Grinnell, IA Road Trips

Grinnell is a town with strong agricultural roots that hosts a highly rated liberal arts college, Grinnell College. The climate in Iowa is pretty much the same everywhere. In the autumn, when the daytime highs get down in the 50s, people break out the sweaters and talk about how cold it is. In the spring, when the daytime highs get up to the 50s, people break out the shorts and start talking about how warm it is. The difference has more to do with what you've become accustomed to, rather than any meteorological difference. After months of cold weather, sometimes not rising above freezing for a week or more at a stretch, anything reliably above the freezing point feels warm. Daily temperatures can be quite variable. For example, the average temperatures for July are a high of 83 °F (28 °C) and a low of 62 °F (17 °C), but in practice, some days the high temperature will be in the 60s and other days, it will be 100 °F with humidity so high it feels like walking through warm Jell-O. Farmers call those hot days "good corn growing weather".

1 Louis Sullivan Jewel Box Bank (Merchants' National Bank), 833 4th Ave (at Broad St). One of many banks in the Midwest designed by Louis Sullivan. Built in 1914. (updated Mar 2026) 2 Grinnell College Museum of Art (Faulconer Gallery), 1108 Park St (corner of Park St and Hwy 6), ☏ +1 641-269-4660, [email protected]. Tu–F 11AM–5PM; Sa 1–5PM. Art gallery in the middle of Grinnell College's Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. Free. (updated Jun 2021)

1 Strand Theatre, 921 Main St, ☏ +1 641-236-7600. Three-screen cinema. (updated Jun 2021) 2 Rock Creek State Park (north entrance is at Rock Creek East St off County Road F-27), ☏ +1 641-236-3722. Bike to the park, about 7 miles west of town. Take a picnic. Go fishing (wheelchair-accessible options), canoeing, kayaking, or pedal boating. Boat rentals available during warmer months. Motorboats allowed with a maximum speed of 5 mph. Swimming in designated area. Multi-use trails on either side of the man-made lake permit hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Almost 200 campsites with restrooms, showers, playground, and seasonal camp store selling ice, snack food, bait/tackle and firewood. (updated Jun 2021) 3 Grinnell Mutual Family Aquatic Center, 120 8th Ave West, ☏ +1 641-236-2621. Summer only. Open swimming noon–6PM. Municipal swimming pool. Lap swimming only in the mornings; hours vary. Two water slides, lap pool, lazy river. $5. (updated Jun 2021) Grinnell Games. mid-June. Annual family-oriented sporting event featuring races, basketball, and other games. 4 Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, 15148 Jacob Ave and 14892 Jacob Ave (SW of town, 2 miles west of the airport, where Hwy T38N/Jacob Ave/E 156th St N meet). This nature preserve, about three-quarters of a square mile in size, has about seven miles of trails to walk through the prairie and a man-made lake. Fishing by boat or off the wheelchair-accessible pier at the lake. Good for picnicking, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Dogs welcome, but watch for ticks. Restrooms. Free.

1 Grin City Bakery, 934 Main St (downtown), ☏ +1 641-236-4746, [email protected]. W–Sa only 7AM–noon. Open only four mornings a week, this little bakery is the place to satisfy your doughnut fix. The cream-filled coneys are a local favorite. Pick up a few sugar cookies for later while you're there. $3. (updated Mar 2026) 2 Dari Barn, 1810 6th Ave, ☏ +1 641-236-7828. Mar–Oct: 11AM–evening. Soft-serve ice cream fast-food options at this locally owned business. They have dozens of specialty sundaes, which are available in a "mini" size for just $5. Some dairy-free and gluten-free options. Outdoor seating only. Large groups welcome, especially with a little advance notice. $8–14 sandwich; $3–10 ice cream. (updated Mar 2026) 3 Pagliai's Pizza, 816 5th Avenue (Downtown), ☏ +1 641-236-5331. Su–Th 5–9PM, F Sa 5–10PM. A small, family-owned Iowa pizza chain since 1957. Order a slice of cheese bread to eat while waiting for your pizza. Large pizzas for $15–30; hot sandwiches for $12. (updated Nov 2024) 4 Montgomery's Sandwich Shop (Maid-Rite), 712 6th Ave, ☏ +1 641-236-3463. M–F 11AM–8PM, Sat 11AM–3PM. Grinnell's place for a loose-meat burger. $12–15. (updated Mar 2026) 5 West Side Family Restaurant, 229 6th Ave W (on Highway 6), ☏ +1 641-236-5939, [email protected]. Tu–Sa 6AM–8PM, Su 6AM–2PM (closed M). Classic diner food on the west side of town. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wheelchair accessible. Kids welcome.

1 Saints Rest, 917 Broad St (Downtown), ☏ +1 641-236-6014, [email protected]. M Tu Th Sa 6:30AM–5PM; W F 6:30AM–7PM; Su 9AM–7PM. Local coffee shop since 1999. In addition to hot tea and the usual list of coffee drinks, they sell horchata, iced coffee, chai lattes, hot chocolate, cider, Italian sodas, and Italian creams. Muffins, scones, cookies, and other baked goods available. The 2018 film of the same name was named after, and partially filmed at, the coffee shop. $3–6 for most coffee drinks. (updated Mar 2026)

The large hotel chains are south of the main part of town, near Interstate 80. They often cost around $100 per night for a basic room. Usually, it's easy to find a place to stay in Grinnell. However, you should book your accommodations early for the weekend when the students of Grinnell College return to school (end of August), family visitation weekend (end of September), graduation weekend (one week before Memorial Day), and alumni reunion (the weekend after Memorial Day). 1 Hotel Grinnell, 925 Park St (downtown), ☏ +1 641-236-9250. Check-out: noon. Upscale small hotel with 45 rooms in a former school building. Unusual "bunk rooms" sleep 10 – perfect for youth groups, sports teams, class trips, or large family groups. $30 fee per dog or cat. $200–500. (updated Jun 2021) 2 The Grinnellian (Carriage House Bed and Breakfast), 1133 Broad St (Broad St and 7th Ave), ☏ +1 515-778-8203, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Six-room bed and breakfast in home built in 1895. All rooms have private bathrooms and central air conditioning. Breakfast served in the dining room. No smoking. Contact directly for reservations. $150–200. (updated Mar 2026)

Grinnell is along Interstate 80 about midway between Des Moines and Iowa City. 1 Greyhound Bus Lines, 1115 8th Ave (middle of the college campus), toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. You can catch a bus to Grinnell from Des Moines (about $25 one-way), Iowa City ($30), Omaha, Nebraska ($60), or Chicago, Illinois ($75). There is only one bus in each direction each day. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Grinnell Regional Airport (Billy Robinson Field), 1607 West St S (half-mile north of I-80), ☏ +1 641-236-0188. M–F 8AM–5PM; Sa 8AM–noon. General aviation airport. No scheduled passenger service. Restrooms, pilot lounge, aviation fuel. (updated Mar 2026)

You will either need a car or a bicycle, as there is no mass-transit option. Alternatively, sidewalks are plentiful in the central portion of the town and near the college. If you are driving an electric vehicle, there are a couple of charging stations at Grinnell College, plus a Tesla Supercharger at the 3 Kum & Go near Interstate 80.