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Located on the banks of the Missouri River and just steps away from the Omaha metro area, Council Bluffs has quickly evolved into one of the Midwest’s best places to visit. We’ve got a rich history, numerous events and attractions and a Midwestern charm we’re confident will woo you.
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Sep 22, 2023 · Discover the best of the Midwest with our comprehensive guide to Council Bluffs attractions. From history to nature, there's something for every traveler.
Complete travel and vacation information for Council Bluffs, Iowa with maps, photos, sightseeing, hotel reservations and more.
- Union Pacific Railroad Museum
- Pottawattamie County Squirrel Cage Jail and Museum
- Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
- Lake Manawa State Park
- Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook
- Historic General Dodge House
- Western Historic Trails Center
- Bayliss Park
- Railswest Railroad Museum
- Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
In 1869, Council Bluffs was the eastern terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, linking the existing eastern U.S. rail network with the Pacific Coast. The project had been approved by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 as a means of preserving the Union during the Civil War. In an exquisite Carnegie library building from 1905, the Union Pacific Railr...
Patented in Indiana in 1881, the rotary jail was a prison concept that never quite caught on. The cells were pie-shaped wedges on a rotating platform, making escape almost impossible. Council Bluffs is home to one of just three surviving rotary jails, constructed on four levels as the Pottawattamie County Jail in 1885. This was built at the same ti...
In 2008 a magnificent new crossing was forged between Omaha and Council Bluffs in the form of a 3,000-foot cable-stayed footbridge. Linked to the 150-mile trail network in the Omaha area, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is an S-curved structure helping you cross the state line in style. There are several spots on both sides of the crossing where y...
In the south of Council Bluffs, Lake Manawa is a remnant of the Great Flood of 1881, when a large body of water was created by the changed course of the river. Covering 740 acres, the lake was later expanded for flood control and is a recreation hub for the Omaha metropolitan region. The paved trail curling around the lakeshore is connected to the ...
Posted on a bluff in the Loess Hills just north of the city is a monument commemorating the event that gave Council Bluffs its name. The Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook was dedicated in 1936 and recalls the moment on August 2, 1804, when Lewis and Clark met with Otoe and Missouri Tribesmen. The monument has a stylized carved relief dep...
In Council Bluffs you can visit the preserved house of Grenville M. Dodge (1831-1916), a multi-talented engineer and politician who played a crucial role in the development of the railroads in the West. Dodge settled in Council Bluffs in 1851 and spent the next ten years surveying railroads, including the Union Pacific. During the Civil War he rose...
The National Parks Service opened this riverside attraction in 1997, celebrating the intrepid spirit of the west-bound pioneers who followed in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Western Historic Trails details the United States’ westward expansion, with enthralling accounts from the Oregon Trail, the California Trail and the Morm...
On a whole city block, this park in front of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum is a green haven with much to hold your interest. At its heart is a fountain, titled Well Spring and designed by Rhode Island-based sculptor Brower Hatcher. This eye-catching monument provides a backdrop to The Performance Space, a venue for outdoor concerts and festival...
You can delve further into Council Bluffs’ railroad heritage at this museum housed in a former passenger depot. Built for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and also served by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, the depot dates to 1899 and closed to passengers in 1971. Inside you can find out about the eight railroads that ser...
The Loess Hills are an extraordinary natural feature, spanning more than 200 miles along the Missouri River. Mostly on the river’s east bank is a continuous line of thin ridges, rolling hills and tall bluffs, covered with forest and prairie and rising as high as 200 feet above the plains to the east. Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, these hil...
Things to Do in Council Bluffs, Iowa: See Tripadvisor's 25,754 traveler reviews and photos of Council Bluffs tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. We have reviews of the best places to see in Council Bluffs. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
You’ll find that Council Bluffs is a growing, vibrant city with a wide variety of public art, outdoor recreation, and attractions. Council Bluffs is in Pottawattamie County, the “Trail Capital of Iowa.”
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