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Decorah Ice Cave
Photo: Karen Noecker, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Decorah Ice Cave

On the National Register since 197848 years
Listed 1978Decorah
DirectionsAdd an old photo
About

About Decorah Ice Cave

Decorah Ice Cave, at Ice Cave Rd., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Dec 20, 1978. It was among the first 5 of Decorah’s 17 listings. The Register lists it for its conservation and science, at the state level. The listing covers 2.9 acres.

What it isCave in Winnesheik County, Iowa, US. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 25 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1973 to today

  1. 1973Built
  2. 1978Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 48 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 20 minutes

Ice Cave Rd., Decorah · about 0.8 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Decorah Ice CaveStart here
  2. 2Painter-Bernatz MillBuilding · 0.2 mi on
  3. 3Decorah Woolen MillBuilding · 0.4 mi on
  4. 4Decorah Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · next door
  5. 5Broadway-Phelps Park Historic District (Boundary Increase)Neo-Gothic · 0.1 mi on
Around it

9 more Register listings within a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BNorris Miller HouseVernacular Classical0.5 miBSteyer Opera HouseBuilding0.6 miBDecorah HospitalBuilding0.7 miBDecorah Municipal Bathhouse and Swimming PoolModerne0.8 miBMilwaukee and St. Paul Railway Combination DepotBuilding0.9 miBEllsworth-Porter HouseItalianate1 miStBirdsall Lime KilnStructure1 miDLuther College Campus Historic DistrictDistrict1 miBLuther College FarmBuilding1 mi

Memories of Decorah Ice Cave

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Questions about Decorah Ice Cave

Is Decorah Ice Cave on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Dec 20, 1978 (Register number 78001269).

Is Decorah Ice Cave a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Iowa has 22 National Historic Landmarks.

Can you visit Decorah Ice Cave?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Decorah Ice Cave?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 25 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 75340320 · Wikidata · old views from Decorah’s archive. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.