The ultimate list of things to do in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and other nearby areas! Ideas for any season & all kinds of interests!

things to do in iowa city and the surrounding area

Iowa City is a charming Midwest college town. It is the original state capital of Iowa (the capital later moved to Des Moines) and is home to the University of Iowa.

There are a wide variety of things to do in Iowa City and the surrounding area, making it a fun destination for a Midwest weekend getaway.

I have lived in eastern Iowa all of my life. I grew up 25 minutes from Iowa City, went to school at the University of Iowa, and now live 15 minutes from Iowa City with my husband and 2 kids.

I’ve personally done all of the things on this list throughout my different stages of life!

This list of things to do in (and around) Iowa City is split up into the following sections (click the link to skip to a specific section):

This article includes things to do in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and other nearby communities.

There are activities on this list for everyone! No matter your age or interests! And there are ideas for any weather or season!

Best Outdoor Things to Do in Iowa City

Outdoor Activities
  • Downtown Pedestrian Mall (Iowa City) – brick walkways lined with shops, restaurants, and bars; plenty of benches, pretty flowers, fountains, playground
  • University of Iowa Walking Tour – get some steps in & take a self-guided tour around the beautiful campus
  • Wilson’s Orchard (Iowa City) – You will find U-pick fruit, pumpkin patch, sunflower field, delicious baked goods, and so much more at Wilson’s. You can visit during all seasons. Our kids even saw Santa at Wilson’s this Christmas! Get the apple turnover ala mode.
  • Colony Acres (North Liberty) – So many fun farm-themed activities for kids – full-sized basketball hoops made from old farm equipment, hayrides, a corn maze, a zip line, and so much more. They add more activities each season. You can also purchase sunflowers in August, pumpkins in September and October, and Christmas trees in December. Make sure to try the mini donuts!
  • Pizza on the Farm (Wellman) – As the name implies, during summer & fall evenings, enjoy woodfired pizza on a farm while listening to live music!
wilsons orchard iowa city
Wilson’s Orchard is great during any season!
pizza on the farm iowa city
Pizza on the Farm
Best Parks & Recreation Areas
  • Terry Trueblood Recreation Area (Iowa City) – great paved trails around lake, dirt trails, seasonal concessions and paddle boards, paddle boats, & kayaks available for rent, small natural playground, picnic pavilions
  • Coralville Dam Recreation Area (Coralville) – fishing, picnic areas, boat ramps, fishing pier, river & lake fishing, hunting, mountain bike trails, hiking trails, lake swimming, sand volleyball, boating activities
  • Lake Macbride State Park (Solon) – hiking, boating, fishing, lake swimming/beach, picnic areas, water sports, camping
  • City Park (Iowa City) – playgrounds, picnic pavilions, paved trails, basketball & tennis courts, views of the Iowa River
  • Hickory Hill Park (Iowa City) – limestone, woodchip, & dirt hiking trails, picnic pavilions
  • Kiwanis Park (Iowa City) – paved trails, community garden, natural playground, sandboxes, creek
  • Waterworks Prairie Park (Iowa City) – paved trails, pond, fishing dock, picnic area
  • North Ridge Park (Coralville) – paved trails, fishing pond, playground, small picnic area
  • Altmaier Family Park (Coralville) – archery, cornhole, 18-hole disc golf course, picnic area
  • Centennial Park (North Liberty) – beautiful park with paved trails, playgrounds, stocked pond, open grassy fields, more additions coming soon
  • Kent Park (Oxford) – 1,062 acre park, limestone trail around large fishing lake, swimming beach, campground, picnic areas, playground, dirt/grass trails through prairies, forest, and wetlands, popular spot for cross-country skiing
kent park oxford iowa
F.W. Kent Park

See our full guide to Kent Park here.

Dog Parks

  • Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park (Iowa City)
  • Rita’s Ranch Dog Park (Iowa City)
  • Red Fern Dog Park (North Liberty)
  • Cheyenne Off-Leash Park (Ely)
  • Tiffin Dog Park (Tiffin)

See our “things to do in Iowa City with kids” section for more parks & playgrounds

