Even though I’m in the midst of planning an architecture-related summer road trip through Iowa only a dork like me would be excited about, I can’t imagine traveling all the way there just to see an Exotic Dirt Collection. Yep, at the Prairie Museum in Sheldon, Iowa, which is located between nowhere and somewhere, there are dirt samples collected from around the world. A local housewife took the stuff from her travels to Buckingham Palace, the White House, Iwo Jima, Guam, etc. Speaking of six feet of dirt, north of the town is the burial site of an elephant, who died here during a 1940s circus tour. It was an important day whenever the circus came to town. Since one buries an elephant where it falls, monuments are scattered across the country dedicated to these creatures. I bet you didn’t know that.
Prairie Museum in Sheldon, Iowa
