Scenic routes  › Iowa

Grant Wood Scenic Byway

Step into a Grant Wood painting as you traverse this scenic byway that stretches seventy-five miles from Stone City to the Mississippi River. The Grant Wood Scenic Byway passes through the hometown of this iconic American artist and the beautiful settings that inspired him. The surrounding countryside is a patchwork of striking farmland and limestone bluffs connecting three rivers—Wapsipinicon, Maquoketa and Mississippi. Wetlands dot the landscape and three Iowa state parks provide beautiful and historic places to enjoy the outdoors. Beyond scenic vistas, the byway surprises visitors with a prison museum next door to a late 19th-century, castle-like penitentiary that still houses inmates, plus three wineries, a microbrewery and the National Motorcycle Museum. It will come as no surprise that art is one of its star attractions. Explore the Grant Wood Art Gallery and site of the famed Stone City Art Colony co-founded by Wood, and peruse work created by present day artists at the Maquoketa and Bellevue art galleries. Aspiring artists won’t want to miss attending a workshop at the Maquoketa Art Experience. Come for the inspiring landscapes and discover all that the Grant Wood Scenic Byway has to offer.

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