Ida Grove, Iowa: Castles of Ida Grove
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- Hwy 175, Ida Grove, IA
- Directions:
- Along Hwy 175, from the town center east to US Hwy 59. Castles visible from the road.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Results 1 to 5 of 6... Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
Byron LeRoy Godbersen, the most powerful man in Ida Grove, built castles all over town -- and had his employees build a half-scale replica of the H.M.S. Bounty as well.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...Visitor Tips and News About Castles of Ida Grove
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
Mr. Godbertson was a larger-than-life figure around here. And deservedly so, it seems. Castles in a cornfield! Why, it's our very own Field of Dreams! (Sorry, no Kevin Costner though)
[Valleygirl, 10/22/2018]This was a complete waste of time. The pictures on the website are very misleading. The "castles" are storefronts that are run down and a lot smaller than they appear online. The best buildings are on a private golf course that you cannot get to.
[Trish, 07/26/2016]
Pizza Hut is still there, and the castle buildings are something to see. There's a private property with a lake on the east end of town, which contains a replica of the HMS Bounty. Main street businesses closed on Sundays.
[Kristen Nash, 11/04/2007]
Another castle building.
[Sparx, 12/19/2001]More of the feudal style of castle-crazed Ida Grove.
Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
Nearby Offbeat Places
12-Foot-Tall Metal Mammoth, Aurelia, IA - 21 mi.
Big Bull Statue, Denison, IA - 22 mi.
Restored Standard Oil Gas Station, Vail, IA - 23 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.
Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!
Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.
Byron Godbersen, the wealthy castle-builder of Ida Grove, died in 2003. His taste in expensive medieval architecture has not been sustained by the rest of the town. Maybe they view it as a renaissance.