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Chief Wapello’ s Grave
Chief Wapello is located at 6899 Chief Wapello Rd., on the site of the 1842 treaty by which the Sauk and Fox tribes ceded the last of their Iowa holdings to the U. S. government. It is on the National Park Service’ s Register of Historic Places. The site is open all year and has no restricted hours.
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Indian Hills Community College Campus
The campus on Ottumwa’ s north end grew out of what was once Ottumwa Heights College and was founded in 1966. The campus features a disc golf course, a pond with water feature; a cabin, trails and Boy Scouts campsites; a cemetery for the nuns of Ottumwa Heights; and community events. The school itself offers arts and sciences courses, advanced technology and health sciences programs. It is supplemented by a campus in Centerville and North Campus near Ottumwa Regional Airport. The year consists of four terms – one for each season. For more information, visit www. indianhills. edu.
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Iowa Heartland History Connection
Previously the Wapello County Historical Museum, the IHHC’ s mission is to identify, collect and preserve artifacts, images and documents from the region’ s history. The campus at 700 Farm Credit Dr. in Ottumwa had its grand opening in April 2022, and includes the Iowa Heartland History Museum, the Iowa Heartland Research and Archive Center and the Iowa Heartland Event Center. There is also a children’ s area for learning. For more information, call 641-682- 8676 or visit iaheartland. org.
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Lake Red Rock
Lake Red Rock, the largest lake in Iowa, holds more than 15,000 acres of water and 35,000 acres of land to form a spectacular outdoor recreation area. The lake
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101 Things To Do 2025 serves as a host for fishing, boating, camping and other outdoor fun. There are overlooks and recreation areas along the entire length of the lake, and the site is popular for watching bald eagles during the winter. A few of the area’ s best-known features are the“ Mile Long Bridge” and the Cordova Park Observation Tower. This converted water tower provides a view of the Des Moines River Valley and the lake. At 170 steps and 106 ft. tall, it’ s the tallest observation tower in the Midwest. Lake Red Rock is located in Marion County; those going through Knoxville should head north on Highway 14, while those coming from Pella can head west on Highway G28 or Highway T15.
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Lake Wapello
Lake Wapello State Park sits on 1,150 acres of wooded hillsides in Davis County and contains a 289-acrelake and shaded picnic areas. The lake has sand beaches and the largest beach house facility in Iowa’ s state park system. While swimming and sunbathing are allowed, no lifeguards are on duty. The site offers fishing, canoeing, kayaking and pleasure cruising. There is also Lake Shore Trail, comprising seven miles of trails that take hikers around the lake through the park. Family cabins are available for rental seasonally, as are electric and nonelectric camping sites with modern shower and restroom facilities.
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Naval Air Station Ottumwa
While the Midwest may not be the first place one thinks of for a naval air base, NAS Ottumwa served an important role in training pilots in World War II. From March 1943 to the end of the war, the station graduated 4,626 pilots while averaging 1,000 flights per day. Today, the Friends of NAS Ottumwa work to preserve this station and honor the hard work and sacrifices of those stationed there as a reminder of southeast Iowa’ s contributions to the war effort. The building is located at 14550 Terminal Ave. in Ottumwa. For more information, visit www. nasottumwa. org.