Culture of Iowa

No matter what part of Iowa you choose to visit, you won’t be too far from the state’s unique culture. Its historic and cultural organizations, as well as its museums, can help you explore the state’s rich history and learn more about its people. Native Americans, African Americans, Germans, the Scottish, Slovaks, Czechs, and Norwegians all contributed to the patchwork that’s the history of Iowa.

The state of Iowa is a home to many art galleries and museums, along with an abundance of fairs and cultural festivals. There are symphony performances in all parts of the state, from the Sioux Center’s Northwest Iowa Symphony to the Des Moines Symphony to Mount Pleasant’s SE Iowa Symphony Orchestra.

If you aren’t a symphony aficionado, there are blues, rock, gospel, country, Native American and opera performances to suit every musical taste. There are an abundance of regional and local musicians, as well as bigger names that stop in Iowa from time to time. If you want to see a stage show, Iowa is chock-full of community theaters. There are also film festivals- Iowa’s film community is very vibrant, holding festivals in various parts of the state.