2024 Barn Tour to Visit Historic Eastern Iowa Barns [GALLERY]

Few images evoke feelings of a time gone by like a big red barn on an Iowa farm. Green fields, blue sky, and livestock nearby. A quintessential image of rural life.I grew up on a farm in Jones County and for most of my time there, our big red barn was the most important building other than our home. It housed livestock and hay. We stored equipment and supplies. But many of these grand structures are no longer around, a victim of time and the elements.

But later this summer you can take a tour of some of Eastern Iowa's most beautiful barns still going strong today. The Iowa Barn Foundation is holding its annual Iowa Barn Tour on Saturday and Sunday, June 22nd and 23rd. The barns on the tour will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.

The tour of 11 Eastern Iowa barns is free to attend. The owner of each barn will also be on hand to talk about the history of the building and answer questions. Many of the barns on this year's tour are still in use, so you might get to encounter some livestock too!

The Iowa Barn Tour continues to be a free event thanks to generous donations by members of the Iowa Barn Foundation. This year's barn tour will feature buildings primarily in southern Black Hawk and northern Tama Counties. You can get full tour details and a map of this year's route can be found HERE.