Hiking Trails
  • Hickory Hill Loop (Hickory Hill Park, Iowa City) – 2.6 miles, easy, not paved
  • Devonian Fossil Gorge (Coralville Reservoir) – easy nature walk through the gorge, check out the short trail near the dam along the river as well – great for bald eagle viewing in the winter
  • Terry Trueblood Loop (Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, Iowa City) – 1.9-mile paved trail, easy
  • Waterworks Prairie Park (Iowa City) – 3 miles of paved trails, easy
  • Squire Point & Woodpecker Trail Systems (Coralville Dam Recreation Area) – multiple routes & off-shoot trails, dirt trail, hilly portions, views of Coralville Lake
  • City Park via Iowa River Trail (Iowa City) – 2.1 miles, easy, paved
  • Kiwanis Park Loop (Iowa City) – 1.3-mile paved loop, easy
  • Ryerson’s Woods Trail (Iowa City) – 1 mile, easy, not paved
  • Clear Creek Trail (Tiffin/Coralville) – 9+ miles of paved trail starting on the west side of Tiffin, extending through Coralville to the west side of Iowa City – so many different places to hop on this trail!
  • North Liberty Recreational Trail (North Liberty) – a 3.3-mile paved trail that connects to North Ridge Trail
  • North Ridge Trail (Coralville) – a 3.5-mile paved trail that links the North Liberty Recreational Trail to Clear Creek Trail
  • Kent Park Trails (Oxford) – the easy 1.4-mile limestone lake trail is our favorite – see more Kent Park trails here
woodpecker trail coralville lake hiking trails
Woodpecker Trail
squire point coralville lake hiking trail
Squire Point Trail

Hiking Destinations Within 100 miles

  • Palisades-Kepler State Park (Mt. Vernon) – 20 miles
  • Wildcat Den State Park (Muscatine) – 45 miles
  • Maquoketa Caves State Park (Maquoketa) – 70 miles
  • Mines of Spain (Dubuque) – 80 miles
Bike Trails

There are many great paved trails in the area and many mountain biking trails as well. Check out Bike Iowa City to see all of the metro area trails, bike lanes, and bikeways.

Boating/Water Activities
  • Terry Trueblood Recreation Area (Iowa City) – kayaks, paddle boards, and paddle boats for rent (or bring your own), fishing
  • Coralville Lake: Sandy Beach, Sugar Bottom, West Overlook (Coralville/Solon) – swimming beaches, fishing
  • Lake Macbride State Park (Solon) – boat, kayak, and paddleboard rentals (or bring your own), swimming beach, fishing
  • F.W. Kent Park (Oxford) – fishing, swimming beach
  • Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area (Palo) – swimming area, fishing
  • Monticello River Rentals (Monticello) – rent tubes, kayaks, or canoes and float along the Maquoketa river
terry trueblood recreation area iowa city paddleboarding
Terry Trueblood Recreation Area
Outdoor Swimming Pools & Aquatic Centers
  • City Park Pool (Iowa City)
  • Coralville Aquatic Center (Coralville)
  • North LibertyAquatic Center (North Liberty)
Area Campgrounds
  • Sugarbottom Campground (Coralville Lake/Solon) – I used to always camp here as a kid & have fond memories of it!
  • West Overlook Campground (Coralville Dam Complex)
  • Tailwater East/West Campgrounds (Coralville Dam Complex)
  • Cottonwood Campground (Coralville Dam Complex)
  • Linder Point Campground (Coralville Dam Complex)
  • Sandy Beach Campground (Coralville Lake/Solon)
  • Lake Macbride State Park Campground (Solon)
  • F.W. Kent Park Campground (Oxford)
Farmer’s Markets

Get your fresh produce, baked goods, and homemade items

Wineries
  • Walker Homestead Farm & Winery (Iowa City)
  • Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery (Swisher)
  • Fireside Winery (Marengo)
  • Brick Arch Winery (West Branch)
Best Outdoor Dining in Iowa City
  • Big Grove Brewery & Taproom (Iowa City)
  • St. Burch Tavern ( Downtown Iowa City)
  • Vue Rooftop (Downtown Iowa City)
  • Iowa River Power Company (Iowa City)
  • Los Agaves Mexican Grill (Iowa City)
  • Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza (Iowa City)
  • Rapid Creek Cidery (Iowa City)
  • 30 Hop (Coralville)
  • Iowa Atheltic Club (Coralville)
  • Tin Roost (North Liberty)
  • Red’s Alehouse (North Liberty)
  • Bobber’s Grill (North Liberty)
red's alehouse north liberty iowa outdoor dining
Red’s Patio

Best Indoor Things to Do in Iowa City

Because let’s face it – winters are long and there are a lot of crappy weather days

