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Personal Guided Tour of the Covered Bridges of Madison County

Personal Guided Tour of the Covered Bridges of Madison County

Overview

Travel the back roads through the heart of Madison County under the wing of one of our guide experts, who are all residents of Madison County. Madison County's world-famous covered bridges were the inspiration behind, and the setting of the novel by Robert James Waller and the 1995 film "The Bridges of Madison County", starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

Six of the original nineteen covered bridges remain, making Madison County the Covered Bridge Capital of Iowa. Five of the bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each two-hour personal guided tour includes information about the construction and history of the bridges, the movie production, and a variety of other local historical information. You will visit three of the county's most popular covered bridges and have a chance to walk through them and take plenty of photographs.

City: Iowa

Sat 28 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $30.77

Make a reservation

Sat 28 Jun

Starting at $30.77

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Private tour

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This tour takes place using the traveler's own vehicle and gas.
Wear and tear on the vehicle is not the responsibility of the tour guide
Must have a proper seat and seat belt available for your tour guide
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Be prepared for uneven surfaces at the sites visited which may be difficult for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair

What To Expect

Madison County Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center

Meet your tour guide at the Welcome Center, located on Winterset's courthouse square. Your guide will tell you briefly about the history of Winterset and Madison County, and the 1876 limestone courthouse at the town's center.

Roseman Bridge

Explore the Roseman Covered Bridge, one of two bridges featured in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County", starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Built in 1883, the Roseman spans Middle River and is thought by some to be haunted. The Roseman is a perfect example of the flat-roofed covered bridges that are unique to Madison County.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge

One of the six remaining covered bridges of Madison County, the Cutler-Donahoe was moved to City Park in Winterset in 1970 on its 100th birthday. City Park also features an English hedge maze, a stone bridge (featured in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County"), and one of Iowa's often cited hidden gems, Clark Tower (a three-story stone monument that resembles a castle).

Holliwell Bridge

Explore the Holliwell Covered Bridge, the second of the two bridges featured in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County", starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Built in 1880, it is the longest of Madison County's covered bridges, spanning 110 feet over Middle River. Be sure to view this beautiful bridge from the river bank.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (49)

CarlaJo_M

Jul 2023

Meghan was very informative and easy going. She wasn't in a hurry. Explained things and answered our questions. Enjoyed her very much.

violeth2016

Jun 2023

Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we enjoyed her immensly! It was worth every penny and I would recommend this tour to everyone.

Response from Host

May 2024

So glad you enjoyed your experience. Our tour guides are great!

NealandJulie

May 2023

My wife and I spent the weekend in the Winterset area in April. Left Omaha on a Saturday morning and ate lunch at The Drift in Winterset. Very nice taproom with craft beers, wine and food. Service and lunch was excellent. Drove part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway and visited 3 of the 6 covered bridges. Iowa does a good job with signage so we could find the bridges. Great history here and the bridges are very unique and well cared for. Late afternoon we drove to Perry, Iowa to check into the Hotel Pattee. Built in 1913, this historic hotel is absolutely beautiful and decorated in 1913 vintage. Rooms have different themes. We stayed in the Tuba room which was very nicely decorated and had all of the amenities we needed. The Pattee Cafe had excellent evening dinner choices and a brunch on Sunday morning. After breakfast on Sunday, we ventured back to Winterset and drove the byway to see the other 3 bridges, stopped in at a couple of wineries and visited the John Wayne BIrthplace Museum. Nice museum with a short movie on his life, artifacts and a short walk outside brought you to the house he was born in. Overall, we would recommend visiting this nice museum. Stopped at the Covered Bridges Winery, had some snacks and great wine while listening to the live music. Returned to Perry that evening and tried their local Mexican restaurant on Main Street. Food was excellent and we would recommend it to all. Headed home Monday morning. Our weekend was fun and laid back. Great stress reliever. Only suggestion would be to travel the Byway in the fall as we can imagine the fall colors in this area would be beautiful.

Response from Host

May 2023

Greetings, Sounds like you had the perfect rest and relaxation kind of weekend and we are so grateful you made so many of our landmarks. The Drift is one of my personal favorites for fine wine and dinner. It makes us happy to know that your time was well spent and please some back in the Fall for all the colors and or Covered Bridge Fest on the weekend of the 14th Oct.