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Written by Meg Burik
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Grinnell, Iowa
At the Carriage House Bed and Breakfast, a relaxing stay in the dollhouse-like home is served with a warm cup of Irish hospitality.
Victorian architecture epitomized by a sweeping veranda conjures images of the 1890s upper-crust of Grinnell, Iowa — mingling, waltzing house-guests in prim dresses and suits. Almost unnoticed on the side of the house, a small covered entryway evokes images of gussied-up Victorian women stepping ou [ … ] |
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Written by Hanah Douglas
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 The art of storytelling might be dead. Still, in the city of Chicago, the art of telling stories about the dead seems to be quite alive.
In the basement of a nightclub called Excalibur, spooky tales are the substance of the show titled Supernatural Chicago. The show began on Friday the 13th, 2003. Since then, it has run each Friday evening, year-round, with additional shows leading up to Halloween.
On one typical night, the audience gathered in [ … ] |
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Written by Shannon Walter
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Branson, Missouri
Fun house music plays, a water faucet floats in mid air and robots made of car parts compose a world of wonder at the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum in Branson, Missouri. Robert Leroy Ripley’s fabulous collection of oddities and artifacts from all over the world greets visitors who come to this out-of-the-ordinary museum.
Ripley began traveling at age 24, and one short trip turned into a lifelong passion of learning about [ … ] |
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Written by Amanda Goeser
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Council Bluffs, Iowa
From the outside, the museum looks like an average brick building. There is only one peculiarity — bars over the windows.
Built during the 19th century in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Squirrel Cage Jail housed local criminals in addition to the jailer’s family. Today, the jail is preserved as a museum.
In 1884, Cottonwood Jail burned down and the county was forced to house prisoners i [ … ] |
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Written by Cassandra McCarty
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 In December of 1803, Meriwether Lewis set up camp on the River Dubois in Illinois with many of the men who would later make up the Corps of Discovery.
During their stay at Camp River Dubois, the Corps trained to survive the conditions of the wilderness, hired more men for the journey and gathered supplies. Without the months of preparation at the camp, their campaign would not have been a success. The men’s stories during their time at River Dub [ … ] |
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Written by Blaise Hart-Schmidt
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 Downtown St. Louis is monotonous. Grids of office buildings circle other office buildings. A handful of stadiums and high-class hotels inhabit the blocks unoccupied by businesses. The city is gray, except for two green blocks, appropriately named Citygarden.
The garden sits on what used to be two lots of vacant land between Eighth and Tenth and Market and Chestnut Streets. Twenty-four sculptures from world-renowned artists, including Donald Baec [ … ] |
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Written by Stephanie Hall
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Urbandale, Iowa
The smells of sweet homemade apple pie, harsh print shop ink and woodsy, smoky campfires greet guests as they take a walking tour through Iowa’s history.
Living History Farms is a 500-acre outdoor museum in Urbandale, Iowa. Visitors progress through four time periods in Iowa’s history, including a 1700 Ioway Indian tribe site, an 1850 pioneer farm, a 1900 farm and an 1875 town.
Former Iowa State University professor William M [ … ] |
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