Attractions

Freedom Rock

Created by artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen,The Freedom Rock® Tour was designed to honor veterans and provide a unique piece of art to each of Iowa’s 99 counties. So far 20 counties are included on the tour.

The original Freedom Rock® in Adair County is repainted each May in time for Memorial Day. The other Freedom Rocks will not change. Shelby County' s Freedom Rock is located at 257 Railway Street, Earling, IA in what now is referred to as Veteran's Park. Visit Travel Iowa for a current list of cities in Iowa.

Danish Windmill - Elk Horn's Danish windmill was built in 1848 in Norre Snede, Denmark. Elk Horn is host to the only authentic, working, Danish windmill in America. In the 30 years that Elk Horn has enjoyed this mill, it has become one of the most popular and successful tourist attractions in Iowa.

Museum of Danish America 
Iowa Tourism Attraction 2007-2008 Award
Established in 1983, The Museum of Danish America is located in the heart of the largest rural settlement of Danes in the U.S. Our mission is to celebrate Danish roots and American dreams, and we are the only national museum dedicated to the Danish-American experience. 

German Villages Tour

Many of Shelby County cities were settled by German Catholic families. This strong heritage left a lasting mark, which is evident throughout the communities and best seen in their historic churches. Five of these communities, Defiance, Earling, Panama, Portsmouth, and Westphalia, make up the German Villages Tour. The outer beauty and the craftsmanship of the interiors will absolutely stun you. A day touring these magnificent structures is a day well spent.

Carsten's 1880 Farmstead 
Travel back in time to an 80-acre working farm exhibit, featuring the machinery, tools and primitives of an authentic late 1880s farmstead. The farmstead grounds include the original Carstens family home complete with all the furnishings.

Come see steam engine threshing, antique machinery, parades, crafts, food and entertainment during Carstens Farm Days, our annual farm show. The two-day event is held annually the first weekend after Labor Day.

The Carstens 1880 Farmstead is owned and operated by Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc., a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the celebration and preservation of Iowa's farm history. The farmstead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

AG Symbol -  This 76' steel sculpture along Shelby's Interstate 80 exit, symbolizes the importance of agriculture, and of the men and women who work the rich land to produce food for the world, and of the pioneers who tamed the corn stalk.

Rock Island Old Stone Bridge an 1883 report by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad listed only four 30' arch culvert bridges of which the Shelby bridge was one of them and has been named the first railroad structure built in Shelby County Most railroad bridges in Iowa were wood pile or timber attributed to the scarcity of building materials,

but limestone for the trestle was believed to have come from a quarry in Earlham, Iowa, not far from the railroads main line in that area. See Bike & Hike Trails

Historic Downtown Harlan 
The 1892 Shelby County Courthouse and the surrounding buildings are all listed in the National Register of Historic places effective September 23, 1994

The Courthouse sits in as the center of the Historic Courthouse Square district with 51 buildings surrounding it. Of the 51 buildings, 19 were built before 1892; 27 were built between 1892-1902; and only 5 were built after 1902. In addition to the buildings, the district includes two monuments. As a result, the district conveys a very strong sense of what the Harlan commercial district looked like in the 1890s-early 1900s when commercial development was at its peak.

Nishna Valley Model Railroad Society


Located at the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Harlan, IA. you will find one building dedicated to this 27'x35' scenic layout with HO scale model trains, railroad photos and memorabilia. Call Larry McDermott at 712 755 3584 for an appointment or see them at the annual county fair this July.

Shelby County Historical Museum 
Corner of Pine Street & Morse Avenue Harlan, Iowa. Don't miss this complex of four separate buildings including our log cabins featuring the history of Shelby County.

Log Cabin Days coming in June.

National Historic Register Sites 
George Rewerts home, 306 8th Avenue, Defiance, IA 
Chris Larsen home, 4215 Main Street, Elk Horn, IA 
Jens Otto Christensen (Bedstemor House) 2105 College Ave., Elk Horn, IA 
Harlan Floral Hall at the Shelby County Fairgrounds, Harlan, IA
Harlan Shelby County Courthouse Harlan, IA 
Downtown Square Harlan, IA 
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, IA
Chris Poldberg farm 1/2 mi. south of Hwy 44 on Wolf Creek Shelby, IA 
Rock Island Old Stone Arch Viaduct Westphalia, IA 
St. Boniface Catholic Church  Westphalia, IA 

Historic Churches - Shelby County is famous for it's historic churches which are located throughout the area. The outer beauty and the craftsmanship of the interiors will absolutely stun you. Plan on spending the day touring these magnificent structures.

St. Peters Catholic Church - Defiance
Built in 1928 this church has been the focus of Defiance for generations. It is home to the grotto "Our Mother of Perpetual 

Help" which is 32 ft. long, 10 ft. high and 14 ft. deep. It has 245 tons of material in it with a base of 5 1/2 ft. of concrete weighing 60 tons. The right side of the grotto contains a table in memory of World War II veterans. The grotto contains lighting effects which make it especially beautiful after dark.

St. Mary's Catholic Church , Our Lady of Fatima - Portsmouth  built in 1890 and constructed of bricks made locally, the Church was destroyed by a tornado in 1940

Rebuilding in 1951 included construction of the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine using Ozark stone and Tennessee flagstone and also included white Carrara Marble statues imported from Italy. In 1982 the interior of the Romanesque church was renovated.

Nearby Cultural Facilities Include
More than 80 theater screens serve the area and annual ethnic cultural events are held throughout the region.