Winterset, Iowa

Winterset is the boyhood home of the famous actor John Wayne.  A bronze statue and museum memorialize his roots. Guided tours of his modest 4-room birthplace home are available throughout the year. This small town is also the county seat of Madison County, whose covered bridges were made famous by the movie The Bridges of Madison County. A total of six covered bridges are located in Madison County, including one in Winterset City Park. The annual Covered Bridge Festival celebrates the bridges and local heritage every second full weekend in October. The Madison County Courthouse, in the middle of the town square, was built in 1868. The Madison County Historical Society maintains a complex on 18 acres on the south side of Winterset with a museum and 14 historic buildings, including the Bevington-Kaser Mansion.