Visitor Guide | Local Attractions | Parks & Activities | Rec Center | Food, Drinks, Shops | Day Trips
Local AttractionsTake a tour around Manning, and you may be surprised what you will find!
Arts and Antiquities TourThe Arts and Antiquities Tour is a self-guided tour of nineteen locations in Manning that offer small glimpses into arts, culture, and antiques in Manning. Drive, walk, or bike to the different stops. Route lengths range from half a mile to nearly six miles. Click here for a full Arts and Antiquities Tour brochure.
Carroll County Freedom RockThe Carroll County Freedom Rock is located at the Hausbarn-Heritage Park. It was painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen in June 2014 as a part of his 99-county Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. For more information, click here.
HAUSBARN & HERITAGE PARK | www.germanhausbarn.com
130 Heritage Dr. PO Box 215, Manning, IA 51455 | 712-655-3131 Freda Dammann, Director | heritag@mmctsu.com Hausbarn-Heritage Park Video OPEN: May 1 to October 31 | Mon-Sat: 10 am - 4 pm | Sunday: 1-4 pm Available for tours and visitors, the Heritage Park includes:
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Manning Attractions
Points of Interest:
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GERMAN HAUSBARN | www.germanhausbarn.com - hausbarn
An authentic 1660 Hausbarn (House-Barn / Bauernhaus) from current-day Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Due to many years of political conflict and boundary changes in Europe, it can boast it stood proudly in Austria, Prussia, Denmark and of course, Germany, before it was dismantled and sent to Manning, Iowa, (1999) to be preserved and re-assembled. |
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LEET-HASSLER FARMSTEAD | www.germanhausbarn.com - farmstead
Leet-Hassler farmstead which showcases 8 buildings preserved from their original construction in the mid 1910's. The farmstead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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GIFT SHOP & VISITORS CENTER | www.germanhausbarn.com - gift shop
Gifts and souvenirs with Manning and German themes! Delicious Imported German chocolate, authentic German gifts, and various items with German themes including children's storybooks! The center also has information about area locations and places to visit in western Iowa. |
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WILLOW CREEK CAMPSITE | 712-655-3131
Freda Dammann | heritag@mmctsu.com Onsite camping with electrical and water hook-ups and a dump site, it's a great place to go get lost in it's history for a day or a week. Restrooms, charcoal grills, playset and a creek. Sorry, no showers. $10 a night for campers and $5 a night for tents. |
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TRINITY CHURCH | www.germanhausbarn.com - church
A beautiful country church, Trinity was moved originally located nine miles southeast of Manning in Lincoln Township. It was built in 1913 and recently moved onto the Heritage site in 2006 when the congregation closed. Now a non-denominational structure, it's available for wedding ceremonies and religious observances. MORE: Watch the 11 mile road journey of Trinity Church! |
More Local Attractions
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FORGOTTEN CORNER MUSEUM & ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAY
South on East Street, Manning, IA | 712-653-3029 Merlyn Irlbeck | mirlbeck@iowatelecom.net Call for an appointment! The museum contains numerous antique household and farming items. See a 1963 Fire Truck and hundreds of toy tractors and farm machinery. The Christmas Light Display has over 50,000 lights! Includes a train over 200 ft long! December through New Year's Day. |
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VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL |
Main Street, Manning, IA 51455 In honor of all Manning citizens and loved ones who have served our country, the local VFW commissioned artist Clint Hansen of Audubon to design and construct the memorial wall in 2003. |
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CARROLL COUNTY FREEDOM ROCK |
Corner of Highway 141 and East Street Ray “Bubba” Sorensen painted the Carroll County Freedom Rock® in June, 2014, as a part of his 99-county Iowa Freedom Rock Tour®. The rock features the Milwaukee railroad trestle, noting that during World War II, troop trains used these tracks. Iowa National Guardsmen were stationed at each end of the bridges to prevent sabotage. For more information on the Freedom Rock, click here. |
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Points of Interest
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HISTORIC MANNING WATER TOWER
Center of town In service by 1903, this water tower was designed by Henry Brunnier, Manning native, and his college professor, Anston Marston. Henry Brunnier was an undergrad engineering student at Iowa State University from 1901-1905. Professor Marston had built the first elevated steel tank west of the Mississippi in Ames just a few years prior to helping construct Manning's tower. Brunnier had discussions with Manning's City Council after his freshman year of engineering school, and enlisted Martson’s help in designing Manning’s steel water tower. The Manning tower is the second elevated steel tank to be built west of the Mississippi. Henry Brunnier went on to become a famous engineer and his other works included being one of five engineers to design the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. More about Henry Brunnier... This water tower is currently being considered for the National Register of Historic Places. The Manning water tower was used in the 2008 RAGBRAI logo designed by the Des Moines Register. |
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MILWALKEE RAILROAD TRESTLE
North on Main Street Built 1913, this unique trestle is still in use today by the BNSF railroad. The trestle is known locally for both its interesting architecture and its interesting stories. WWII - This bridge was protected by the Iowa National Guard as a valuable transit route. 1969 - a saboteur used dynamite to derail the passenger train hoping that it would careen into the Nishnabotna river below (fortunately the train came to a safe stop but not until it derailed). 1976 - the "Freedom Train" which toured the U.S during the Bi-Centennial crossed through Manning. |
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MANNING LIGHT PLANT
South on Main Street The Manning Light Plant near the corner of Main Street and Park Avenue offers a historic look back at Manning's electricity history. The original building was built in 1928 and had an estimated worth of $100,000 dollars. It generated electricity for the whole community. In 1941 the utility spent another $48,000 to upgrade the plant with a submarine engine generator and a fourth generator was installed in 1948. Although today the majority of Manning's power is purchased from outside sources, an extensive generator upgrade in 2012 allows the community to once again have the ability to generate power for the entire community in case of emergencies. The light plant building still has much of the original beauty and integrity it had when it was built in 1928. |
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MANNING PUBLIC LIBRARY
310 Main Street, Manning, IA 51455 | 712-655-2200 Linda Muhlbauer, Director | mannplib@mmctsu.com Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 am - 5 pm | Saturday: 10 am - 12 pm (Tuesdays until 6 during the school year) Two community meeting rooms in the library house a large collection of historic photos of Manning and many trinkets of history that have been donated to the library. History lovers can get lost for hours in the stories these historic pieces tell. |
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"Four Generations of Farming"
Horizon Equipment along Highway 141 Unveiled in 2002, "Four Generations of Farming" is a series of four mosaic peices of art created by artist Clint Hansen of Audubon. Formerly operated as Puck Implement, the Manning equipment dealership celebrated 75 years in business in 2001 with its fourth generation of family members operating the business. You won't get the full effect by just driving by so stop and see these remarkable depictions of the evolution of farming. |
