The Ultimate Guide to a Weekend in Cedar Rapids, IA

You know we love finding those places made for a great weekend getaway! So, of course, after our recent trip, I knew I needed to provide you with the Guide to a Weekend in Cedar Rapids, IA!

It’s no secret that I’ve lived in Iowa my entire life. One place that I never thought about exploring, let alone spending a weekend was Cedar Rapids. We drove through it regularly, but rarely stopped. To be honest, I had never even considered googling things to do there. So, when I had the chance, I jumped at the opportunity to spend a Weekend in Cedar Rapids and I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that I did! And I’ll tell you over and over that you need to plan a weekend too!

Thank you to Cedar Rapids Tourism for hosting us during our stay! Regardless of that, all thoughts & opinions are 100% authentic and my own. For more details, please see the Disclosure Tab.

6 Great Winter Weekend Getaways in Iowa & Missouri

A Weekend in Cedar Rapids

Getting There

Accessing Cedar Rapids is super easy whether you’re looking to drive or fly! Flying into the Eastern Iowa Airport and renting a car is a great option, but it’s also very accessible by car! Located in East Central Iowa, it is situation along Interstate 380 between Iowa City & Waterloo/Cedar Falls. The easy access is just one of many reasons that makes Cedar Rapids a perfect place for a weekend getaway in Iowa.

If you’re traveling by car…

• Des Moines, IA – 128 miles – 1hr 54 minutes drive time
• Minneapolis, MN- 276 miles – 4hrs 13 minutes drive time
• Kansas City, MO – 320 miles – 4hrs 38 minutes drive time
• Chicago, IL – 246 miles – 3hr 39 minutes drive time

Lodging

Cedar Rapids, being the 2nd largest city in the state of Iowa, offers lots of lodging options, but for a weekend in town, we highly recommend the Doubletree Inn by Hilton! It is connected to their Convention Center, but offers an abundance of rooms, so you don’t feel like you’re competing for space! Plus, it’s conveniently located downtown! This allows walkability (which is a huge plus) if the weather is nice!

Spacious, clean rooms, quality amenities, and superior service set this hotel apart from others! Our room with a king sized bed had lots of space to spread out during our visit and provided us a place to relax and refresh in between sight seeing!

UNIQUE MIDWEST HOTELS, LODGES, AND BED & BREAKFASTS

Amenities like a restaurant & bar, fitness center, and pool (just not during COVID), a small market pantry, and complimentary coffee all day means you’ll have no wants! Plus the views from the 16th floor bar are pretty spectacular!

Things to Do

There is no reason to be bored during your visit to Cedar Rapids! From museums to adventures, there is something for everyone and most of them can be done without leaving the downtown area! (Think no parking or traffic!) So, we have several “must do’s” in our guide to Cedar Rapids that we think you’ll enjoy!

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was hesitant about this stop, but honestly….other than the food, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library was my favorite place we visited! This museum has been so well done with a great balance of information and interactive exhibits! T enjoyed learning how to tie different knots used on the ships while I loved the costume and music exhibit. There is a lot to learn about the Czech & Slovak heritage!

BONUS: They offer a FREE heated enclosed parking garage which is a huge thing in Iowa in the winter!

6 Danish Treasures (and more) in Elk Horn, Iowa

NewBo District

Located east of downtown Cedar Rapids, you’ll find the NewBo District. This is considered the Arts & Entertainment area of Cedar Rapids and it definitely is that! From lots of street murals to small shops, art galleries, and more, there is a lot to explore! Two of our must visits in this guide to Cedar Rapids is NewBo City Market & Almost Famous Popcorn.

NewBo City Market is public space that serves as an area for vendors and entrepreneurs to sell their goods and promote within the community without having to have a store front of their own! From crafts and homemade goods to candies, pizza, and other treats, you’ll find something that interests you…mine was chocolates & macarons.

Located across the street from NewBo is Almost Famous Popcorn with their wide variety of unique, homemade flavored popcorns like Monster Cookie, Poppychow, and more! It’s a definite stop to grab a bag or two!

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

I’ll be the first to admit that we aren’t really art people, but as the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is home to one of the largest Grant Wood collections, we knew we had to visit! Everyone knows Wood for “American Gothic”, but his art was quite extensive! I truly didn’t know all the different styles and mediums that Wood created with! It was neat to see the entire collection and how he created them!

