Iowa’s iconic Covered Bridges were made famous thanks to the novel and movie about a romance based around meeting near the Bridges of Madison County. When the novel was made into a silver screen feature, suddenly, this small Iowa county was thrown into the spotlight! Though the rest of the country may have been discovering our history for the first time, here in the Hawkeye State, the Bridges of Madison County are among the most easily recognizable landmarks. Make time to see them all when you travel back in time along the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway.
The Hogback Covered Bridge is one of the first you’ll encounter on your way through Madison County.
Flickr / Tom Wicker
Did you know that the Roseman Covered Bridge is rumored to be haunted?
Flickr / Tom Wicker Legend says that an escaped inmate was chased to the bridge, where he suddenly rose up and disappeared.
Despite its haunted history, the Roseman Bridge is one of the most heavily featured in the novel and movie.
Flickr / Scott McLeod This bridge is where the main characters meet, and later, where the ashes of one character are scattered.
The Holliwell Covered Bridge is 122 feet long - making it the longest of these landmarks. It was built in 1850 and we’d say it looks pretty good for its age!
Flickr / Phil Roeder It remains in its original site, over the Middle River near Winterset, and in 1995, the bridge was renovated. Maybe the $225,000 facelift has helped it age gracefully!
The Cedar Bridge, over Cedar Creek, has a sad but resilient story.
lexandalf / Wikimedia Commons Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, It was built over Cedar Creek and it was moved to its present location in 1921. In “The Bridges of Madison County,” Cedar Bridge is where Francesca goes to meet Robert to help him take photographs! In 2002, Cedar Bridge was destroyed by an arsonist. Two years later it was rebuilt, but this second bridge was also burned in 2017. Last year, in 2019, the bridge was rebuilt and re-opened a second time.
Head out on a journey to discover all of the bridges of Madison County on this scenic byway. These historic bridges were all constructed more than 135 years ago, between 1870 and 1884. You can find more information about the historic Bridges of Madison County and the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway on the Travel Iowa website, right here.
Flickr / Tom Wicker
Legend says that an escaped inmate was chased to the bridge, where he suddenly rose up and disappeared.
Flickr / Scott McLeod
This bridge is where the main characters meet, and later, where the ashes of one character are scattered.
Flickr / Phil Roeder
It remains in its original site, over the Middle River near Winterset, and in 1995, the bridge was renovated. Maybe the $225,000 facelift has helped it age gracefully!
lexandalf / Wikimedia Commons
Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, It was built over Cedar Creek and it was moved to its present location in 1921. In “The Bridges of Madison County,” Cedar Bridge is where Francesca goes to meet Robert to help him take photographs! In 2002, Cedar Bridge was destroyed by an arsonist. Two years later it was rebuilt, but this second bridge was also burned in 2017. Last year, in 2019, the bridge was rebuilt and re-opened a second time.
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Address: Madison County, IA, USA
