15 Amazing Hidden Gems In The Midwest

Are you looking for interesting and exciting hidden gems in the Midwest?

The Midwest is a great place to explore, and as someone who grew up there, I know how varied the activities can be.

From roadside attractions, abandoned towns, and castle ruins, and everything in between, here are some of the best places to visit in the Midwest.

So, let’s take a look at 15 amazing hidden gems in the Midwest!

15 Amazing Hidden Gems In The Midwest

Serpent Mound, Ohio: A World Historic Site

In Peebles, Ohio, you can visit the Serpent Mound World Historic Site.

Serpent Mound is the world’s largest surviving prehistoric effigy mound.

The monument is over 1,300 feet long, in the shape of a serpent, and is anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 years old.

Archeologists are still unsure which Native American nation created this beautiful and moving piece of earthen sculpture.

There are no written records that have been found to indicate who built the mound and why.

So it is a fascinating mystery tucked away in this small town in Ohio.

World’s Largest Ball of Twine, Kansas, Is One Of The Coolest Hidden Gems In The Midwest

Several things are quintessentially American, and roadside attractions are one of those things.

From the 1940’s to the 1960’s, Americans started taking more road trips, and that meant more small towns were trying to find ways to get people to stop there.

Thanks to this new vacation style, the roadside attraction was invented.

You can find the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas.

This funky roadside attraction is open 24 hours and free to admire.

The ball of twine weighs over 19,000 pounds and is over 8 feet tall.

Every year, the small town hosts a twine-a-thon where everyone has the opportunity to add more twine to the massive ball.

If you are looking for a really fun and unique Midwest getaway, consider taking a roadside attraction road trip.

Hidden Gems In The Midwest: American Gothic House, Iowa

Most people know the iconic American Gothic painting of an older couple standing in front of their white house, pitchfork in hand, with very disinterested looks.

Most people don’t know that the house in the background of the painting is a real house.

The artist of the American Gothic painting, Grant Wood, saw the home while touring the small town of Eldon, Iowa, and then returned to Michigan to paint it.

Now, art lovers can experience the now iconic home for themselves at the American Gothic House Center.

There is a visitor center where you can learn about the house, the painting, and the area, which is open three days a week.

If you hope to tour the inside of the house when you visit, you’ll have to check their schedule.

The interior of the home is only open a few times a month, so plan accordingly.

It’s one of the coolest things to do in Iowa!

Red Oak II, Missouri To Explore A Rebuilt Small Town

Just off of America’s Route 66 in Missouri is Red Oak II.

Red Oak II is an open-air museum of sorts created by the artist Lowell Davis.

Davis grew up in the original Red Oak but returned in the 1970s to find that his beloved hometown had been abandoned almost completely.

He decided to turn his farmland into an homage to his hometown.

He slowly began buying the buildings from the original town and transplanting them to his property, where he dedicated his time to restoring them.

Now, visitors can stroll through this vintage ghost town and experience stepping back into a completely different time.

Monon High Bridge, Indiana, A Midwest Hidden Gem

In the small town of Delphi Indiana, is the Monon High Bridge, one of the most amazing hidden gems in the Midwest.

The bridge was built in 1891 and is believed to be the second-highest bridge in Indiana.

The Monon High Bridge was originally built to carry trains over Deer Creek, but it has been abandoned since 1987.

If you’d like to explore and walk across the Monon High Bridge, you can explore the 10 miles of trails on the Delphi Historic Trails system.

On the trail, you’ll pass architectural gems of the small town of Delphi, as well as the Monon Bridge.

If you’re feeling brave, you can even walk across the bridge, but you do so at your own risk.

Hidden Gems In The Midwest: Mitchell Corn Palace, South Dakota

If you want to see the world’s only corn palace, then head to Mitchell, South Dakota.

The Mitchel Corn Palace has been the top attraction in the small town of Mitchell, South Dakota, since it was built in 1892.

Over the last 100 years, the entertainment venue has grown from a small corn palace to the large building it is today.

Every year in August, The Corn Palace hosts The Corn Palace Festival, where you can enjoy all things corn.

The Corn Palace is considered a folk-art wonder of the world, and you won’t find anything like it anywhere else.

It’s places like The Corn Palace that make vacations in the Midwest so unique.

Carhenge, Nebraska, For A Unique Car Sculpture

The Midwest may not have Stonehenge, but it does have Carhenge.

Carhenge is a quirky sculptural piece on a family farm in Alliance, Nebraska.

This is one of the more unique hidden gems in the Midwest.

Carhenge is a replica of the famous Stonehenge, and you can visit it year-round from dusk to dawn.

On the property are several other car sculptures and even a seasonal gift shop.

This super unique roadside attraction was built in 1987 as a dedication to the Summer solstice by Jim Reinders.

Since then, it has been offering visitors a day spent admiring quirky car sculptural art.

Hidden Gems In The Midwest: Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, Michigan

If you are planning a Michigan getaway, consider heading to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Not only will you find a super cute town to explore, but it’s also home to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.

Brommer’s Christmas Wonderland is the World’s Largest Christmas Store.

Open year-round, it is a massive complex of buildings full to the brim with all things Christmas.

It doesn’t matter what kind of Christmas décor you are looking for, Bronner’s has it.

If you love all things Christmas, then you will love spending hours exploring this massive store.

