We try to keep this list of historic house museums for Iowa current, but it is best to check directly with the museums for their hours and other information.
If you know of a historic house museum not in our list, please submit it.
If you are the director of a museum in our listings and you would like to claim your listing so you are able to maintain your listing yourself, please email us at info@vpa.org and we will set you up.
The Walter house is an example of a simplified style of house Frank Lloyd Wright developed and called "Usonian". The plan for the Walter house follows the characteristic "tadpole" form Read More
This restored Victorian home of Lumber Baron George M. Curtis is a fine example of period architecture with its original Tiffany glass windows, delicately carved banisters, ornate wood trim and massive fireplaces. Read More
This authentically furnished late-Victorian 10-room residence built in 1895, exhibits artifacts and photographs from Grinnell's history, among them the Wooten desk of J.B. Grinnell, the town's founder. Read More
Nestled on the eastern edge of the historic Sherman Hill district in Des Moines, Iowa, Hoyt Sherman Place boasts one of Des Moines' most magnificent entertainment, banquet and meeting facilities. Built in 1877 by prominent pioneer businessman Hoyt Sherman, the elegant family home is graced with marble fireplaces, parquet floors and a carved mahogany entryway. Expanded over the years,… Read More
The museum complex contains the Mill Farm House, a barn, log cabin,schoolhouse and other small buildings. The 13 room farm house was built in 1879 and is decorated with Victorian furnishings. Read More
The 600 acre agriculture museum includes among many structures a Victorian mansion. Read More
The English tudor style mansion houses a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century American art. Read More
They have a house. You'll have to go to their website because they want to make it hard to copy a snippet of their text for the description. Read More
The stately country villa stands today as a living reflection of its wealthy builder. Inside the homes elegant American and European furnishings exemplify the opulent Victorian lifestyle of a booming river town during the antebellum period. John F. Rague designed this distinctive example of the Italian Villa style of architecture. As architect for the Old State Capitols of Illinois… Read More
Journey into the past at the home of Iowa's 12th governor, William Larrabee and Anna Larrabee, his wife. Enjoy a guided tour to see and hear how the Larrabee family furnished and maintained this 1874 vintage brick and natural limestone mansion for more than 100 years. All of the furnishings are original to the house. the State Historical Society… Read More
Founded in 1844, the Nelson homestead is one of the premier historic attractions in Mahaska County. The Nelson home, built in 1853, and the Nelson barn, built in 1856, are the focal point of the museum and are designated National Historic Sites by the U.S. Department of Interior. Read More
The Historical Village Complex is the restoration project of the Pella Historical Society. Twenty-four buildings surround a courtyard with red brick walkways, blossoming trees, and beautiful tulip gardens. Some of the buildings have been on the site for more than 150 years; others were moved in and restored. Read More
The beautiful Phelps House Museum stately graces the top of Snake Alley, known as the Crookedest street in the world. Family treasures from three generations of the Garret-Phelps family fill this Victorian Mansion home. Discover the Medical Memories of Burlington in the first Protestant Hospital in Des Moines County. Read More
Benjamin Franklin Allen, Iowa's first millionaire, built Terrace Hill as his family home. Construction of this 18,000-square-foot home began in 1866 and was completed in 1869. The original cost of $250,000 included the Mansion, Carriage House, all of the furnishings, and approximately 30 acres of land. The house contained very modern features for its time, such as hot and… Read More
The Farm House Museum boasts a large collection consisting of 19th and early 20th century decorative arts, furnishings and material culture reflecting Iowa State and Iowa heritage. Objects include furnishings from Carrie Chapman Catt and Charles Curtiss, a wide variety of quilts, a modest collection of textiles and apparel, and various china and glassware items. Entering the Farm House… Read More
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a wonderful example of Victorian Italianate architecture, The Granger House Victorian Museum is the only restored middle-class family home in the Cedar Rapids area. Occupied by a single family for nearly 100 years, the house contains many of its original furnishings and is arranged to reflect the lifestyle of a… Read More
In 1869, Dodge built his handsome Victorian home at the cost of $35,000, a lavish sum for that day. The fourteen-room, three-story mansion stands on a high terrace overlooking the Missouri Valley, and displays such architectural features as parquet floors, cherry, walnut and butternut woodwork, and a number of "modern"" conveniences quite unusual for the period." Read More
This house museum illustrates the life and times of it's owners, Adelbert and Grace Porter, with their personal furnishings, collections, art work, photographs, and library. Read More
Azel D. Barnum, a contractor, built the house in 1863. Mr. Barnum designed the house in the Italianate style. Typical of this style is the square structure and the cupola. Today, the home is furnished with artifacts dating from 1880 - 1900. Read More
The Wallace House is the home of Uncle Henry Wallace; publisher of Wallaces' Farmer; his son, Henry C. Wallace, was US Secretary of Agriculture, 1921-1924; his grandson, Henry A. Wallace, was US Secretary of Agriculture, 1933-1940, US Vice-President, 1940-1944 and ran for President in 1948. House Museum shares the legacy of the Wallaces of public service and its impact… Read More