One of the most iconic paintings of the 20th century is American Gothic by Grant Wood. This famous painting depicts a man holding a pitchfork and a woman looking off in the distance in front of white farmhouse. It is now possible to visit the American Gothic House, located in Eldon in southern Iowa.
A Little About Grant Wood’s American Gothic Painting
It wasn’t until I visited this museum that I learned so much about American Gothic. Did you know…
- Grant Wood often painted scenes from around Iowa. He picked out this farm house in Eldon, Iowa due to the interesting shape of the gothic window on the second floor.
- American Gothic was painted in 1930
- The models for the painting was Grant’s sister, Nan, and their dentist.
- Many think the picture is a husband and wife, but it’s really a farmer and his daughter
- There are plants on the porch, these plants are begonias, that also were depicted in another famous Wood’s painting, Woman With Plants.
- It’s one of the most parodied paintings of all time.
- The original copy is located at the Art Institute of Chicago
American Gothic House Museum
In this excellent little museum, you can learn almost anything you’d like about Grant Wood and American Gothic. You can watch a 28-minute PBS documentary about the painter and painting. A room with exhibits contains more info about the life of Grant and his sister, and contains loads of pop culture parodies of the famous painting – from magazine covers depicting the Reagans to Madonna and Sean Penn.
Recreate Your Own American Gothic Painting
A highlight of a visit to the American Gothic House is to dress up like the farmer or daughter (complete with a collar and cameo or a button-down shirt and overall jeans, grab your spectacles and pitchfork, and make your own American Gothic picture. The museum staff will dress you and help you take your pictures if you aren’t traveling in a group – or have poor photographers in your group 😊. They have many sizes of costumes – from XS to XXXL, and pitchforks of varying height – so you can get photos of toddlers to tall adults.
American Gothic House Museum Gift Shop
The gift shop has a wide variety of goods, from books and bookmarkers to magnets and refrigerator magnets. Proceeds benefit the museum.
American Gothic House Museum Cost
The museum and dressing up is free, but they will gladly accept donations.
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American Gothic House – Where to Stay
If you love small town life, there are a couple of really nice places to stay in the quaint town of Bloomfield. (Check Rates and Availability). Alternatively, you can stay in nearby Ottumwa that has quite some choices of hotels, including the historic Hotel Ottumwa (Check Rates and Availability).
Other Things to Do Near the American Gothic House
Take this short road trip to cross the Des Moines river and visit Amish Country and the county seat.
Bloomfield, Iowa
The main square in Bloomfield, Iowa is so cute. The center of the square features the grandiose Davis County courthouse (Iowa has some really beautiful courthouses). Make sure you walk around the square to see the Statue of Liberty. If you have time, catch a movie or a community theater play at the Iowa Theater. There are several restaurants around the square but the best place to eat is the Southfork Restaurant & Lounge on the south end of town, or you could go a couple blocks north of the main square to Elena’s Ice Cream Shop.
Dutch Country General Store
There’s a large Amish population in southern Iowa and there are several shops selling Amish Wares. The Dutch Country General Store advertises free soft serve ice cream cones, free popcorn, and free coffee. There’s a wide selection of groceries and dry goods that include cheese curds, snacks, saltwater taffy, honey, and Amish quilts. Make sure you check out the whimsical signs out front!
Check out this other place in the midwest where you can dress up to recreate art – this time recreate the woodchipper scene from the movie Fargo.
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