Self Guided Tours

Vinton, Iowa is a river community with a vibrant shopping district and many family-friendly events and activities. This county seat community is home to over 20 chainsaw carvings, larger than life murals on the side of 11 buildings, and over a dozen giant ears of corn! Our historic homes, courthouse, train depot, and Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School are all great additions to the charm of our community.

Information on Our Self-Guided Walking Tours

Wooden sign with "Cedar River" engraved on it, featuring a carved image of a bridge.

Carving Tour

In July of 2011, Vinton was devastated by a Derecho wind storm. Nearly every property had damage, and the city suffered the loss of many of its beautiful, century old trees.

Brian Parr, a life-long resident and self-taught artist, used his amazing talents to create works of art from tree trunks that would have otherwise been removed after the storm. These works of art can be viewed from the comfort of your own vehicle in a drive-by tour.

A colorful corn cob sculpture made of mosaic tiles stands against a background of trees and buildings.

Community Art Corn Project

The Community Corn Project was a major initiative undertaken by the Vinton Guild of Fine Arts in 2015 to create themed fiberglass corn statues and place them around the community of Vinton. Brian Parr led the effort, assisted by Rick Poldberg, Therese Foth, and many other VGFA members and artists.

For more information on the Guild, visit their website or follow the Vinton Guild of Fine Arts on Facebook.

Large mural on a brick wall promoting a sweet corn day festival, featuring corn illustrations and bold yellow text.

Mural Tour

In the fall of 2000, the Wall dogs, a group of over 70 artists from all over the US brought our history to life by painting eight murals. These murals capture the pride that Iowans have in agriculture and in their communities. Some of the mural titles are: Shop Vinton, First Train to Vinton, Vinton Hybrid, Play Ball! Baseball in Benton.

A path with glowing green particles leads to a silhouette of a person against a twilight sky. Trees and a building are visible on the horizon.

Nathan’s Miles Glow Trail

For the best experience

  1. visit after dark;
  2. Walk ON the trail (driving next to it greatly reduces the illumination);
  3. Distance yourself from light sources (street lights, buildings, and house lights);
  4. Turn off all other light sources (car lights, cell phone, flash lights)

Learn more about the trail.

The Red Cedar River

Points of Interest Brochure