Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site honors the former president as it is the site where he was born. Visitors can walk around the grounds here to see what life was like in this area during Herbert Hoover's years. In addition, you can visit the graves of the former president and his wife.

As this is a National Park, you can also participate in the Junior Ranger program, which is fun for kids AND adults. It helps to immerse you more in what the park has to offer, and if you complete the program (which takes about an hour or so), you'll get a badge at the end.

Also, note that there is a National Park Passport Cancellation stamp located in the Visitor's Center here.

Tour of the Bridges of Madison County

One of the most acclaimed movies of the 1990's was "The Bridges of Madison County". In this film, the main bridge is the Roseman Bridge. When coming to Madison County, you can visit the bridge yourself, which also have a gift shop located next to it. If you're a fan of the film, or covered bridges in general, this is definitely a place to come for at least a quick visit if you're in the area.

There are plenty of other covered bridges in the area as well, and an excellent map is provided here by the Madison County chamber of commerce.

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville, IA is about 50 minutes outside of Des Moines. Attached to the stadium for the race track in Knoxville, this 2 floor facility offers fans a great trip through the memorabilia of sprint cars of all different types, including midget racing. If you are a hard core fan, you'll love this place. However, if you only have a mild interest in the sport, there really isn't too much on offer for you.