Hampton · Museum
Franklin County Historical Museum
Explore Franklin County’s agricultural, military and community heritage through rotating and permanent collections.
⌖ 1000 Central Avenue West, Hampton, IA 50441
Explore this landmark →← Explore Franklin County, Iowa
Local heritage • museums • history
Museums & Historic Landmarks
Discover the stories behind Franklin County’s small towns, pioneering farms, veterans memorials, railroad heritage and historic architecture.
Explore verified heritage destinations in Hampton, Coulter and Dows. Search by place or town, see what makes each site interesting, and follow the visitor information link for current tour details. Dows straddles Franklin and Wright counties; its historic district is listed as a Dows community attraction.
18 places
Hampton · Museum
Reeve REA Power Plant Museum
A preserved power plant telling the story of rural electrification and cooperative innovation.
⌖ 1450 110th Street, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic landmark
Franklin County Courthouse
The iconic red-brick and light-stone county courthouse anchoring Hampton’s historic square.
⌖ 12 1st Avenue NW, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic landmark
G.A.R. Soldiers’ Memorial Hall
A distinctive Civil War veterans memorial with a red-brick exterior and soldier statue.
⌖ 3 North Federal Street, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic homestead
Harriman–Nielsen Historic Farm
A preserved 1880s home, barn, and farmstead that tells the story of early Hampton families.
⌖ 23 10th Street NW, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic homestead
Leander Reeve Stone House
A pioneering stone house associated with Franklin County’s earliest settlement.
⌖ Rural area southeast of Hampton, near Iowa Highway 134
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Hampton · Historic landmark
Franklin County Historic Jail
A preserved former county jail with barred windows and a rich local story.
⌖ 18 East Central Avenue, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic landmark
Historic Windsor Theatre
A century-old downtown theatre built as an opera house and revived through community effort.
⌖ 103 North Federal Street, Hampton, IA 50441
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Hampton · Historic district
Hampton Double Square Historic District
An attractive downtown streetscape of historic storefronts around Hampton’s courthouse square.
⌖ Downtown Hampton around Courthouse Square and Central Avenue
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Hampton · Historic landmark
Maysville Schoolhouse
A historic stone schoolhouse connected to the county’s earliest settlements.
⌖ Rural area south of Hampton, Iowa
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Hampton · Historic landmark
Hampton Carnegie Public Library
A historic Carnegie-era public library serving readers and researchers.
⌖ 4 South Federal Street, Hampton, IA 50441
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Dows · Historic district
Dows Historic District
A collection of preserved railroad-era buildings celebrating rural Iowa life.
⌖ Railroad and Ellsworth streets, Dows, IA 50071
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Dows · Museum
Dows Depot Museum & Welcome Center
A restored railroad depot introducing visitors to Dows’ rail heritage.
⌖ Railroad and Ellsworth streets, Dows, IA 50071
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Dows · Museum
Quasdorf Blacksmith & Wagon Museum
Historic blacksmithing tools and wagon-related exhibits recalling a vital small-town trade.
⌖ Dows Historic District, Dows, IA 50071
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Dows · Historic landmark
Dows Mercantile
A preserved mercantile setting representing shopping and community life around the turn of the century.
⌖ Dows Historic District, Dows, IA 50071
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Dows · Historic landmark
Vernon Township No. 5 School
A preserved one-room country school reflecting the early educational experience in rural Iowa.
⌖ Dows Historic District, Dows, IA 50071
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Dows · Historic homestead
Evans Little Prairie House
A preserved home showing domestic life in historic rural Iowa.
⌖ Dows Historic District, Dows, IA 50071
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Coulter · Monument & memorial
Franklin County Freedom Rock
A colorful painted boulder honoring U.S. military service members and veterans.
⌖ 22 Barrett Street, Coulter, IA 50431
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