Iowa Barnstorming Adventure - September 13-14

If you are looking for something different to do on a September weekend, consider taking a self guided tour of Iowa’s historic barns. 

The Iowa Barn Foundation is holding its 25th Annual All-State Barn Tour on Saturday and  Sunday, September 13-14, featuring over 100 barns across the state that will be available for  visiting inside and out from 9-5 both days. Iowa is proud to host the largest barn tour in the  country! 

The fall tour highlights barns that have received a restoration grant from the foundation and  those that have received an Award of Distinction or Preservation Award for restoration funded by  the owner. Many of the owners will be on hand to share their memories and regard for the  structures and answer your questions.  

This year’s tour has a record 103 stops, including 16 barns on the tour for the first time. If you  have only seen barns from the road, you are missing out on the true beauty which lies within.  That is where you will see the true craftsmanship that went into the construction of these  “cathedrals on the prairie.” The tour includes 11 round barns, which are some of the most rare  and unique barns in the state. Tour participants won’t be limited to just seeing barns. They will  also see corn cribs, a wood silo, a poultry house, and a couple of agriculture museums. This is  great multi-generation weekend activity for the whole family to experience history “in the real.” 

The self-guided fall tour is free and open to the public, made possible by member donors. An  interactive online tour guide can be found at iowabarnfoundation.org/barn-tours. Member  donors receive the foundation’s spring and fall magazines in their mailboxes filled with barn  photos and stories as well as a printed tour guide and map. Learn more about membership at  iowabarnfoundation.org/product/membership. Questions can be emailed to  iowabarnfoundation@gmail.com. 

As a volunteer-led non-profit, the Iowa Barn Foundation’s goal is to maximize member  donations to provide restoration grants to save the state’s historic barns. Since being founded  in 1997, the foundation has given out $2.4 million dollars in grants to help save over 300 barns.  Member donors receive our spring and fall magazines in their mailboxes filled with barn photos