Scandinavian Heritage Park, North Dakota

The Midwest was a popular place for immigrants from Scandinavian countries to make a new home.

In North Dakota, you can learn more about those early immigrants at the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot, North Dakota.

There are building replicas from five different countries: Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

The highlight of the Heritage Park is the full-scale replica Stave Church, which is from Gol, Norway.

You can also explore a real Stabbur, admire the 25-foot-tall Dala Horse, and even visit a Danish Windmill.

There are also statues to commemorate important Scandinavian icons, like Hans Christian Anderson and Leif Erikson.

The Ohio Caverns, Ohio: To Explore A Cave System

The Ohio Caverns are known as ‘America’s Most Colorful Caverns’.

The Caverns were originally explored from 1897 to 1925, and have been open to the public for almost as long.

While the caverns are privately owned, there have been painstaking steps taken to make sure experiencing the caverns is as close to how they would have been originally experienced as possible.

You can tour the caverns all year long, but the tour hours change depending on what time of year it is.

For the Natural Wonder Tour, you’ll walk the one mile of the cavern that was explored after 1925.

In the Winter, you’ll learn a bit about the history and the geological aspects of the caverns.

Some tours focus on just the history of the caverns, just the geology, or combination tours.

If you are looking for great vacations in the Midwest for families, then this is a great stop!

The caverns are not that far from Amish Country Ohio, which the entire family will enjoy as well!

Midwest Hidden Gems: Enchanted Highway, North Dakota

The Enchanted Highway is in North Dakota on I-94 and begins at Exit 72, and truly one of the best places to visit in the Midwest.

For 32 miles, you’ll drive towards the town of Regent and get to enjoy massive metal sculptures on the side of the road.

There are several different metal sculptures, like ‘Grasshoppers in the Field’, ‘Fisherman’s Dream’, and ‘Deer Crossing’.

Each of the metal sculptures has a small parking area so that you can get out and enjoy them and take pictures of them closer up.

In the town of Regent, there is a small gift shop where you can buy trinkets and souvenirs from the Enchanted Highway.

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station, Minnesota

Most people know of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Did you know he designed a gas station? One of the true Midwest hidden gems!

In Cloquet, Minnesota, you can find the only Frank Lloyd Wright gas station in the world.

Wright built it when he was almost 91.

The gas station is still open and is a functioning gas station that you can visit and buy gas and snacks from.

There is literally no other place in the world where you can fill up your tank at a gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Dells Of The Wisconsin River, Wisconsin, is one of the best Midwest Getaways

The Dells in Wisconsin is a pretty popular town and is known as The Waterpark Capital of the World.

But while everyone who visits is focused on the man-made waterparks, they are missing one of the best things about the area.

The Dells of the Wisconsin River is a state park in the area.

Instead of hitting up a packed waterpark, escape and immerse yourself in the outdoors.

At the State Park, you can go kayaking through canyons carved into Cambrian sandstone and formed over 510 million years ago.

Some of these carved cliffs jut out of the river, creating an incredibly unique landscape.

Enjoy hiking, kayaking, and exploring the Dells original waterpark.

Hidden Gems In The Midwest: Cairo, Illinois, To Explore A Ghost Town

When the steamboat industry was booming, the town of Cairo, Illinois, was too.

But slowly, people began to leave the once bustling town.

If you are interested in exploring abandoned spaces, then this small town in the Midwest is perfect for your next vacation in the Midwest.

In 2010, only an estimated 2,000 people still lived in the town. At its peak, 15,000 people once called Cairo home.

Now, most of the city’s once lively Downtown Business District is boarded up and crumbling.

There are beautiful Victorian Mansions, Art Deco shops, and once stunning Bungalows.

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins, Missouri

With so many great state parks, the Ha Ha Tonka State Park often gets forgotten when people visit Missouri.

But it shouldn’t! It is one of the amazing hidden gems in the Midwest!

It’s full of natural wonders like sinkholes, sheer bluffs, caves, and even a natural bridge.

But what makes this state park so unique is the castle ruins.

It’s not often that you go to explore a state park and find the massive ruins of a turn-of-the-century castle.

There are so many fun things to do and explore at Ha Ha Tonka State Park making it one of the best vacations in the Midwest for families.

Packing Tips For Your Trip When Exploring Hidden Gems In The Midwest

Learn how to pack light using only a carry-on. Read my tips here.

This unisex RFID-blocking concealed travel pouch is lightweight and comes in several colors. It has lots of organization to give you peace of mind.

These RFID sleeves would be handy to prevent identity theft.

These Bagail packing cubes are the exact ones I use whenever I travel.

This Anker high-speed phone charging battery is the exact one I carry with me on all of my trips.

My daughter gifted me with this FugeTek Selfie Stick and Tripod. It has Bluetooth connectivity so it is easy to use.

I never leave home without a portable water bottle!

Or, this collapsible silicone foldable water bottle could work well for you.

You will want to bring a backpack or daypack to store snacks, water bottles, phone, extra clothes, etc…

This foldable water-resistant backpack would be great.

You will be walking more, so these On Cloud walking shoes are functional and stylish.

These unisex polarized sunglasses come in numerous lens colors and frame designs and are extremely affordable too.

This world traveler adapter kit can charge several devices at the same time.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.