Historic Buildings of Iowa: Council Bluffs Day Tour

Hop on the motorcoach in Council Bluffs and get ready for a fun day bringing what you see on our air to life! Join Friends of Iowa PBS on June 27 for a day tour to Council Bluffs to visit four of the sites featured in the latest installment in the Historic Buildings of Iowa series.

First up is a visit to the General Dodge House. Perhaps one of Council Bluffs’ most famous residents, Gen. Grenville M. Dodge has been called “the greatest railroad builder of all time.” A Civil War veteran, Dodge’s involvement in political, financial and military affairs made him an associate of many of the most influential Americans of his time and counsel to presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.  

Next is a visit to the Squirrel Cage Jail Museum. Built in 1885, this jail boasts a unique revolving design with spinning cage cells. It's the only three-story rotary jail ever made. 

Then it's on to the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center. The center was created from renovations of the Harvester II Building. Positioned directly along the rail lines of the Council Bluffs Subdivision, the Harvester II building was once a dealer and distribution center for the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, later known as International Harvester, from the 1890s until it was closed in 1964. The building remained mostly unused after closing, until renovation and expansion began for the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center.

Our last stop is the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. The museum is located in a beautiful and unique Beaux Arts-style building that formerly housed the Council Bluffs Carnegie Free Public Library. After the library moved to a new facility, the building was established as the home for Union Pacific's Historical Collections with a mission to share American history through the lens of the railroad and connecting generations who have been impacted by Union Pacific.

Pledge your support to join us on this unique day tour.