The Abandoned Iowa Project

06/02/2026

The Iowa DNR is look for volunteers to drove BATMOBILES!

Information and links below!

We're sending out the signal for Batmobile drivers! 🔦🦇🚙

We need volunteers to drive nighttime survey routes with car-mounted acoustic recording equipment to help us collect information on bat populations in these counties:

Benton/Linn
Boone
Dubuque
Mahaska
Sac/Calhoun
Sioux

This info helps us monitor bat movement in key areas of the state. The survey began in response to declining bat populations from White Nose Syndrome and other challenges.

To volunteer, you need a vehicle and a partner to run the driving survey with, and you must be available for at least two nights during a specified two-week period in July. The driving survey begins 45 minutes after sunset and takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes, not including the commute to the route location.

Get more info and register on our website: https://bit.ly/49xFtMS

05/21/2026

May 21st, 2024.

The city of Greenfield was ravaged by a powerful EF-4 tornado.

Five lives were lost. Dozens were injured. The hospital nearly took a direct hit.

The city was crippled for days while cleanup began.

But with every dark moment, theres always a bit of light.

Volunteers from across the state and country flocked to Greenfield to help with recovery. Ordinary citizens coming together to help one another in a time of need.

No politics. No grudges. No questions asked.

Just people getting their hands dirty to rebuild their community.

Now THAT is IOWA NICE.

05/20/2026

Thats my secret:
I am the buzzard.

05/19/2026

The only thing I like more than SPAM for breakfast is making post-consumer crafts!

Turned this can (formerly filled with the finest fancy food known to man) into a handy fridge organizer!

05/18/2026

Interurban Substation- Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa had a streetcar system that operated from 1886 to 1948. The streetcars were powered by electricity and were an important mode of transportation for residents in the city. This structure was once an electrical substation that converted AC to DC power to operate the Interurban and streetcars.

The streetcar system in Des Moines was very popular and was considered to be one of the best in the country. However, by the 1930s, the use of automobiles and buses had increased, and the streetcar system began to decline. Eventually, the street car system was replaced by buses, and the last street car ran in Des Moines in 1948.

Today, there are few remnants of the street car system in Des Moines, but its legacy continues to be remembered by those who remember using the street cars as a means of transportation.

05/17/2026

Hiland Park Laundry- Des Moines, Iowa
Status: Demolished

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In the heart of the Highland Park neighborhood stands a visually distinctive structure: a classic Quonset Hut.

These lightweight, arched metal buildings, designed for quick assembly with minimal labor and basic hand tools, were first developed by the U.S. Navy in 1941 to meet the urgent demands of World War II.

The Huts were portable, durable, and could be rapidly constructed in virtually any environment, making them invaluable for military operations.

After the war, surplus Quonset Huts became a common sight across the U.S., as many were sold to private owners and developers.

This particular Quonset Hut, located in Highland Park, was erected in the 1950s and originally operated as a neighborhood bank.

Over time, it found a new purpose as the Hiland Park Coin Laundry, where it provided a practical service for decades, becoming a familiar part of daily life for residents.

05/15/2026

Stay weather aware. Tornadoes possible this weekend.

MULTI-DAY OUTBREAK POSSIBLE across the Central U.S. peaking Sunday-Monday!

We have six days in a row of severe weather and tornado potential starting with a gorilla hail threat in central Kansas this evening, with the central and southern Plains to Upper Midwest having a full-blown outbreak Saturday evening through Tuesday morning.

The risk areas from the Storm Prediction Center are color coded here by day.

We are finalizing repairs on the Dominator 3 today for top tier tornado intercept mode.

Stay tuned!

05/14/2026

The lonely four-square.

I want to live here.

05/14/2026

Stairway to tetanus.

Former Younkers/Montgomery Ward.