Dining & Area Attractions:

Danish Inn Restaurant: Food lovers love the Danish Inn. Famous from coast 6 miles off US Interstate 80, the Danish Inn has been a favorite for travelers and local patrons for sixteen years. Friends relish the frikadeller (meat balls), medisterpolse (sausage), and rodkall (red cabbage) served.

Praised for its complete menu of home-cooked, traditional Danish and American dishes, smorgasbord and daily specials, the Danish Inn is chosen by restaurant critics. Cuisine also includes smørrebrød (open-face Danish sandwiches), that are as attractive to see, as scrumptious to taste. And plenty of desserts to finish off the dining experience in the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Danish and American Buffets *Full Menu Items * Gift Certificates * Party Reservations.

Elk Horn Country Store: Convenience store and Deli with a large variety of foods including pizza, broasted chicken, hoagie sandwiches, soups, salads, and more!  Hours:  Monday – Saturday 6 am – 10 pm; Sunday 7 am – 10 pm.  712.764.6001; Deli & Pizza 712.764.8932.

Elk Horn Foodtown: Full service grocery store, famous for its Havarti cheeses, Danish meats, Danish Rye bread, homemade beef jerky and summer sausage. Hours Monday – Saturday 8 am – 6 pm; Sunday 9 am – 3 pm.  712.764.8251: foodtown@metc.net

Larsen’s Pub: Voted #1 breaded tenderloin in Iowa!  Family friendly atmosphere. Enjoy a Danish beer, your favorite cocktail or special frozen drinks on tap.  Hours:  Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 1:45 pm & 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm; Saturday 4:30 pm. – 9:00 pm.; Closed Sunday and Monday. Owned and operated by Neal and Brenda Larsen, 4206 Main Street, 712.764.4052

Steffenie’s Good Eats Bakery & Grill: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, daily specials, special holiday treats and candy.  Catering, private parties, boxed lunches; dine in or carry out; free delivery to AmericInn. Open 8 am – 8 pm all days but Sunday and Wednesday when they are closed.  4020 Main Street, 712.764.EATS (3287).

Area Attractions

Danish Countryside Vines & Wines: Located among the rolling hills of western Iowa near the Danish communities of Elk Horn and Kimballton. We invite you to come to visit us at our farm. The winery is a completely renovated European style barn where we master creating our fine wines. We offer tours of the winery and vineyard while sharing with you the process of making wine and explaining viticulture practices.

Concluding the tour we invite you to taste a selection of our wines. We have a balcony that overlooks the vineyard or a spacious patio where you can relax and enjoy a glass or a bottle of your favorite wine. Browse our gift shop that is filled with unique gift items. We have a party room available for meetings and parties celebrating a wedding, anniversary, birthday, reunion, holiday events or any other occasion. Please call for reservations at 712.764.2991.

Danish Windmill: This 60-foot windmill, built in Denmark in 1848, was dismantled, shipped to Elk Horn and rebuilt in 1976 by community volunteers to 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. A 15 minute video is included with the tour admission. You may even want to purchase some wheat or rye stone ground flour.  The 1848 Danish Windmill also includes a gift shop and is also an official Iowa Welcome Center.

A recent addition to the Windmill site is a recreation of a VikingHjem, a 900 A.D. Viking Smithy’s Home, The VikingHjem will be alive with activity, and will be an interactive experience for all its visitors. From the blacksmith shop and woodworking area of our Hjem, we can have demonstrations and lectures, as well as its attached living space, show the interior area as it would have appeared in the Viking Age. Hours: Winter and Spring:  Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm, Sundays 12:00 Noon – 5 pm;  Summer and Fall:  Monday – Saturday 8 am – 7 pm, Sundays 10 am – 7 pm.  4038 Main Street, 712.764.7472 or 800.451.7960.

German Hausbarn (Manning): This beautiful and unique attraction, located in West Central Iowa, is easily found just off Hwy. 141 on the east edge of Manning. The three jewels of the site include the 350-year-old authentic German Hausbarn, the early 20th century American Bungalow style home and farmstead, and the beautifully preserved historic Trinity Church which was recently moved from its decades-long home in the middle of the country seven miles south of Manning to Heritage Park. In addition to the historic attractions, Manning Heritage Park also has a modern Konferenz Centre that provides clean, new handicap accessible restrooms, a large hall for meetings or catered meals, and a dining room with a beautifully-crafted stone fire place for a welcome coffee. In addition, the facility houses the quaint Roten Bär Tavern and the Schön Herzen Gift shop. Manning Heritage Park,12196 311th Street, Manning, IA, 712.655.3131.

Audubon, Iowa

The town and county are named for the world famous artist and naturalist, John James Audubon. He is honored in several ways...a bronze statue with his dog, “Zephyr” In the center of the city park, a beautiful mural in the library entrance, by Judy Suttcliffe, and a mural in the Post Office, painted by workers in the WPA. The WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States.  

Albert the Bull is the World’s largest Bull. Albert is located on the south edge of Audubon, visible from Highway 71. The lighted statue welcomes visitors to Audubon. It is 30 feet tall and weighs 45 tons with a horn span of 15 feet and is recognized nationally. This gigantic statue is a salute to the beef industry and offers a great photo opportunity. Audubon County Tourism, 800 Market Street, Audubon, Iowa 50025-1050; 712.563.2742.

Kimballton, Iowa

 Home of a replica of the Little Mermaid statue, Kimballton is the Northern community of the "Danish Villages" of Elk Horn / Kimballton.  Proud of their Danish heritage, the residents of Kimballton erected this tribute to author Hans Christian Andersen in 1978 and rededicated it at their 125th anniversray in 2008.  When you stop to visit you can be assured of a warm Danish welcome! 

Tourism Links:
Western Iowa Tourism 
Iowa Division of Tourism