Top 15 Must-Do Activities in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cedar Falls, home to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), shares a metropolitan region with its neighboring city, Waterloo.

The two locales are interconnected by the Cedar River and an extensive network of trails amounting to over 100 miles, rendering this area an ideal destination for exploration on foot or by bicycle.

Commence your visit in Cedar Falls’ vibrant downtown area, characterized by locally-owned shops and restaurants nestled behind vintage storefronts.

UNI plays a significant role in the cultural and athletic landscape, offering concerts, Broadway productions, and live comedy at the state-of-the-art Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, as well as athletic events at the iconic UNI-Dome.

1. Downtown Cedar Falls

Characterized by pedestrian-friendly streets, charming aesthetics, and a plethora of welcoming shops and eateries, Main Street Cedar Falls epitomizes a quintessential downtown district.

The organization dedicated to preserving the architecture and revitalizing the local economy was established in 1987 and has received accolades for its initiatives.

With over 30 unique boutiques and more than 20 restaurants, visitors will find options that are distinctly local.

The vibrant atmosphere of Cedar Falls brings it to life from morning to night, featuring widened sidewalks designed to encourage foot traffic. The culinary landscape is diverse, offering everything from crêpes to pub fare to wood-fired pizza.

2. Cedar Valley Trails

The metropolitan region encompassing Waterloo and Cedar Falls is intersected by a growing network of multi-use trails.

The Cedar Valley Trails system now extends over 100 miles, reaching all areas of the metro, complete with over 140 wayfinding markers to facilitate navigation. Detailed maps are available for the various loops that allow exploration of the area without relying on a vehicle.

A favored path is the Cedar Valley Loop, which spans just over 16 miles and connects the downtown areas of Cedar Falls and Waterloo, offering restorative views of the river along the way.

Another option is the UNI Loop, which provides a glimpse of the university campus while highlighting local institutions such as the Hearst Center for the Arts.

3. Ice House Museum

The distinctive brick rotunda situated along the riverfront at Sturgis Park serves as an ice house, constructed in 1921 for the Cedar Falls Ice and Fuel Company.

This structure, which stands on the National Register of Historic Places, replaced an earlier ice house erected in 1858 that was tragically lost to fire in 1921.

The current ice house, measuring 100 feet in diameter, once had the capacity to store 16 million pounds of ice harvested from the Cedar River.

Today, it functions as a museum for the Cedar Falls Historical Society, documenting the city’s once-thriving ice industry.

The society also oversees the Victorian House Museum, showcasing an elegant Italianate residence from 1863.

4. George Wyth Memorial State Park

The eastern side of the city features a substantial expanse of riverside nature, covering 1,200 acres of floodplain and interconnected with the extensive trail network in Cedar Falls and Waterloo.

Just inland from the riverbank lies a mosaic of lakes, making George Wyth State Park a sanctuary for birdlife (with 200 recorded species), fishing, and boating.

Visitors can enjoy a leisurely summer day at George Wyth beach, where rentals are available for kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, tubes, and pedal boats.

The park also includes a large campground, featuring nearly 70 electric and non-electric sites, along with modern restroom and shower facilities.

5. Hartman Reserve Nature Center

Opposite George Wyth State Park lies another significant area, hosting the largest contiguous parcel of woodland in Black Hawk County.

The preserve encompasses over 300 acres across the bluff line, offering scenic vistas from the elevated areas. Between the bluffs and the riverside are meadows, prairies, gravel pits, and vernal pools, all surrounded by lush forest.

Prominently situated on elevated ground at a junction in the trail network is the Hartman Interpretive Center, featuring exhibits that explore the diverse habitats along the Cedar River.

The reserve boasts a sizable collection of sugar maple trees, with syrup harvested from the sap during February and March. The Maple Syrup Festival occurs on the first weekend of March, entailing a pancake breakfast to support the preserve.

6. UNI-Dome

A prominent facility on the west side of the UNI campus, the UNI-Dome is an indoor multipurpose arena used for varsity sports and significant live events.

Since its inauguration in 1974, the UNI-Dome has served as the home for the UNI Panthers football and basketball teams, consistently selling out for nearly every game. Despite being smaller than its counterparts like ISU and UI, the Panthers maintain a reputation for competitiveness.

The football program competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, the second-highest tier, boasting an 80% win rate within the dome.

On the basketball side, the team competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, recording seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament over the past 20 years.

A cherished tradition during football games involves the announcer detailing the weather conditions (often extremely cold) in the visitors’ city, concluding with, “Inside – 72 degrees, no wind, welcome to the Dome!”

7. Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center

In 2000, the University of Northern Iowa marked the beginning of a new era with the opening of a spectacular performing arts center.

With a construction budget of $25 million and spanning more than 100,000 square feet, this facility was the first of its magnitude to launch in Iowa in over 20 years.

The spacious glass-walled lobby leads to three advanced auditoriums and includes practice rooms and classrooms. The largest auditorium, the Great Hall, accommodates 1,620 guests and is equipped with the latest sound, lighting, and rigging technologies.

