Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Cedar Falls (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: McLeod Center, Hartman Reserve Nature Center, and Ice House Museum. Also, be sure to include Cedar Falls Historical Society in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Cedar Falls (Iowa).
Table of Contents
McLeod Center
Arena in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The McLeod Center is a 7,018-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA, currently housing the university's teams in men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball. The arena opened on November 18, 2006, with a volleyball game against Bradley. The other three UNI teams made their debuts in the facility over the next three days — men's basketball versus Milwaukee on November 19, women's basketball against Iowa State on November 20, and wrestling versus Iowa on November 21.
The McLeod Center replaced the UNI-Dome as the home of the university's basketball teams and West Gymnasium as the home of the volleyball and wrestling teams (the wrestling squad moved back to the West Gym after the 2007-2008 season). The McLeod Center is located on the west end of the campus, directly south of the UNI-Dome and connected by a covered walkway that also houses an extensive athletic hall of fame.
A video board is located on the south wall with home and visiting team scoreboards on either side showing the players' game information. There are two scoreboards on the north side and ribbon boards above the concession stands on the east and west sides.
Since opening, the arena has had quite a significant positive economic impact for the university. It brings in $20–25 million annually, doubled the attendance of basketball games, and has almost 400,000 visitors a year.
The arena also hosts commencement ceremonies throughout the year and can be used for recreation upon request.
During the 2009-2010, 2014-2015, and 2019-2020 men's basketball seasons, the team was undefeated at the McLeod Center.[1]
Address: 2501 Hudson Rd, 50614-0014 Cedar Falls
Hartman Reserve Nature Center
Nature preserve in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Hartman Reserve Nature Center is a 308.9-acre nature reserve located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The reserve is dedicated to teaching youth about nature through hands on experiences and preservation. It is the largest undisturbed wooded area in Black Hawk County, Iowa and is home to three distinct habitats including wetland, forest, and prairie.[2]
Address: 657 Reserve Dr, 50613-4723 Cedar Falls
Ice House Museum
Museum in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Cedar Falls Ice House is an historic building located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1921 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. The building currently serves as the Ice House Museum.[3]
Address: 121 Center St, Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls Historical Society
The Cedar Falls Historical Society is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It strives to preserve the history of Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County and Iowa through its collection and five museums. It is also involved with community outreach, garden tours, guided tours, and research.[4]
Address: 308 W 3rd St, Cedar Falls
Cotton Theatre
Theatre in the Black Hawk County, Iowa. The Cotton Theatre, also known as Regent Theatre and Oster Regent Theatre, is a theater located at the corner of 1st Street and Main Street in downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It was named for local Cedar Falls resident Frank Cotton who built the theater in 1909 and 1910.
In its 1993 nomination to the National Register of Historic Places it was deemed "one of the best examples of commercial architecture on Cedar Falls' main street" and was then the only existing theatre there. It is in Italian Renaissance style.[5]
The Falls Aquatic Center
Park, Relax in park
Address: 3025 S Main St, Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls Post Office
The old Cedar Falls Post Office is an historic building located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1918, this was the city's first federal government building, and Black Hawk County became the only county in the state with two post offices that reported directly to the United States Post Office Department. It was built at the time when the design of federal building's were controlled by the Department of the Treasury. This building was designed by James A. Wetmore, who was the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect. It was built by Des Moines contractor Frederick C. Weitz. The single-story Neoclassical brick structure features a symmetrical facade, a slightly recessed central bay, a round-arched entryway flanked by round arched windows, and Bedford stone trim.
The building served as a post office until 1961. At that time it was acquired by the city of Cedar Falls and utilized as an annex for city hall, which is immediately to the west. It was used for office space, a school, and for records storage. The city leased the building to the Cedar Falls Development Group in 2015, and they rehabilitated it and sublet it for retail space. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.[6]
University of Northern Iowa
Public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The University of Northern Iowa is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and graduate college. The fall 2019 enrollment was 10,497. More than 88 percent of its students are from the state of Iowa.[7]
Address: 1227 W 27th St, Cedar Falls
C.A. Rownd Round Barn
Building in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The C.A. Rownd Round Barn is a historic building located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1911 by C.A. Rownd. It is constructed of ashlar-faced blocks that Rownd manufactured on the site. The barn was featured in the April 1912 edition of The Farm Cement News, which was published by Universal Portland Cement. The building is a true round barn that measures 83 feet in diameter. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986.[8]
Daniel and Margaret Wild House
Building. The Daniel and Margaret Wild House is an historic building located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. Designed by William A. Robinson, the two-story frame Queen Anne was completed in 1895. It features a rooftop porch turret, pink granite foundation, and the use of exotic woods such as circassian walnut and Georgia curly pine. The house was built for Daniel and Margaret Wild and their family. Daniel Wild was a German immigrant who settled in Cedar Falls in 1853, the same year he married Margaret. He owned a brick company by 1868 and then expanded into lumber, coal, farming and rest estate. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.[9]
Cedar Falls Independent Order of Odd Fellows Temple
The Cedar Falls Independent Order of Odd Fellows Temple, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, also known as Odd Fellows Temple or 4th and Main Building, is an Independent Order of Odd Fellows building that was built during 1901–02. It is a 3+1⁄2-story building on a 46 feet by 132 feet base.
Its 1996 nomination to the National Register of Historic Places asserted that it is historically significant because it attests to the important role of Odd Fellows in local social history, including providing life insurance to members' widows and orphans; because of it providing an example of a fraternal-commercial building, new at time of its construction; because it demonstrates the "considerable skills" of James E. Robinson, general contractor; and as it "calls attention to the influence of late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century revival styling on its design."
The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. In 2017 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Falls Downtown Historic District.[10]