Games & Activities
spare me iowa city bowling and arcade
Spare Me Iowa City
Movies
  • Marcus Theatres (Sycamore Mall in Iowa City)
  • Marcus Theatres (Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville)
  • Film Scene (Iowa City) – permanent indoor theatre at the Chauncey, outdoor seasonal rooftop cinema at the Ped Mall, seasonal outdoor cinema at Chauncy Swan Park
Relax & Unwind
  • Prairie Lights (Downtown Iowa City) – independent bookstore and cafe
  • Renee’s Ceramic Cafe (Iowa City) – art-to-go kits, classes, events, open for walk-in painting
  • Tura Lura Co Candle Pour (The Greenhouse Iowa City) – I attended one of these & loved it
  • Brush & Barrel (Coralville) – a social painting & DIY experience
  • Spa Bilanca (Coralville) – day spa offering massages, facials, skin & body treatment, micro-needling, and more
  • MYO Massage & Chiropractic (Coralville) – massage spa
  • Get a manicure or pedicure – Pretty Nails & Spa (Iowa City) & Elite Nails (Iowa City) are good options
Shopping
  • Coral Ridge Mall (Coralville) – the biggest mall in the area
  • Iowa River Landing (Coralville) – you can find more high-end shops here like Von Mauer, Lululemon, and Anthropologie, and more
  • Sycamore Mall (Iowa City) – smaller mall
  • Old Capitol Town Center (Downtown Iowa City) – small selection in the town center, more shops throughout downtown
  • Williamsburg Outlets & Marketplace (Williamsburg) – outdoor outlet mall
Indoor Recreation Areas & Pools
  • Campus Rec & Wellness Center (Iowa City) – multiple pools, climbing wall, indoor track, courts, 3 levels of fitness equipment, large gymnasium, group classes, Power Cafe (open to the public, not just those affiliated with the University)
  • Robert A Lee Recreation Center (Iowa City) – fitness center, gymnasium, indoor pool
  • Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Gym (Iowa City) – indoor pool & hot tub, gymnasium, pool table, foosball tables, ping pong
  • Coralville Recreation Center (Coralville) – indoor lap pool, exercise room, gymnasium, racquetball, game room with foosball, ping pong, and pool
  • North Liberty Community Center (North Liberty) – indoor track, indoor pool, fitness equipment, group classes, gymnasiums, kids’ play area

Best Things to Do in Iowa City with Kids

colony acres things to do with kids near iowa city
Colony Acres
devonian fossil gorge coralville lake things to do in iowa city with kids outdoors
Devonian Fossil Gorge
Best Parks & Playgrounds in the Iowa City Area
  • Ped Mall Playground (Downtown Iowa City) – Recently renovated playground in the pedestrian mall outside of the Iowa City Public Library
  • Mercer Park (Iowa City) – huge playground, open fields, picnic shelters
  • City Park (Iowa City) – nice playground, pavilions, basketball courts, tennis courts, big open fields, paved trails
  • Kiwanis Park (Iowa City) – natural play area & wooden playground, picnic pavilion, sandboxes, open fields, paved trails
  • Terry Trueblood (Iowa City) – natural play area with slide, climbing wall, and sand pit – let the kiddos bring some toys and play in the sand while you sit back & relax on a bench while enjoying lake views
  • Penn Meadows Park (North Liberty) – 2 play structures for different ages, shaded picnic tables, paved trails, baseball fields, splash pad
  • Centennial Park (North Liberty) – large playgrounds with structures for big kids & little kids, additional natural play area, paved trails, wide-open grassy fields
  • North Ridge Park (Coralville) – playground with 2 play structures for big kids & little kids, paved trails around fishing pong, small picnic shelter
  • City Park (Tiffin) – playground, baseball fields, paved trails, splash pad
  • Kent Park (Oxford) – large playground in the woods – the play structure is made from recycled materials!
Free Indoor Play Areas
  • Kid’s Campsite Play Area (North Liberty Community Center) – padded & enclosed area, great for toddlers and younger kids
  • Coral Ridge Mall Play Area (Coralville) – – padded & enclosed area, great for toddlers and younger kids
  • Public Libraries (Iowa City, Coralville, & North Liberty) – All of the area public libraries are excellent & have wonderful children’s sections with play areas, storytime sessions, and of course a great selection of books. (North Liberty Library is our favorite!)
north liberty rec center kids campsite indoor play area near iowa city
Kid’s Campsite North Liberty
coral ridge mall indoor play area in iowa city
Coral Ridge Play Area
Area Pools, Aquatic Centers, Splash Pads
  • Campus Rec & Wellness Center (Iowa City) – more expensive than other options, but the indoor pool at the CRWC is perfect for kids with a lazy river, hot tub, rock wall, and fun water play features
  • Robert A Lee Recreation Center (Iowa City) – indoor pool
  • Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Gym (Iowa City) – indoor pool & hot tub
  • City Park Pool (Iowa City) – unheated outdoor pool & separate children’s wading pool
  • North Liberty Community Center (North Liberty) – indoor pool & outdoor aquatic center with slides
  • Coralville Rec Center (Coralville) – indoor pool, separate shallow pool for young kids, hot tub
  • Coralville Aquatic Center (Coralville) – zero entry pool, splash pad, slides
Coralville Aquatic Center

Splash Pads

  • Wetherby Park Splash Pad (Iowa City) – 2400 Taylor Drive
  • Fairmeadows Park Splash Pad (Iowa City) – 2500 Miami Drive
  • Tower Court Park Spray Pad (Iowa City) – 1124 Tower Court
  • Ped Mall Weatherdance Fountain (Downtown Iowa City) – 210 S. Dubuque St.
  • Penn Meadows Splash Pad (North Liberty) – 170 N Dubuque St.
  • Tiffin Splash Pad (Tiffin) – 809 E. Marengo Road

Things to Do in Iowa City: Arts & History

Museums
Theatres & Shows
History
Amana Colonies
Literary

Iowa City is a Unesco City of Literature (one of only 42 cities in the world!)

