Now home to the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Urban Education, the Chicago Great Western Railroad built this historic freight depot in 1903. It is the only steam railroad depot remaining in Waterloo and represents the significant role railroads played in the growth and prosperity of the city. The building is utilitarian in appearance but does feature large round arches connected by a band consisting of a smooth concrete blocks, molding, and light-colored brick. The exterior is built of rough-cast concrete blocks, which reflects its industrial purpose. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The Black Hawk County Soldiers Memorial Hall, also known as the Veterans Memorial Hall, is a Classical Revival veterans hall built from 1915 to 1916 by the Grand Army of the Republic as a memorial to soldiers who died in the American Civil War. The front exterior of the building features a fountain that honors Union veterans and a plaque that includes General John Logan's Memorial Day proclamation.
The former Hotel Russell Lawson is one of Waterloo's most important historic landmarks. Erected in 1914, it is significant for its its size, design, and association with the city's industrialization of the early 20th century. In terms of architecture, the building is an excellent example of Classical Revival architecture. Its design is typical of an early 20th-century hotel and it also includes elements of Georgian Revival architecture as well such as keystones, arches on the first floor, and dentils along the cornice. The building housed the offices of an organization called the Greater Waterloo Association, which persuaded industries to come to Waterloo. The hotel was named after its primary investors Clyde O. Lamson and Lillian Russell Lamson. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, it is now an apartment building.
Local factory owner Henry Weis built this elegant home in 1902. Over a century later, this house is a Waterloo landmark for its architecture, age, and connection to Weiss, whose factory manufactured egg paper fillers that protected eggs during shipment. Designed by local firm Murphy & Ralston, the house reflects the transition from the Queen Anne style to the Colonial Revival style at the turn-of-the century. Queen Anne elements include the wraparound porch, a small second-story porch, and full height bays. Colonial Revival features include the fluted Ionic columns, the dentils running along the cornice, and decorative foliated designs. The house now operates as the Wellington Bed & Breakfast.
The Grout Museum of History & Science explores the cultural and economic history of Waterloo. It located directly next to the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum and is part of the Grout Museum District. It features two permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits, the largest genealogical reference library in northeast Iowa, and the only planetarium in northeast Iowa. One of the permanent exhibits, Engine of the Heartland, shows how Waterloo became an important industrial center. The other permanent exhibit, Pioneer Hall, tells visitors about pioneer life when Iowa became a state in 1846. The genealogical library houses a collection of over 21,000 items including photographs, maps, and oral histories.
The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Iowa residents who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. The museum's central exhibits are dedicated to five brothers who served aboard the USS Juneau and perished during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The museum was completed at a cost of $11 million and opened in 2008.
Opened in 1993, the Carl A. and Peggy J. Bluedorn Science Imaginarium is a science museum geared for children featuring hands-on, interactive exhibits on light, electricity, gases, sound, momentum, and liquids. Highlights include a hot air balloon that rises 20 feet up, an angular momentum machine, and a ROBOTIX table. The museum offers temporary exhibits as well. It is named after local philanthropists Carl and Peggy Bluedorn, who contributed funds to establish the museum.
Constructed in 1861, this house was one of the first brick houses built in Waterloo and belonged to Rensselaer Russell, a real estate investor, broker, and dealer of dry goods. Russell imported material from the Dubuque, Iowa and Chicago, to build his home which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The home now serves as a public museum that includes period furnishings and exhibits about life in Iowa in the 19th century and beyond.
Local pharmacist William Snowden built this elegant historic home in 1881. A fine example of Victorian Italianate architecture, it is now used as wedding and event venue and is also a part of the Grout Museum District. The two-story house features a porch with thin wooden posts and decorative arching stickwork, a hip roof with a shallow gable, bracketed eaves, windows with decorative hoodmolds, and an arched main entrance. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum tells the story of how the John Deere Company grew from a small business into one of the largest agricultural and construction equipment manufacturing corporations in the world. The museum is in Waterloo owing to the fact that the company's first tractor factory was located here, and it features interactive exhibits and numerous tractors, pieces of farming equipment, and tools on display. Some of the interactive exhibits are geared towards children and visitors can climb onto many of the tractors. Admission to the museum is free.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
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This short drive through Waterloo begins at the city's historic freight depot and continues on to historic downtown buildings such as Veterans Memorial Hall, Hotel Russell Lamson, the Weis House, several museums dedicated to science and history, the Snowden House, and concludes at the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum.
