Holiday Inn Muscatine

A Beautiful Town: Muscatine, Iowa

by deecat

I know that many "seasoned travelers" do not take local United States travel seriously, especially when you travel in the Mid West such as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, or Iowa. Well, I have news for those people: They just don't know the value of what the real American way of life can be. The history, the architecture, the friendly people, and the natural beauty all abound here in the middle of this big country, and Muscatine, Iowa really represents all the reasons I find it so fascinating.

In this River Town of about 23,000 people, we enjoyed the historic downtown and its beautiful surrounding neighborhoods. There were lovely old homes that were built as early as 1840. These gave us a glimpse into the past. One such home has become the Muscatine Art Center. It's an Edwardian home that is the Musser Mansion. It's been fully restored and, lucky for all of us, it's open to the public. There are architectural styles of nineteenth century America found in Muscatine's historic neighborhoods.

You are able to take an annotated walking tour of such historic homes that overlook the Mississippi River at the Muscatine History and Industry Museum. There are 13 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There's the wonderful Wild Cat Den State Park with the Pine Creek Grist Mill, the Melpine One-Room Schoolhouse, and the spectacular hiking trails.

In addition, Muscatine's County Courthouse with its beautiful mural and stained glass dome can be viewed as well as the Statue of the Civil War Soldier standing guard outside. Truly, an Americana vision. Muscatine's lovely Riverside Park with its interactive water feature, its new "Mississippi Harvest Statue", its aquatic center, boat launch, skateboard park. I also really enjoyed the Historic Downtown area with its historic lighting, revitalized buildings, especially the Pearl Plaza.

Perhaps the most unique of all the sites in Muscatine is the Muscatine History & Industry Center which has preserved the vital part of Muscatine's history that pertains to the Pearl Button Industry that began in 1887.

I almost forgot about Lock and Dam #16 that is located across the Highway 92 Bridge from Muscatine. It's open to the public for watching barges and tows lock through.

If you are in Muscatine during May through October, you can enjoy the Muscatine Island Produce Markets where you are able to purchase homegrown beans, corn, and tomatoes. In late July, you are able to relish their famous watermelons and Cantaloupe.

I could go on and on about this marvelous riverside town in Iowa.

"Pearl of the Mississippi"

by deecat

"Muscatine, Iowa"

Muscatine, Iowa, is a "must see" river town. Muscatine has about 24,000 people who live between 2 river bluffs along the Mississippi. The area is spread out; however, we concentrated on the historic downtown district.

While in this lovely community, we discovered that Mark Twain was a one-time Muscatine resident, & he wrote, "I remember Muscatine for its sunsets. I have never seen any on either side of the ocean that equaled them."

No other place has the name of Muscatine. Most people believe that the town was named after a small band of Indians who lived in the area during the early 1800's, the Mascoutins.

Muscatine has been a center for the European fur-trading industry; then the lumber industry, &, of course, the button industry (made from the mussel shells fished from the Mississippi River.

Companies of note that still make Muscatine their home are: H.J. Heinz Company {vinegar, gravy, & ketchup]; IPSCO [leading producer of steel plate & pipe}; Monsanto [Herbicides]; & Musco {sports-lighting technology]' among many others.

While in the town & surrounding area, I would suggest that you see:

1. Muscatine Art Center {Laura Musser Mansion & Stanley Art Gallery]

2. Muscatine History & Industry Center , formerly the Button Museum{it preserves the button industry history]

3. Pine Creek Grist Mill/Melpine Schoolhouse/Wildcat Den State Park [see Separate tips]

4. Musser Public Library/Oscar Grossheim Collection [50,000 glass plate negatives from turn of the century]

5. Great River Road [Charles Young, a native of Muscatine, devoted much of his life to the creation of the Great River Road, & it was his design for the Great River Road's green & white signs which bear the pilot's wheel ]

6. Pearl Plaza [shopping & restaurants right in the heart of this historic district]

7. Lock & Dam 16

8. Muscatine County Courthouse

9. Mississippi Harvest Sculpture and Riverside Park

From our point of view, Muscatine is one of Iowa's under-recognized "gems"