Memorials
Record Breakers
  • World’s Largest Wooden Nickel (Iowa City)
  • World’s Largest Truck Stop (Walcott)

Best Things to Do in Iowa City for Sports Lovers

University of Iowa Hawkeye Sports
  • Historic Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City) – wave to the kids at the Children’s Hospital while watching football
  • Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City) – home of Iowa men’s & women’s basketball and wrestling
  • Xtreme Arena (Coralville) – women’s volleyball, women’s gymnastics
  • More Hawkeye sports to watch: baseball, softball, men’s & women’s golf, track & field, cross country, women’s field hockey, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, women’s swimming & diving, & women’s tennis
  • University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame (Iowa City) – 2425 Prairie Meadow Drive (free admission!)
kinnick stadium iowa city
Kinnick Stadium
Hockey
Baseball
Best Golf Courses in the Iowa City Area

Golf Simulators

Disc Golf
  • Peninsula Park (Iowa City) – 18-hole course, some wooded holes, some open near the river, well-maintained
  • Altmaier Park (Coralville) – 18-hole course, one of our favorites, well-maintained, good variety
  • Sugar Bottom Recreation Area (Solon) – 18-hole course, another one of our favorites, some holes are wide open, others provide a challenge by cutting through the woods
  • Weatherby (Iowa City) – 9-hole course, short, simple, wide open
  • Turkey Creek (Iowa City) – 9-hole course, lots of trees
  • Tiffin Timbers (Tiffin) – 9-hole, can be overgrown at times, crosses over walking trail, grass/woods/creek
Altmaier Park Disc Golf Course

Best Dining in the Iowa City Area

Breakfast
  • Bluebird Diner (Iowa City or North Liberty)
  • Hamburg Inn (Iowa City)
  • Encounter Cafe (Iowa City)
  • Pullman Bar & Diner (Iowa City)
  • Tin Roost weekend brunch (North Liberty)
best breakfast in iowa city bluebird diner
Bluebird North Liberty
Pizza
  • Wig & Pen Pizza Pub (Coralville & North Liberty) – get the wings too
  • Pagliai’s Pizza (Iowa City)
Mexican
  • Los Agaves Mexican Grill (Iowa City) – great food, drinks, & patio!
  • La Regia Taqueria (Iowa City) – authentic food
  • Carlos O’Kellys (Iowa City) – some people might cringe at this one because it’s inspired mex, but I’m obsessed with the queso & enchiladas de poblano
Sushi
  • Sushiya (North Liberty)
  • Oyama Sushi (Iowa City)
  • Formosa (Iowa City)
BBQ
  • Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack (Iowa City)
  • Pop’s BBQ (Iowa City)
  • Mosley’s BBQ (Iowa City or North Liberty)
  • Jethros (Coralville)
Sports Bars/Restaurants
  • The Vine (Iowa City or Coralville) – one of the best places to go for game days
  • Iowa Athletic Club (Coralville)
  • Coach’s Corner (Iowa City)
  • 2 Dogs Pub (Iowa City)
Dessert
  • Molly’s Cupcakes (Iowa City or Coralville)
  • Heyn’s Ice Cream (Iowa City or North Liberty)
  • Yotopia Frozen Yogurt (Iowa City)
  • Cookies & Dreams (Coralville)
Bars & Breweries

This really depends on the vibe you are going for.

Click here for a description of all of the area bars!

Our favorite bars in college: Brother’s, Sports Column, DC’s, Joe’s Place

Our favorite bars now: 30Hop, Big Grove, Tin Roost

Annual Special Events in the Iowa City Area

  • Downtown Block Party (Iowa City) – June
  • Chocolate Stroll (Mt. Vernon) – June
  • Iowa Arts Festival (Iowa City) – June
  • Jazz Fest (Iowa City) – July
  • Blues & BBQ (North Liberty) – July
  • Beef Days (Solon) – July
  • Johnson County Fair (Iowa City) – August
  • FRYfest (Coralville/Iowa City) – August
  • Taste of Iowa City – August
  • Northside Oktoberfest (Iowa City) – September
  • Oktoberfest (Amana Colonies) – September/October
  • Prelude to Christmas (Amana Colonies) – December

Click here for more upcoming events in the Iowa City Area

Come stay at Iowa Nice Escape!

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