Arts, Architecture & Agriculture

Mason City and Clear Lake are destinations that hit all the right notes

By Ann Thelen | Photos by Joseph L. Murphy

Imagine a place where you can find the imprints of Frank Lloyd Wright and Meredith Willson. A community that is home to the first-ever Grammy Music Award and the creator of the puppets from “The Sound of Music.” A place so rich in design that Condé Nast Traveller has twice named it one of the “World’s Best Cities for Architecture,” alongside the likes of Paris, Dubai, Miami and Istanbul.

It’s all in Mason City, a gem in Cerro Gordo County in north-central Iowa.

Dream about sandy beaches around a 3,600-acre recreational lake and a ballroom that has hosted the biggest music names in the business, such as REO Speedwagon, Lynryd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, ZZ Top and Roy Orbison. Picture yourself at an annual Winter Dance Party celebrating the lives of three rock ‘n’ roll legends. It’s all in neighboring Clear Lake, an equally treasured spot.

Together, Mason City and Clear Lake – separated by a mere 10 miles – are focal points of artistry and architecture united with history and tourism in an area that hits all the right notes. Add incredible restaurants and world-leading agricultural companies, and you’ve arrived at the doorsteps of a magnificent Iowa region.

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake

Music Man Museum in Mason City

Arts, Architecture and Tourism

“As a community, we focus on our authentic cultural heritage, which has blossomed into creative ideas and leading people to embrace this area as a cool place,” explains Robin Anderson, president and CEO, Mason City Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are building our brand as a destination for architectural tourism. We are painting murals on the backs of buildings, which serve as the front door to downtown from almost every direction.”

These murals are geometric designs in the spirit of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The effort recently expanded with the community’s “That’s a Wrap” project to cover utility boxes in what looks like stained glass art but is the same material companies use to create car wraps for advertising.

“It’s hard to deny the benefits of living in a community built around a lake,” says Stacy Doughan, CEO, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce. “We live in what appear to be small towns, but when you look at what there is to do in both communities, it’s like living in a metro area. People come for the lake, music and arts, and find hiking, biking, boating and beaches. We have something to offer in every season.”

Robin Anderson, Mason City Chamber of Commerce

Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired Stained Glass

Explore Mason City's treasured Prairie School Architectural heritage in a walking tour. See the largest grouping of homes on a unified site, ending at a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908, his first in Iowa.

Points of Interest

Music Man Museum and Music Man Square

The first Grammy ever awarded was presented to Mason City’s own Meredith Willson, best known for writing the 1957 hit Broadway musical, The Music Man. The Music Man Square features an indoor 1912 streetscape with an ice cream parlor and gift shop in designs recreated from the Warner Bros. motion picture of the same name.

Historic Park Inn

The last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright-designed and built hotel in the world, the Historic Park Inn is an internationally renowned architectural marvel, rich in exposed wood, stained glass windows and skylights. The Historic Park Inn Hotel and City Bank Building was Wright’s first Iowa commission and his only non-residential project in the Hawkeye State. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, this Prairie Style property underwent a $20 million renovation in 2011.

Historic Surf Ballroom & Museum

The Surf Ballroom is a Historic Rock ‘n’ Roll Landmark associated with “The Day the Music Died.” Early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson gave their last performances at the Surf in 1959 before dying in a plane crash. Each February since 1979, the Surf Ballroom hosts a Winter Dance Party tribute show to honor the three stars’ lives and legacies.

Color the Wind Kite Festival

For two decades, a dazzling array of kites, banners and ground displays have danced around a frozen Clear Lake during the Color the Wind Kite Festival. Longtime organizers Larry and Kay Day retired in 2020, however, the festival will go on in 2022 thanks to the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

Charles H. MacNider Art Museum

One of Mason City’s most revered treasures is the collection of more than 500 marionettes and puppets created by America’s premier puppet master and Mason City native Bil Baird. The museum contains some of the most recognized marionettes in the world, including The Lonely Goatherd, which was featured in the Academy Award-winning film, “The Sound of Music.”

Music Man Square

Photo courtesy of Mason City Chamber of Commerce.

