Kimballton, Iowa is the home of this “Little Mermaid.”
Visit western Iowa communities of Kimballton and Elk Horn for a taste of Denmark
Kimballton is the Northern community of the two “Danish Villages” in western Iowa, north of 1-80 between Des Moines and Omaha. Proud of their Danish heritage, the residents of Kimballton erected their “Little Mermaid” in tribute to author Hans Christian Andersen in 1978 and had it cast in bronze and re-dedicated during the town’s 125th anniversary in 2008.
The Danish Windmill
Heading south of Kimballton on route 173, a windmill and a restaurant advertising smí¸rrebrí¸d come into view. You have arrived in Elk Horn, home to many Danish-themed businesses and the Danish Immigrant Museum.
The Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa was originally a working mill in Denmark.
The 60-foot Danish Windmill was built in Norre Snede, Denmark in 1848. The windmill was disassembled and brought to the United States in 1975. Community volunteers in Elk Horn painstakingly rebuilt the windmill in 1976 honor the area’s Danish heritage.
Visitors can climb to the top of the mill, see the grinding stones and watch the wings go around on a windy day. The site is an official Iowa Welcome Center, and includes a gift shop with everything Danish from Carlsberg beer to Viking helmets to erik bagger stemware, and much more.
The Danish Immigrant Museum.
El k Horn is also home to a national center for the Danish-American community. The Danish Immigrant Museum shares the contributions of Danish culture from early immigrants through Danes living in America today. The exhibits explore Danish communities in the US from Perth Amboy, New Jersey to Solvang California. Visitors can trace their Danish ancestors at the Family History and Genealogy Center.
Elk Horn, Iowa is home to the Danish Immigrant Museum
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Backroads & Byways of Iowa: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions
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