National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

 2008 started with heavy snow fall then an excess of rain fell in the spring. By early summer the soil was so saturated that June rainstorms caused record flooding. The Cedar River rose 19 feet above flood stage, breached the levees and wiped out much of the low laying parts of Cedar Rapids. The Czech & Slovak Museum building and exhibits suffered a lot of damage. The main exhibit details the processes used to clean and restore many of the elaborately embroidered traditional outfits. The museum was moved and raised on a foundation that put it above flood level. A short movie is shown about how this large building was moved.

Everything is accessible however because the building was raised there’s a very long, ADA compliant ramp to the entrance.

The parking lot is large enough for all RVs.  Museum
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Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

  This is a fairly small museum with galleries split about half and half between permanent collections and temporary exhibits.

Everything is accessible.

The museum parking lot is large enough for vans and small RVs. Larger RVs may have to be park on the street.
Museum
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Tailwater East COE-Coralville Lake

   This is one of five Corp of Engineer campgrounds located near the Coralville Lake dam. About half of the spaces in this small campground are right along the river. They’re fairly close together with no vegetation for privacy. There isn’t a pay station so campers must drive over the dam road to the West Overlook campground to pay. The dump station for all of the campgrounds is also located there

  None of the spaces are specifically marked as accessible. Most have a paved parking pad and gravel under the picnic table. Some of the tables have a long overhang on one end.

  A few spaces are long enough for any RV. Campground
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Devonian Fossil Gorge

  In 1993 and again in 2008 high water in Coralville Lake rushed over the spillway and scoured the land down to bare rock, in the process uncovering 375 million year old fossils of coral and seashells. A walkway with interpretive panels overlooks the fossil rock. Steps lead down so that visitors can get a closer look.

  Stop at the Coralville Lake visitor center for more information about the fossils. A movie about the floods is shown in a small theater.

  The walkway is accessible but the gorge isn’t. An eye level outcropping of rock with some good embedded fossils is located along the northern end of the walkway.The visitor center and the theater are accessible.

  Vans and small RVs will fit in the parking area at the gorge but larger RVs will have to be parked across the spaces. The visitor center, located at the end of a uphill drive, does not have parking or turn around room for large RVs. Parking is available at the bottom of the hill next to a long flight of steps.  Gorge
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Hoover Library & Museum

   While the library and museum are inside the Herbert Hoover NHS they are not under the same administration so there’s an admission fee which is why I’m posting them separately. The museum covers Hoover’s childhood, his career as a mining engineer, the years that he served as Secretary of Commerce and how it all affected the decisions that he made as President after the stock market crash of 1929 which led to the Great Depression.

  The museum is accessible but some of the exhibit cases are located too high for a good view from a wheelchair.

  RV parking is located across from the Herbert Hoover NHS visitor center. The walk/roll to the library is fairly short with good sidewalks and curb cuts. Car parking and a drop off point are located at the library.  Library
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Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

   Herbert Hoover was born in this tiny two room cottage and lived on the edge of the small town of West Branch until he was ten years old. Tragically both his father and mother died young and he was sent to live in Oregon with his uncle. Stop at the visitor center and watch a short movie about his childhood. A walking tour around the grounds includes numerous restored buildings. Four are opened to the public – the cottage, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, and meetinghouse.

  The visitor center is accessible.The sidewalks and boardwalks are all in good condition.The buildings have ramps to the entrances but the cottage has a step up at the doorway. It’s possible peek inside and get a look at the living room.

  Parking for RVs is across the street from the visitor center. Park
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Iowa 80 Trucking Museum

  The trucking museum is located right off of I-80 behind the Iowa 80 truck stop (the largest truck stop in the world!). The collection is very good with many unusual and rare trucks.

  Everything is accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Additional parking is available at the truck stop. A sidewalk leads to the museum. Museum
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Putnam Museum

  The picture does not do justice to this fantastic piece of art. It’s a coral reef composed of 4000 individually crocheted pieces. It was originally displayed in the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

  The museum also has natural history galleries, a local history gallery, and two small galleries with Asian and Egyptian artifacts. This isn’t strictly a children’s museum but there are a lot of fun hands on exhibits for kids. The layout of the museum is a little confusing so make sure that you don’t miss anything.

  Everything is accessible. A single elevator does not access all of the levels so the lower level is easy to miss.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Museum
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Figge Art Museum

  The museum has several large special exhibit galleries and numerous smaller galleries with permanent collections, an eclectic and interesting mixture, ranging from 16th century religious paintings to furniture by Frank Lloyd Wright.

   Everything is accessible.

    Vans and small RVs will fit in the lot at the front entrance. Larger RVs can be parked along the street or behind the visitor center in Centennial Park. Museum
41.52, -90.57623

Mississippi River Visitors Center

   Twenty-nine locks and dams control the water level and allow commercial vessels to navigate through the upper Mississippi River. Visitors who are lucky enough to catch the locks in action can watch barges being raised or lowered  as they are floated past the dam. A very small visitor center has explanations of how it all works. There’s also a short movie about the Mississippi.

   Everything is accessible.

  The visitor center is located on Rock Island Arsenal which is an active Army base so you’ll be passing through the base gate. Visitors over 16 must have a photo ID and your vehicle may be inspected.

  The entry gate on the west end of the island has been closed so enter through the east gate. You can exit the island through the west gate but there is a height limit of 11’ so you may have to turn around and exit back through the east gate. Parking is very limited. RVs larger than 25’ may not find a place to park.  Visitor Center