HIstoric Park Inn

The Fertile Market offers vintage, one-of-a-kind curated items, including antiques, local goods, and vintage and new clothing with a beautiful view of the Winnebago river.

Culinary Delights

Northwestern Steakhouse

This 100-year-old restaurant specializes in using top-quality Iowa beef to create Greek-style broiled steaks that melt in your mouth. Inside, old wooden booths, early movie posters and photographs give a nod to history. Most of the recipes still harken back to Tony Papouchis, a Greek immigrant and original restaurant founder.

1910 Grille

Located in the Historic Park Inn Hotel, the 1910 Grille combines the vintage appeal of early Prairie School design with a modern flair for cuisine. The restaurant sources many of its ingredients from local farms and growers in Iowa. In the lower level, the 1910 Lounge is a place where patrons enjoy a beverage, relax or shoot a game of stick on the 100-year-old billiards table.

Suzie Q Café

One of fewer than 20 surviving “Valentine” style diners in the U.S., the Suzie Q Café is a nostalgic spot to enjoy lunch. This quaint little diner car was brought to Mason City in 1948. Enjoy classics such as a burger, fries and a malt or try the Cheezy Weezy.

Pastime Gardens

For 65 years, Pastime Gardens has served up authentic, homemade Mexican meals. Locals and visitors enthusiastically endorse the tagline, “Taco Heaven of the Midwest.” Elvis pictures, Mexican art, an old telephone booth, and vintage tables and chairs add to this restaurant’s charm, best known for its homemade chips, salsa and hot sauce.

K & B Emporium | Anna’s Ballroom

The K & B Emporium in Clear Lake offers healthy grab-and-go options in the café, including daily specials, smoothies and baked goods. Plus, the café offers a clothing boutique, retail wine cellar, and local artist and vintage treasures. On the second floor, Anna’s Ballroom uses ROK Service, an interactive dining experience, where a hot stone is taken to tables for guests to sizzle and sear handchosen proteins to perfection.

The Landing Bar & Grill

The Landing is a large lakefront bar and grill with perfect views of Clear Lake. With great food and a breezy atmosphere, it’s a popular destination for live music, burgers and seafood. While the restaurant’s hours vary seasonally, takeout is always a perfect option when staying on property at the Lakeside Inn, the only hotel on the shores of Clear Lake. Vicki Sukup, K & B Emporium

Vicki Sukup, K & B Emporium

The Landing Bar & Grill

Photo by Ashton Boles

K & B Emporium | Anna’s Ballroom

Mason City is home to a sculpture tour, which begins downtown and loops through the cultural crescent. Citizens and businesses have purchased some of the sculptures, which adds to the interest of the tour.

Photo courtesy of Mason City Chamber of Commerce.

The Central Gardens of North Iowa are a beautiful public garden and green space located on 2.7 acres near downtown Clear Lake.

Photo courtesy of Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce.

K & B Emporium | Anna’s Ballroom

Bill and Ann Papouchis, Northwestern Steakhouse

Northwestern Steakhouse

Northwestern Steakhouse

Agriculture Grows Here

Cerro Gordo County is home to approximately 760 farms covering nearly 320,000 acres of farmland, where soybeans and corn are grown. The county is also home to leading national and global agricultural and food companies.

Ag Processing Inc. is the largest cooperative soybean processing company in the world and a leading supplier of soybean meal and refined vegetable oils. One of the company’s 10 soybean processing plants is in Mason City.

POET Biorefining produces 56 million gallons of ethanol annually and employs approximately 40 people.

Smithfield Foods makes packaged meats and turkey products sold under the Armour, Butterball, Eckrich and LunchMakers brands at its Mason City plant.

Cargill’s innovative cooked egg facility in Mason City produces refrigerated liquid pasteurized eggs, pre-cooked frozen entrees and pre-cooked frozen scrambled eggs.

Hoover’s Hatchery hatches and sells more than 100 chicken breeds to customers. Their chicken varieties include breeds suitable as egg layers or as broilers.

Kraft Heinz plant in Mason City – the only place in the world where ready-to-serve Jell-O and Jell-O pudding snacks are made.