptures and various media. During the year there are rotating exhibitions in its large gallery, which usually last between one and three months. The rest of the museum consists of permanent exhibitions on the works of well-known artists such as B. Claude Monet, Andy Warhol or Edward Hopper and Jasper Johns.
Cedar Rapids Museum
The Cedar Rapids Museum was founded in 1905 and is located in the city of the same name. It is a private museum that is run in conjunction with the Cedar Rapids Library, the city’s library. It presents a significant number of Iowa artists and primarily exhibits contemporary art. It has the largest collection of works by Grant Wood and Marvin Cone as well as by the painters Mauricio Lasansky and Ann Royer, which can be viewed permanently in the Cedar Rapids Museum.
Hobo Cemetery and Hobo Museum
Britt has the only hobo cemetery and a hobo museum in the United States. The approximately 2,100-resident city lies in Hancock County.
A hobo is a North American migrant worker who is usually homeless and who used freight trains illegally to travel around the country. The term comes from the words hoe (hoe) and boy (boy). The American slang word hoe for whore is also related to the term. The hobos were in their heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Well-known hobos were, for example, the writer Jack London, the country musician Boxcar Willie or the singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie.
There is now a new generation of hobos that no longer operate freight trains for economic reasons, but as a special kind of adventure and freedom.
National Czek & Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids
The National Czek & Slovak Museum was founded in 1974 and consists of a museum and an associated library. Both places address the stories of the Czechs and Slovaks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and throughout the United States. It is one of the largest of its kind and has a wide range of documents, art and various media on the cultures of the Czechs and Slovaks. After it reopened and expanded in 1995 and Bill Clinton’s eulogy for the museum’s significance, approximately 30,000 visitors appeared in Cedar Rapids in 1997. Unfortunately, the museum had to be relocated due to the great tsunami in 2008. Damage in excess of $ 11,000,000 occurred during the flood, which could never be replaced.
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History is located on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. It was founded in 1858 and is known for its extensive collection of birds, mammals and artifacts. The museum has several galleries and exhibition rooms on the subjects of nature and history. Iowa Hall is particularly informative, guiding visitors through the state’s 500 million year old geological and ecological history.
Monuments and memorials
Sergeant Floyed Monument
Located in Sioux City, right on the Missouri River, is the Sergeant Floyd Monument, which commemorates the Sergeant and Quartermaster Charles Floyd during the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806). During this, the first overland expedition, he died not far from today’s monument on a hill, where he was later buried. The 30 m high obelisk made of sandstone was first erected in his honor in 1804, renovated in 1901 and added to the register for historically interesting places in 1960.
Grotto of the Redemption
The Grotto of the Redemption Monument in West Bend is a religious monument, the construction of which began in 1912. It belongs to the Diocese of Sioux City, a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. The monument is said to be the only fully completed monument made of fossils, minerals, shells, and silicification that is hand-made in one place. It is made up of nine different but contiguous grottoes that reflect different scenes from the life of Jesus and is the largest of its kind. The value of the Grotto of Redemption is estimated at $ 4,308,000.
