What to See in Waterloo, United States: Free Audio Guide

Looking for things to do in Waterloo? This northeastern Iowa city combines historic churches, a varied museum district, and the waterways and lakes of Black Hawk County. Its four narrated landmarks make it especially easy to explore independently: Neywo offers a free audio guide for Waterloo, with each story available in 11 languages.

What to see in Waterloo

Grace Methodist Episcopal Church

Grace Methodist Episcopal Church is one of Waterloo’s historic landmarks. Today also known as Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, it traces its history to a congregation organized in 1861 as the First Methodist Episcopal Church.

The congregation first built a church at Lafayette and East Fifth Streets in 1865, then moved to East Fourth and Mulberry Streets in 1877. After adopting the name Grace in 1895, it completed the present building at Walnut and East Fifth Streets in 1913.

The church was designed in the Neoclassical style by Turnbill and Jones. Its most distinctive features are the large central dome and the classical portico supported by six Ionic columns. In 1996, Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church acquired the building from Grace United Methodist, giving the landmark a new chapter.

Grout Museum District

The Grout Museum District brings several Waterloo museums together in one complex. Its institutions include the Grout Museum of History and Science, the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, the Rensselaer Russell House Museum, the Snowden House, and the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

The range of subjects makes the district a useful stop for learning about the area from different perspectives. History, science, local houses, and military stories all have a place here, so visitors can choose between several types of museum experience rather than focusing on a single collection.

Walnut Street Baptist Church

Walnut Street Baptist Church is an early twentieth-century landmark in downtown Waterloo. It is also known as Faith Temple Baptist Church, and both names may appear in connection with the building.

Waterloo architect Clinton P. Shockley designed the church in 1908 specifically for its triangular lot. That unusual setting gives the building its distinctive street presence. Its exterior combines brick with stone and concrete trim, while the design reflects the English Arts and Crafts movement, the Chicago School, and elements of the Beaux-Arts tradition.

The Walnut Street Baptist Church congregation worshiped here from the building’s construction until 1970. The site was later sold to Faith Temple Baptist Church after the congregation relocated and became Walnut Ridge Baptist Church.

Black Hawk County’s waterways and lakes

Waterloo is the county seat and the central city of Black Hawk County, in the northeastern part of Iowa. The county is shaped by its waterways, including the Shell Rock River and the West Fork Cedar River, as well as Beaver Creek, Black Hawk Creek, and Crane Creek.

Several lakes add to the area’s outdoor character. Alice Wyth Lake, George Wyth Lake, Fisher Lake, and Meyers Lake are among the places where locals and visitors enjoy time outdoors. The wider county also includes Cedar Falls, Evansdale, La Porte City, Hudson, and Dunkerton, offering more communities to discover around Waterloo.

Explore Waterloo with a free audio guide

A Waterloo self-guided walking tour is an easy way to connect the city’s landmarks without joining a group. Neywo’s free Waterloo audio guide covers four narrated places. The app tells the story of each site as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Download Neywo and explore Waterloo independently, listening to the city’s history as you walk from one place to the next. If you are planning a wider trip through the state, you can also discover more destinations in Iowa and continue exploring the United States.