Strawtown Inn
The Perfect Way to Spend 48 Hours in Pella, Iowa
If you’re searching for things to do in Pella, Iowa, you might already know about the tulips.
But here’s our take: Pella deserves more than a day trip — and definitely more than a quick drive through town.
The best way to experience Pella is to slow down. Give yourself 48 hours to wander downtown, climb a working Dutch windmill, eat something involving almond paste, shop somewhere locally owned, order a really good cocktail and actually settle into the town for a night or two.
And if you’re going to stay in Pella, stay somewhere that feels like Pella.
That’s where Strawtown comes in.
Located just steps from historic downtown, Strawtown Inn is a historic, independently owned inn filled with oversized, individually styled rooms, Dutch-inspired details and the kind of character you simply don’t get from a standard hotel room.
Explore Strawtown Inn and choose your room
Here’s how we’d spend the perfect 48 hours in Pella, Iowa.
DAY ONE: Settle In & Explore Downtown Pella
3:00 PM — Check into Strawtown
First things first: drop the bags.
One of our favorite things about Strawtown is that no two stays have to look exactly alike. Traveling as a couple? Choose one of our romantic king rooms. Bringing the kids? Our family rooms with built-in bunks tend to earn instant approval from the smallest travelers. Want to turn a simple weekend away into an actual getaway? Book one of our rooms with a soaking or whirlpool tub.
Our rooms are spacious, a little unexpected and full of personality — exactly what we think a trip to Pella should be.
More importantly, once you’re here, you’re close to the heart of town. Leave the car parked, put on comfortable shoes and start exploring.
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4:00 PM — Walk Historic Downtown Pella
Start your weekend with an easy stroll through downtown Pella.
Walk through Central Park, see the Tulip Toren, explore the locally owned shops and make your way toward the Molengracht Plaza and canal.
The Dutch-inspired streetscape is one of those places that immediately tells you that you’re somewhere different.
Then stop by the Klokkenspel, Pella’s musical clock featuring mechanical figures that tell pieces of the town’s history. Performances happen throughout the day, so it’s an easy addition to a downtown walk.
This is also the perfect time to browse without an agenda. Pella is at its best when you give yourself permission to pop into the bakery or shop a storefront that catches your attention.
Find more things to do in Pella
6:00 PM — Dinner in Pella
Pella has become much more than Dutch letters and Pella bologna — although we strongly recommend trying both while you’re here.
Downtown and the surrounding area offer plenty of options for dinner, from casual local favorites like Clover Leaf Kitchen to spots perfect for date night, like Liberty Street Kitchen.
Our advice? Don't rush dinner, and always order dessert, you’re here for the weekend.
8:00 PM — Come Back to Strawtown for a Cocktail
And this is one of the biggest reasons we think you should stay at Strawtown instead of simply finding a room for the night:
Your hotel is part of your night out.
Head back to Strawtown, but don’t head straight upstairs.
Grab a seat at one of our bars and order a classic cocktail, glass of wine or nightcap. Strawtown was built for this part of the evening — when dinner is over but you’re not quite ready for the night to end.
No coordinating rides. No deciding who has to drive. No trekking across town back to a chain hotel.
Just good drinks, good conversation and your room waiting upstairs.
Then sleep in. You’re on Pella time now.
DAY TWO: Dutch History, Windmills & the Full Pella Experience
8:30 AM — Coffee + Something Sweet
You cannot spend 48 hours in Pella without visiting a Dutch bakery.
We don't make the rules.
Grab coffee at Iris Coffee Company and try a Dutch letter from Jaarsma Bakery — Pella’s famous flaky pastry filled with almond paste — before starting your day.
If you’ve never had one, this is the weekend to fix that.
10:00 AM — Visit the Pella Historical Village
If you only choose one major attraction during your weekend, make it the Pella Historical Village and Vermeer Windmill.
Plan your visit to Pella Historical Village
The Historical Village tells the story of Pella beginning with its Dutch settlers in the 1840s. The complex includes historic and recreated buildings, exhibits about Pella’s Dutch heritage, a blacksmith shop, log cabin, wooden-shoe workshop and even a working 1850s-style bakery.
