About this city
Eldon is a quiet, historically heavy rural prairie city positioned flatly along the winding waters of the Des Moines River in southeastern Iowa. Established in 1870 during the rapid construction boom of the Keokuk and Des Moines Railroad, it thrived for decades as a vital steam-engine repair terminal and bustling coal-shipping depot. Eldon holds an immortalized position in global pop culture and art history as the home of the simple white board-and-batten cottage that Grant Wood utilized as the backdrop for his legendary 1930 masterpiece 'American Gothic.'
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1 day
Pose with overalls and a pitchfork in front of the authentic American Gothic House, view railroad history at the historic McHaffey Opera House, and explore regional trails near the river.
