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Council Bluffs is a city of about 62,000 people on the east bank of the Missouri River in southwest Iowa, across from Omaha, Nebraska. Its name comes from an 1804 council between Lewis and Clark and local tribes on the bluffs nearby. Mormon pioneers settled here in the 1840s, and in 1859 Abraham Lincoln visited and later chose the city as the eastern starting point of the transcontinental railroad.
That history is told at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, in the grand 1905 Carnegie library downtown, and at the Historic General Dodge House, an 1869 Victorian mansion. The Squirrel Cage Jail, a rare rotary jail from 1885, is one of the city's most unusual museums, and Lincoln Monument offers views across the river to Omaha.
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge crosses the Missouri River to Omaha, with a line where walkers can stand in two states at once. Downtown Council Bluffs has restored buildings and restaurants, and the Loess Hills, rare wind-blown hills found almost only here and in China, rise just north and east of the city.
A free museum in the former Carnegie library in downtown Council Bluffs, telling the story of the Union Pacific Railroad and its role in the first transcontinental railroad, with historic photos, maps, artifacts and interactive exhibits. Allow about an hour; check opening days, as it closes some weekdays.
A museum near the Missouri River in Council Bluffs focusing on the Lewis and Clark, Mormon, Oregon and California trails that passed through the area, with exhibits, sculptures and walking paths along the river. Admission is free. It takes about an hour, and the outdoor trails are nice in good weather.
A three-story Victorian mansion built in 1869 for Grenville Dodge, a Civil War general and chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad. Guided tours show restored rooms with period furnishings and fine woodwork. Tours are offered on limited days, so check the schedule; it sits on a hill near downtown.
A rare rotary jail built in 1885, where prisoners were held in pie-shaped cells on a rotating cylinder turned by the jailer. It is one of only a few of its kind left in the country and is now a museum. Guided tours explain how it worked; it is close to the Dodge House and both can be seen in one visit.
A reconstruction of the large log tabernacle where Brigham Young was sustained as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1847, when Council Bluffs was called Kanesville. Free tours with church volunteers explain the Mormon Trail. It is a short stop near downtown.
A granite monument on a bluff marking the spot where Abraham Lincoln is said to have looked out over the Missouri River valley in 1859 before choosing Council Bluffs as the starting point of the transcontinental railroad. The site offers wide views toward Omaha. It is quiet and takes only a few minutes.
One of the oldest parks in Council Bluffs, set high on the Loess Hills bluffs with winding roads, wooded trails, picnic shelters and scenic overlooks toward the Missouri River valley and the Omaha skyline. It is a quiet spot for a walk or picnic, and sunset views from the bluff are the main reason to go.
A downtown city park in Council Bluffs with a large fountain, a splash pad, a performance pavilion, walking paths and sculptures. It hosts summer concerts and holiday lighting events. It is a pleasant place to rest while exploring downtown and is surrounded by restaurants and the public library.
A state park on the south side of Council Bluffs around a large lake, with a swimming beach, boat ramps, fishing, camping, a dog park and a paved trail looping the lake. It is busy on summer weekends. Bring a bike for the loop trail, and check beach water advisories in late summer before swimming.
The historic center of Council Bluffs around Bayliss Park and Broadway, with restored buildings, local restaurants, bars, an arts district and public art. The nearby 100 block of West Broadway has small shops and cafes. It is easy to explore on foot, and street parking is generally free and simple.
A rare landscape of steep wind-blown silt hills running along the east side of the Missouri River valley, beginning at the edge of Council Bluffs. Parks such as Hitchcock Nature Center north of the city have prairie trails and overlooks. Trails can be steep and slippery after rain, so wear good shoes.
A large casino near Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs with slot machines, table games, a poker room and several restaurants, one of three casinos in the city. It draws visitors from Omaha across the river. Guests must be 21 or older for the gaming floor; parking is free and the casino is open around the clock.
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