It’s also home to the Vermeer Windmill, one of Pella’s most recognizable landmarks and one of the largest working grain windmills in the United States.
And here's something first-time visitors don't always expect: Pella also has a connection to the American West. Wyatt Earp spent part of his childhood here, and his boyhood home and story are incorporated into the Historical Village experience.
Give yourself time for this one. It's not just a photo stop — it provides the context that makes the rest of Pella much more interesting.
12:30 PM — Lunch + Another Walk Through Town
After the Historical Village, head back toward downtown for lunch.
By now you’ll understand one of Pella’s biggest advantages as a weekend destination: a lot of the best things to do in Pella are concentrated in a very walkable area.
Grab lunch at The Bread Board (Voted best lunch in Pella by locals!), browse a few shops you missed yesterday and pick up something local to bring home.
Our vote? Dutch letters make excellent road-trip provisions.
2:00 PM — Visit the Scholte House Museum & Gardens
Next, visit the Scholte House Museum & Gardens, the historic home associated with Dominie Hendrik Pieter Scholte, who led the group of Dutch immigrants that founded Pella in 1847.
The home adds another layer to the story you started learning at the Historical Village and gives you a closer look at the people behind Pella’s beginnings.
Learn more about Pella Historical Museums and the Scholte House
3:30 PM — Take the Scenic Route
Before heading back to Strawtown, make time for one more quintessential Pella stop: Sunken Gardens Park.
It’s home to another windmill, beautiful landscaping and Pella’s famous wooden-shoe-shaped pond. In spring, the gardens are especially impressive when the tulips are blooming, but it’s an easy scenic stop throughout the year.
This is also your reminder that you don't have to schedule every minute of a 48-hour getaway.
Sit down. Take a picture. Wander.
That's kind of the point.
5:00 PM — Back to Strawtown
Head back to the inn, kick off your shoes and take advantage of having an actual room you want to spend time in.
This is where choosing the right place to stay matters.
A hotel can simply be somewhere you sleep between activities.
Or it can become one of the things you remember about the trip.
We built Strawtown for the second kind of traveler.
7:00 PM — Dinner, Drinks & One More Night in Pella
For your final evening, head back downtown for dinner or make Strawtown your destination for drinks.
Our bars give guests a place to linger without having to turn the evening into another excursion. Grab a cocktail, find a comfortable seat and recap your favorite discoveries from the weekend.
Then head upstairs knowing your commute is approximately a flight of stairs.
We highly recommend it.
DAY THREE: One Last Morning
9:00 AM — Take Your Time
Before checking out, grab coffee, take one last walk downtown or make another bakery run.
There is absolutely no shame in buying a box of Dutch letters for the road.
In fact, we encourage it.
Then head home having actually experienced Pella rather than simply checking it off your list.
Why Stay Overnight in Pella?
Pella is often treated like a day-trip destination.
We think that's a mistake.
Yes, you can see the windmill, buy a Dutch letter and drive home.
But staying overnight changes the pace completely.
You get downtown after the day-trippers leave. You have time for another cocktail. You discover the shop you would have skipped because you were rushing. You wake up already in Pella instead of spending part of your morning driving here.
And when you stay at Strawtown Inn, your accommodations become part of that experience.
We're historic. We're independently owned. Our rooms have personality. Our bars are downstairs. Downtown Pella is right outside.
In a town with this much character, we think your hotel should have some, too.
Explore Strawtown Inn and book your Pella getaway
Planning a Weekend in Pella, Iowa?
Whether you're planning a romantic weekend getaway in Iowa, a family trip, a girls' weekend, a Central College visit or simply looking for new things to do in Pella, Iowa, 48 hours gives you enough time to experience the town without rushing through it.
Come for the Dutch history.
Stay for the bakeries, shops, windmills and cocktails.
And when you're ready to call it a night, we'll have a room waiting for you at Strawtown.