The center features over 300 performances annually, greatly enriching the cultural landscape in the region with Broadway productions, renowned comedians, and musical performances from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

8. Black Hawk Park

This riverside park, named in honor of Black Hawk (1767-1838), the prominent Sauk leader, spans almost 1,500 acres, making it one of the largest county parks in Iowa.

The park constitutes a sprawling greenbelt along the Cedar River, extending towards the Washington Union bridge, approximately four miles to the north. Providing a restorative natural escape in proximity to the city,

Black Hawk Park features two campgrounds (Fogdall and Cedar Campground), with a total of 197 campsites. Additionally, amenities include boat ramps, rental cabins, trails for hiking and biking, picnic areas equipped with grills, and four open shelters.

9. Overman Park

Occupying an entire city block just west of downtown, Overman Park is the oldest public park in Cedar Falls, established in 1853.

Positioned adjacent to City Hall, the park is surrounded by graceful 19th-century residences in the Vintage Home District and serves as a venue for summer events such as the Cedar Falls Farmers’ Market, which operates every Saturday from May to October.

The Cedar Falls Municipal Band, among the oldest concert bands in the state, performs at the Municipal Bandshell every Tuesday evening during June and July, complemented by movies under the stars on Friday nights.

10. Hearst Center for the Arts

Sometimes referred to as the “Robert Frost of the Midwest,” Cedar Falls native poet James Hearst (1900-1983) was born on his family farm.

Hearst had a long-standing position on the UNI faculty from 1941 until 1975, conducting classes in the basement of his home.

Upon his passing, Hearst bequeathed his house to the City of Cedar Falls, which has since been transformed into a community arts center, officially opening in 1989 following extensive expansion and renovation.

The Hearst Center for the Arts features two galleries, three classrooms, a performing arts studio, and an outdoor sculpture garden.

This cherished community hub hosts exhibitions for local and regional artists, studio classes for various age groups, and cultural events spanning music, poetry, and film.

11. Big Woods Lake Recreation Area

A notable advantage of Cedar Falls is the ability to easily access serene nature within minutes of downtown, whether by bike or on foot.

The Big Lake Loop leads to this 320-acre recreation area situated along the banks of a 65-acre lake. Big Lake is among the area’s premier fishing locales, featuring two boat ramps and a kayak launch.

The trail is wide and paved, meandering through mature woodlands and prairie alongside the shoreline. An 18-hole disc golf course is available on the south side, while the north shore offers a campground equipped with 55 RV sites, tent camping facilities, and a permanent cabin.

12. UNI Gallery of Art

The Postmodern Kamerick Art Building, inaugurated in 1983, houses the art museum of the University of Northern Iowa.

Dedicated to modern and contemporary art, the UNI Gallery of Art implements diverse programming that not only supports the curriculum but also enhances the university’s role as an inclusive educational environment.

The exhibitions here often possess crossover appeal, intersecting with disciplines such as design and history, and are frequently part of broader campus and community initiatives in Cedar Falls.

Many exhibitions draw from the gallery’s extensive collection, featuring works by renowned artists such as Picasso, George Grosz, and Philip Guston, along with significant photography from notable figures including Berenice Abbott, Eugène Atget, and Jerry Uelsmann.

13. The Falls Aquatic Center

Cedar Falls boasts a public aquatic center that rivals major resort facilities. The Falls Aquatic Center, which opened in 2006, has recently expanded its competition pool to an Olympic-size 50 meters.

Operational from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the center features a tube slide, raft slide, and drop slide, complemented by a lazy river and Safari Falls, a remarkable zero-depth play area with a large dump bucket.

The expansive park is situated amidst lush greenery at the edge of the UNI campus, providing ample sunbathing areas with plenty of shade surrounding both the competitive pool and recreational amenities.

14. SingleSpeed Brewing

This thriving craft brewery operates two locations, one in Cedar Falls and the other in nearby Waterloo. The production facilities have transitioned to a 20 BBL BrewHouse within a renovated historical building in Waterloo, while the original brewery and taproom remains in downtown Cedar Falls’ historic Main Street district.

SingleSpeed has gained recognition for its innovative approach to brewing, with the initial 3 BBL brewhouse in Cedar Falls now branded as The Laboratory, dedicated to research and development.

At the time of this listing, ten beers were on tap alongside three bottle pours, including selections such as Don’t Call it a Cocktail (mimosa-inspired sour), Evan the Great (Czech dark lager), Tip the Cow (cocoa-espresso milk stout), Perestroika (stout), and American Telegraph (kettle sour).

A rotating menu featuring dishes designed to pair with beer includes options like shrimp and red pepper flatbread, mac and cheese with fried summer sausage, and chicken chorizo nachos.

15. John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum

Waterloo has served as a manufacturing hub for John Deere since the acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in 1918.

This milestone marked John Deere’s entry into the tractor industry, and Waterloo continues to host the company’s tractor works and facilities for manufacturing engines and components.

The John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum, situated on the site of the former tractor factory in downtown Waterloo, showcases the company’s history, highlighting both vintage and modern machinery.

This attraction provides an informative overview of John Deere’s evolution, from the simple steel plows of the mid-19th century to the contemporary high-tech operational machinery.