Of course, the gallery is home to many other artists like Lasansky, Hoffman, Jaques, and others! There is also a great gift shop and art library where you can peruse a large variety of art books at your own leisure! This museum is very well done and should be a stop to enjoy a bit of culture!

Speedeezz Indoor Karting

Time to get the heart racing after those museums and culture, so head to Speedeezz Indoor Karting! This stop in our guide to Cedar Rapids will require you to drive from the downtown district, but it’s worth it! They offer two tracks, the family track (max 20mph) and the fast track which karts can race up to about 40mph.

We chose the Family track as I don’t usually drive my own go-kart when we go places, but we had so much fun! We laughed, enjoyed racing each other and other families on the track! It doesn’t matter your age, everyone will enjoy this stop!

Civil Axe Throwing

Axe throwing is the new & popular thing sweeping through Iowa and the Midwest right now and Cedar Rapids is right there with that trend at Civil Axe Throwing! We’d never thrown axes before, so I was anxious to give it a try, but was also convinced that I’d be horrible at it! Surprise of all surprises, I was pretty dang good! At Civil, you can pick between an “Open Throw” or a “Private Throw”. Bring your own food & beverages in along with your friends or just your traveling companion and have a great time! And trust me…after an hour, your shoulders will be asking for a break! It’s a great time!

BONUS ATTRACTION– Make sure to take the short drive to Ely and visit Dan & Debbies Creamery for cheese curds & ice cream! My choice was the Oreo Coffee!

Places to Eat

Everyone knows how much I love my food and the great eats options in Cedar Rapids just adds to one of the many reasons that makes this a great weekend getaway in Iowa! And I love finding good food! Cedar Rapids did not disappoint in it’s food scene! So much so, that I’m already trying to find time to return for more good eats!

Brewhemia

If you’re in Cedar Rapids, there is only one place to go for breakfast and that is Brewhemia in the NewBo District! Grab a hot coffee, quiche, biscuits & gravy, or my personal recommendation, the Breakfast tacos! Fresh made corn tortillas, your meat of choice and topped with eggs, cheese, pico, and choice of two sauces, these tacos will fill you up! They were quite possibly one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had and T raved about his Paleo breakfast bowl!

The Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery

Feel like a kid again by heading to The Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery ! This fun joint is not only home to delicious eats, but vintage arcade games and pinball machines! Grab a pizza (they even offer gluten-free crust) or a unique appetizer, salad, or sandwich!

When we visited, we were still full from supper, but Tyler gave their spicy cheese curds a try (he loves all things spicy) while I picked their handcut fries and Caprese Salad! The fries were perfection with their crispy outsides and super soft insides! The salad was one of the best I’ve had in a long time with its mixed greens, tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella, balsamic reduction, and smoked salt! It was the perfect compliment to the fries! YUM!

Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying my hand at a few games. I picked Frogger for my arcade game, reminiscing about the endless hours I played it on the computer in 4th grade! And of course, I had to take a spin at a pinball game, using the skills I gained while competing in a pinball tournament at Arnold’s Park! What a fun stop!

My Favorite Midwest Eats

Black Sheep Social Club

Fine dinning, industrial chic, and casual elegance collide at Black Sheep Social Club! Take a shower, dress up a bit, and head to this local spot for a delicious meal! Located in a historic building, they’ve done a great job job at combining new elegance with the unique historic building features. And that’s just the start!

From an extensive drink menu including several handcrafted cocktails and more than 8 flavors of mules to the dinner menu that has been created uniquely each course will delight your palate!

T chose the classic Prime Rib during our visit while I opted for one of the Valentines Day specials, which was a grilled prime sirloin, sautéed broccolini, confit potato, & diane steak sauce…it was mouth watering, finish every last bite delicious! Also delicious was our choices of desserts! Chocolate mousse with raspberry curd, butterscotch ganache, & praline pecan wafer was the perfect way to finish my meal!

BONUS RESTAURANT – Don’t miss the chance to eat at one of the smallest, most eclectic, but absolutely delicious eats in Cedar Rapids at The Map Room! The Memphis Burger gets our vote!

Plan Your Weekend in Cedar Rapids

It doesn’t matter when you visit, we know you’ll have a great time during your weekend in Cedar Rapids. There’s so much to do to create memories! Pick art & culture or axe throwing & go-karts! What’s the first place in Cedar Rapids you would visit?!

Looking for more great Midwest Weekend Getaways?! Click HERE!

PIN it for Later