Muscatine County offers a variety of ways to shape a trip: water and nature, trails along the Mississippi, and museums and local history. Deep Lakes Park brings together landscape history and water. It was created from a former gravel and sandstone quarry; its many lakes and ponds encompass more than 120 acres of clear, deep water.
Parks, Trails and Waterways
At Lake Chester in Deep Lakes Park, there is a designated swimming beach. Swimming is permitted only at this beach. There is also a paved 1.4-mile trail for walking and biking. Water and outdoor activity are therefore central here, alongside the history of the former mining site.
Discovery Park offers a different nature experience: this 100-acre natural area is set in an urban environment and includes walking trails, fishing ponds and an Environmental Learning Center. The park also offers public nature programs. Visitors interested in the landscape and nature education will find both trails and programs here.
Along the Cedar River, the 675-acre Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area is a park and wildlife area. Floodplain forest, open fields, streams and wetlands define the area. These landscape types are quite different from the many lakes and ponds at Deep Lakes Park.
The Running River Trail System runs along the Mississippi River and passes historic Weed Park and the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge. Riverside Park has ample parking for vehicles with boat trailers. Fairport Fish Hatchery has 18 ponds and raises largemouth bass, sunfish and walleye for stocking Iowa waters. Tours can be arranged for groups; if you are planning one, make arrangements in advance.
Museums and History
The Muscatine Art Center displays paintings, objects connected to Muscatine’s past, decorative arts, historic rooms and a Japanese garden. The museum’s Mississippi River Collection includes depictions of cities, places and communities along the river, from its headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. The collection documents these places historically and aesthetically, offering a broad view of life along the Mississippi.
The National Pearl Button Museum focuses on the immigrant entrepreneurs and workers, as well as the buttons and shells, that made Muscatine famous. Admission is free. The museum offers an introduction to an important part of local history, from the raw materials to the work and entrepreneurship involved.
The Muscatine County Home Dairy Barn was built in 1926 as part of the Muscatine County Poor Farm, also known as the Muscatine County Home. Dairy cows were kept in the barn. The cream was sold, while the milk and butter served the residents of the home. The building can therefore be connected to the agricultural provisioning of the facility at the time.
The nonprofit Sino-US Friendship House is a museum in the Muscatine home where Xi Jinping stayed during a visit in 1985. Tours are available by appointment only. If you plan to visit, arrange your appointment before your trip. On Muscatine’s riverfront, there is also the unofficial sculpture World's Largest Watermelon Slice. It was installed in fall 2023 and is illuminated in the evening.
In Wilton, Wilton Candy Kitchen is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the world’s oldest continuously operating ice cream parlor with a soda fountain. The business was established in 1860 and has served ice cream, meals and sweets for more than 150 years. If you plan to visit, check its hours before setting out.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
When looking for a hotel in Muscatine County, you can first decide which themes you want to shape your trip: natural areas and trails, Mississippi connections, museums or historic sites. For a mix of culture and landscape, consider organizing your planned visits before choosing where to stay. Keep in mind the specific visit requirement at the Sino-US Friendship House and the option to arrange group tours at Fairport Fish Hatchery.
Discover more destinations: Muscatine, West Liberty, Johnson, Lucas County, Dickinson County, Palo Alto County, Ida County, Cerro Gordo County.
For the broader travel overview: Iowa.
